The Vital Importance of Choosing a Plant-sourced Diet & Lifestyle

The Vital Importance of Shifting From Vegetarian to Vegan:The Eight Limbs of Raja Yoga in Relationship to Consuming Dairy Products

Part 1

“All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; second, it is violently opposed; and third, it is accepted as self-evident.” – Arthur Schopenhauer

1) Yamas (Restraints for Ethical Conduct)

Ahimsa

Ahimsa means to do our best to not cause injury, harm or violence in our thoughts, words & actions.
Dairy is one of the most cruel & painful parts of the meat industry because not only are dairy cows killed for beef but first they are tortured for 5 years by being brutally dehorned, confined, raped on what the industry literally calls a rape rack, milked with painful electric machines and have their babies, that they carry for nine months, ripped away from them just hours after birth.
When we buy, ingest & serve dairy products we are paying someone to torture & kill living beings who have essentially the same nervous system and feel pain as we do. This is an egregious violation of Ahimsa especially given that there are countless nutritious & delicious alternatives!
I sincerely ask you to touch your heart and ask yourself, “What part of this is OK with me?”
If the reason that we are vegetarians is that we do not want to cause violence & pain to animals, then shifting from vegetarian to vegan is the conscionable thing to do!

Satya

Satya means to do our best to live the truth, speak the truth & advocate for the truth!
Gandhi said, “Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth”.
As I elaborated upon in my book, “The Soulution: 10 Compelling Reasons to Choose a Plant-based Diet & Lifestyle -The Why & The How”, buying, ingesting & serving dairy products causes horrific suffering to animals, devastates the environment, contributes to starvation, water shortage, pollution, deforestation, disease, trauma, misery, modern day slavery, war & a host of other ailments.
Satya also means to be true to our own true nature which is compassionate. What part of the aforementioned is compassionate?
Why do we turn a blind eye & a deaf ear to this truth if we are devoted to practicing Satya?
Why do we dismiss or criticize those who are taking a stand to uphold the truth & do their best to share these irrefutable & painful facts in as kind a way as possible?

Asteya

Asteya means non-stealing.
By buying, consuming & ingesting dairy products we are stealing from dairy cows their comfort, their home, their sovereignty, their milk, their babies, their freedom & their life itself! This is a horrific & unnecessary violation of Asteya!
We are also stealing the lungs of our planet by cutting down or burning down our forests to grow feed crop for these imprisoned animals. Trees absorb carbon dioxide & give off oxygen so when the trees are gone, life on earth as we know it is also gone. We all depend on trees to breathe!
We are stealing from indigenous people & many species of animals who had their habitat in these forests that are being destroyed at alarming rates for the meat, dairy & egg industries.
We are stealing from fresh air, clean water & soil by polluting it with the excrement & toxins from the dairy industry.
We are stealing from the people who live near these factory farms & have to breathe in the disgusting stenches & pollution from these factory farms which are concentration camps for animals.
We are stealing the wellbeing of factory farm workers who are traumatized by being paid to torture & kill other living beings which leads to mental health issues, alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence, crime & other maladies.
We are stealing
The good news is that If you are devoted to practicing non-stealing, all of this stealing can be easily avoided by choosing the countless delicious & nutritious non-dairy alternatives that are better for the animals, the earth & your health.
So if you are devoted to practicing asteya, why wouldn’t you make that simple adjustment?

Brahmacharya

Brahmacharya means continence, self-restraint, or celibacy.
In order for dairy cows to give milk they have to be pregnant so they are forcefully & repeatedly raped on what the industry literally calls rape racks to keep them lactating.
Not only is this the opposite of continence, self-restraint & celibacy, but by consuming dairy you are paying people to cause horrific & repeated sexual abuse!
Wouldn’t it be more in alignment with the ethical principles of Yoga to practice self-restraint by choosing the countless, readily available delicious & nutritious non-dairy alternatives?

Aparigraha

Aparigraha means non-greed, non-possessiveness & non-attachment
Once we are aware of the horrific suffering that consuming dairy products causes, if we continue to consume it, when there are countless delicious & nutritious non-dairy alternatives readily available, that is pure unadulterated greed which is an unnecessary violation of aparigraha.
To practice non-possessiveness we must realize that we do not “possess” other living beings! Our right relationship with other living beings is not to dominate them with brute force but rather to be guardians, to be mentors not a tormentors!
To practice non-attachment means to detach ourselves from detrimental habits & replace them with habits that are kind & health affirming.

