Kathleen at Animal Acres

We believe that the first precept of Ashtanga Yoga, ahimsa (non-harming) applies not only to fellow human beings but  includes all of the members of the animal kingdom.  Not just the loyal ones or the cute cuddly ones that purr but all of the sentient beings, beings that feel, even the ones that we as a society have decided are acceptable to kill and consume just to appease our taste buds!  If you have ever considered a vegan diet you may still be clinging to the 80’s question, “But where do you get your protein?”  There is protein in just about every grain and vegetable we eat and pound for pound their is more protein in spinach and broccoli than there is in beef, chicken, pork, or fish and with absolutely no cholesterol.  Think about the largest and strongest land animals on the planet, Elephants, Giraffes, Horses, Cows, they are all herbivores!  From a practical standpoint consider this; It takes one hundred pounds of grain to generate one pound of beef.  Imagine how many starving children right here in the United States you could feed with all that grain or other crops that could have been planted on that same farm land.  Remember when the saying used to be, “the starving children in Africa? ” Well it’s a lot closer to home now with all the “food like” substances we are feeding our children as well as ourselves. The nation is starving from malnutrition even as two-thirds of the population is over weight.  Watch Dr. McDougall’s Video to see a man who has been crusading for a vegan diet for 40 years.

There was a time when yogis in India held the cow as sacred and kept them for their milk and chickens for their eggs, with conditions that were kind and humane. Unfortunately, those days are long gone in all but the rarest of cases.  Now, factory farming is big business and over 10 BILLION farm animals are slaughtered each year in the U.S. alone! Have you ever witnessed a factory farm in action? Animals are given special feed and drugs that boost milk and egg production. They are overcrowded to the point there is no room to lay down, forced to stand ankle deep in their own feces and urine. These are just a few of the atrocities at a factory farm.  All of this harm for the sake of the mighty dollar, all at the expense of the animal’s health and in turn, human health.  If you think the “organic” stamp on the carton will protect you, think again. The Food and Drug (Aberration) Administration  is in bed with the food industry and has been since it’s inception.  Even if you could get wholesome milk and eggs, they’re still loaded with cholesterol! (We make our own cholesterol by the way.) There are numerous studies that show dairy products cause everything from diabetes and cancer to obesity.  Cow’s milk  by its’ nature is intended to double the size of a baby cow in just three months and it can do the same to you if you consume enough of it!  Read The China Study, by T. Collin Campbell for the largest health study ever done to see where we get our health facts. The bottom line is; If you kill and eat enough animals they will eventually kill you right back with a heart attack, stroke, or even cancer.  The science is out there and this has been known and ignored for decades.   Below are a number of other links to back up what we are saying.

Finally if ahimsa for the animals isn’t enough to motivate you and ahimsa for your health doesn’t motivate you either, how about ahimsa for the environment?   Urine and feces run off from factory farms spills into nearby streams and leach into the ground polluting our water ways and wells.  Did you know that a good number of farmers can’t even drink the water from the wells on their farms due to the high nitrate levels?  They will however let their livestock drink it, which in turn could end up in your system, if you eat their contaminated meat.  One last fact from the E.P.A:  Animal agriculture produces 60% more green house gasses than all forms of transportation combined. This icludes ships, trains, planes and automobiles. One study showed the average person would have a bigger impact on the environment by switching to a vegan diet than switching to a hybrid car!

These are just some of the reasons that the owners of Maya Yoga and many of the teachers and students are vegan, choosing not to consume any animal products.  Feel free to ask us any questions you might have as we are advocates of a healthy life style and would love to help you find one as well!

Namaste’
Wade  Mortenson

VEGAN You tubes:  VegSource Video Farm Sanctuary “Peaceable Kingdom“ Engin 2 Diet

VEGAN RESOURCES:
www.vegan.com – Vegan site
www.farmsanctuary.com – Sanctuary for rescued farm animals in NY and LA
www.animalacres.com – Farm animal rescue in Los Angeles
www.madcowboy.com – Former cattle rancher Howard Lyman, Oprah’s guest on Mad Cow’s Disease.
“Skinny Bitch” and
“Skinny Bitch in the Kitch” by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
“The Kind Diet” by Alicia Silverstone
“Quantum Wellness” by Kathy Freston
“The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell
“Eat More, Weigh Less” by Dr. Dean Ornish
“Diet for a New America” by John Robbins
“The Mad Cowboy” by Howard Lyman
“Animal Theology” by Dr. Andrew Linzey