Changing my diet was one step along the way to changing me entirely. No. That is not right. Letting go of the eating of all animal products was the first step in a series of changes for me.
Originally set out on the plant-based diet path for health reasons, I have found myself asking more questions as I research vegan food and nutrition and observe how it is working for me.
It might just be the observation part that is the most significant change. Taking the time to observe and contemplate exactly how my body feels after eating certain foods has brought me more in touch with my own body and it's state of health. Thinking on how I feel about dietary arguments from "we are top of the food chain and are entitled to eat everything" to "Food Inc-styled documentaries on domesticated animal food production" and the the economics of plant-based diets compared to animal-based diets, has given me small insight into my role in the food chain, or even in life itself.
I had written earlier, that in my omnivorous days I still felt that I would be unable to kill to eat. That put me in a position where I found myself sharing philosophical space with animal rights supporters and Buddhist thought. More research was required.
I was introduced to yoga as a young child, somewhere around ten years old I guess, along with meditation in the form of TM (Transcendental Meditation) by my parents. Yes it was the 70s. Everyone was doing it! Not being the flexible type, yoga was frustrating for me, so was abandoned in favour of more active sporting activities. Meditation, however, was something I would play with on and off throughout the years between then and now.
Now in the mode of asking questions, absorbing answers and observing my response to both, I am back to a regular practice of yoga, classes 3-4 days and a home routine. It all stems from the questions, "what is it like to be more flexible?" and "If I really made an effort, could I become more flexible?" The process is ongoing. Yes, I am more flexible. More than that, I am more aware of the physicality and flow of how my body works, the 'interconnectedness' of it all. Which ties in with my other research angle, Buddhist philosophy.
Through questioning and reading, I have found myself delving deeper into the concept of 'interconnectedness'. Meditation has become an integral part of daily life, practicing several times of day. I have noticed my mind less cluttered by random thought chatter. Oh it is still there, believe me, but I now notice there are spaces in between.
I am able to notice more, observe more. In a strange twist, the more I notice, ask, observe and contemplate, the more distilled things become, enabling me to become more content with less, more accepting of that which is different, more comfortable with my veganism. Yes, this is my journey, but I am becoming more and more aware that it is not about me, any one individual or group... more research required.
"May all beings know peace and freedom from suffering." is something I have often heard as a yoga class closing prayer. It is derived from a basic Buddhist thought. I often wonder as I hear it, whether or not those saying it actually live it.
A couple weeks ago had a conversation with a 12 year old, decidedly vegan, son of my clients on the dairy industry, wherein he told me much of the process and then concluded with, "better to be a meat cow than a dairy cow. Short life and killed vs 6 years of suffering then killed."
His comment was more food for thought... still digesting