2) Niyamas ( Observances for Ethical Conduct)

Saucha

Saucha means purity such as purity of heart, purity of intention, purity of diet, purity of lifestyle, etc.
Dairy products are the top source of saturated fat in the American diet, contributing to heart disease, type 2 diabetes & Alzheimer’s disease.
Studies have also linked dairy to an increased risk of breast, ovarian & prostate cancers.
Dairy products are widely recognized to be among the top allergens.

The following are some examples of contaminants found in dairy products:

Pathogens: campylobacter, listeria, salmonella
Hormones: estradiol, testosterone, progesterone
Pesticides: diphenylamine, dieldrin
Antimicrobial drugs: penicillin, cloxacillin
Dairy is filled with blood, pus, antibiotics, fungicides, pesticides, cholesterol and a host of other toxins.
It is also filled with the biochemistry of terror & misery from horrifically abused living beings.
Can we say that ingesting dairy products contributes to purity of our body temples?
Can we say that dairy products contribute to the purity of our hearts when it causes horrific unnecessary suffering?
Can we say that dairy products contribute to the purity of our intentions to live in congruence with the Yamas & Niyamas?
Can we say that dairy products contribute to the purity of our diets & the ramifications thereof?
Purchasing, consuming & serving dairy products is clearly the opposite of Saucha!

Santosha

Santosha means contentment.
Can we be content with the countless delicious & nutritious non-dairy alternatives readily available today or do we need to continue to buy, ingest & serve dairy products which directly cause horrific & totally unnecessary suffering to animals, devastation to our environment & havoc to our health?
If we want to experience contentment, what about the contentment of the animals?
Do we realize that as we sow, so shall we reap?
Living by the Golden Rule makes our lives golden with contentment.

Tapas

Tapas means to burn out impurities.
It is better not to ingest all of the impurities contained in dairy products in the first place than to have to burn them out!
Tapas also means using pain as help for purification.
14 karat gold is transformed into 22 karat gold by burning out the dross. Let’s burn out the dross of this cultural trance by utilizing the pain of these irrefutable facts to wake up & make more compassionate choices by going vegan.
This makes our character more golden & with our golden hearts, we can transform this pain into a Golden age for all!

Swadaya

Swadaya means spiritual study, to study that which connects us with our spiritual nature.
We are by nature compassionate.
When we are more informed by studying books, documentaries, listening to podcasts, & participating in summits on Yoga, veganism & spirituality, we are inspired to make more compassionate choices that are in alignment with the peace, love & compassion of our true nature.
Excellent documentaries such as Cowspiracy, Seaspiracy, Chirstspiracy, Forks over Knives, The Game Changers, etc., constitute spiritual study because they provide information & inspiration to make more compassionate choices that are in alignment with our spiritual nature and the practices for ethical perfection as outlined in the Patanjali Yoga Sutras!

Ishwara Pranidhana

Ishwara Pranidhana means self surrender to the God of your understanding or to your own inner peace.
The Bible states that God is Love. Sri Swami Satchidananda said that God is Peace.
Is there anything loving or peaceful about being a agent of horrific cruelty to other living beings?
If we want to merge with love & peace, then it is a moral imperative to choose a compassionate vegan diet that is kind to the animals, the earth, human health & future generations.
“Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.” – Albert Schweitzer

Part 2 3) Asana ~ Yoga Postures

According to Integral Yoga, the purpose of asana( Yoga postures) is to establish a steady posture for meditation.
In the Integral Yoga system, Hatha Yoga includes 5 components which are: Asanas (postures), Pranayama, (control of the prana through the vehicle of the breath), Mudras, (sacred hand symbols) Kriyas, (cleansing practices) Yogic Diet & Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation).

Here are 7 ways that dairy products are making us sick from “Forks over Knifes”

Even so called “organic” milk contains hormones which disrupt your hormones
Casein from dairy increasing your risk of cancer development.
Consuming dairy products increases your risk of type 1 Diabetes & Multiple Sclerosis.
Even pasteurized milk contains microorganisms.
Dairy products accumulate pesticides in high concentrations.
Dairy Products Increase your exposure to antibiotic residue.
Although purported to be good for your bones, dairy products actually contribute to osteoporosis.
Filling the body with toxins and the biochemistry of terror & misery contained in dairy products is detrimental to health & wellbeing in all 5 components of Hatha Yoga & is counterproductive for establishing a steady posture for meditation.
Whereas a vegan diet, free of these toxic substances, promotes vibrant health, radiant wellbeing and steadiness of mind & body!

4) Pranayama ~ Control of the Prana (Life-force Energy) through the Vehicle of the Breath

Consumption of dairy products has a long association with increased respiratory tract mucus production, asthma, gas, bloating, diarrhea, bronchitis and a host of other ailments which are counterproductive to the practice of pranayama.

5) Pratyahara ~ Withdrawal of the Senses

When we draw the senses inward, it is easier to access the peace of our own true nature which is kind & compassionate.
Gurudev said, “The purpose of the Guru is to introduce you to the Guru within which is your own conscience.
Dr. Martin Luther king said, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”
Does your conscience tell you that it is right to cause horrific suffering to animals unnecessarily by buying, serving & consuming dairy products when there are delicious & nutritious non-dairy options readily available?
Every dollar we spend is a vote for cruelty or lovingkindness, disease or health, devastation or sustainability.
What excuses do you give yourself to rationalize consuming dairy products? Are those excuses in alignment with your conscience?
If not, why not Go Vegan!

6) Dharana ~ Concentration on One Point

Dharana means to concentrate on one point. It disturbs our ability to concentrate on anything let alone one pointedness when our veins are coursing with toxins and the biochemistry of misery & terror that inevitably come with eating dairy products.

7) Dhyana~ Meditation~The steady flow of thought on one point

The Integral Yoga Teacher Trainer manual states that milk & milk products are sattvic. Sattvic, by definition, means that it contributes to a serene, balanced, harmonious state.
Dairy is filled with blood, pus, antibiotics, fungicides, pesticides, cholesterol and a host of other toxins. It is also filled with biochemistry of terror & misery from horrifically abused living beings. Do you think that is sattvic and contributes to a serene, balanced, harmonious state of mind or body?
I suggest replacing ALL dairy products with the countless, readily available delicious & nutritious non-dairy products such as almond milk, rice milk, oat milk, hemp milk, macadamia nut milk, quinoa milk, coconut milk, as well as the plethora of non-dairy cheeses, ice creams, yoghurts, creamers, etc.
And for all of you ghee lovers, I share with glee that there is now even non-dairy coconut ghee! :):)
Dhyana means meditation. Let’s meditate on what has been shared here & make new choices that are in alignment with the compassion of our true nature.

8) Samadhi ~ Union with The Divine

Samadhi means union with the Divine, union with our own inner peace.
According to the Yoga teachings, there are 3 main Nadis which are channels through which prana or life-force energy travels. These 3 channels are Sushumna, Ida & Pingala. Ida is the Divine feminine channel & Pingala is the Divine masculine channel. It is clearly stated that in order to enter into Samadhi, (union with the Divine) the Sushumna channel has to be activated which occurs when the Ida & Pingala channels are in balance.
Do you think that consuming the pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, antibiotics, cholesterol, pus, toxins, and the biochemistry of misery & terror contained in dairy products contributes to balance?
Do you think we have a better chance of accomplishing the balance of the Ida & Pingala channels needed to activate the Sushumina to illuminate the higher centers of consciousness and enter into Samadhi if we are consuming the SAD Diet or the GLAD Diet?
The SAD diet is the Standard American Diet which contains meat, dairy & eggs. The GLAD Diet is the Global Loving Ahimsa Diet which is free of dairy & eggs and contains whole cruelty-free food including fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds & sprouts.
Do you think we have a better chance of uniting with the Divine & our own inner peace when we choose food that is kinder to the animals, more sustainable for our precious Mother Earth, healthier for our physical, moral & spiritual wellbeing, better for future generations & for the evolution of Yoga?

In conclusion, this is not an exhaustive list of reasons but rather a few key points to seriously consider & hopefully bring us all to the realization that buying, ingesting serving & promoting dairy products is the opposite of everything we stand for and the only reasonable & conscionable choice is to shift from vegetarian to vegan. Yoga is a living science and like all science it is not stagnant. When new discoveries are made, science evolves in accordance with those new findings.

As Maya Angelo said, ‘When we know better, we do better!
Dr. Martin Luther King said,” There comes a time when silence is betrayal.”
Emerson said, “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
For all of the reasons that I have stated above & more, may we all succeed by shifting from Vegetarian to Vegan!

For further information please refer to my book, “The Solution:10 Compelling Reasons to Choose a Plant-based Diet & Lifestyle -The Why & The How”, where I elaborate on these key points.

Jai Ahimsa!

Love & Blessings to All! ~ Meenakshi Angel Honig

Author of “The Solution:10 Compelling Reasons to Choose a Plant-based Diet & Lifestyle -The Why & The How”