How The Vegan Revolution Is Saving the World
by Brigitte Beringer | Heart Advice, BeginnerDuring the summer of 2016, I attended a Yoga Retreat in beautiful Austria. I was surrounded by the perfection of Mother Nature, mountains, rivers and cows peacefully grazing in the grass.
However, one day, as I was meditating, I heard a cow screaming nearby. The screaming was so loud and painful that I could hardly focus on anything else. After meditating, I looked for the farmer to ask him what had happened. He told me that the cow’s offspring had become lost and he couldn’t find it anywhere. Unfortunately, the calf never returned and its mother mourned for several days after.
This cow became a great teacher For me,
as it’s sorrow awakened deep compassion within me and helped me see that not only humans, but also animals are capable of feeling a vast range of emotion. It impacted me so much that I began to re-evaluate certain choices I was making. I started to notice relationships, environments, and habits that were keeping me in or out of balance and harmony with my environment and myself. As a result, I began to live in a way I felt was more in alignment with my morals and values.
I invite you to ask yourself NoW:
“what is or isn’t creating peace in My life?”
If your carnivore diet is one of the things that troubles you & have considering experimenting with a more humane diet here are 8 awe-inspiring reasons why joining the vegan revolution can be great for your body, mind and the planet at large…
shaping our collective future
Would you be able to personally kill an animal for food? If the answer is no, I invite you to dig deeper to find out why this disconnect exists and perhaps find ways to become more connected with the food you are eating.
In our culture, there happens to be a tremendous disconnect between where our food is coming from and what ends up on our plates. When we eat, we often only see the end product – the grilled meat, the fried egg or the cheese on our sandwich. Scrutinizing the production process means leaving our comfort zone and confronting ourselves with the fact that this process is characterized by ignorance and irresponsibility.
Packaging and marketing if often misleading, as it does not show the reality of factory-produced meat, which subjects animals to harsh and unfavorable living conditions. As such, it is always helpful to educate oneself on where your food is coming from. Is it ethically sourced? Does it contain antibiotics or pesticides? Is it hormone-free? Is it local?
As conscious beings, it is our duty to inform ourselves of the quality and sustainability of the food we choose to consume, and the industries we choose to support. Why not use our intelligence to establish more loving-kindness (maitri) with the beautiful creatures we share the planet with?
Helping ease the suffering of others
Did you know that when you consume animal products its not only the animals that suffer?
In fact, humanity itself is suffering due to the huge demand for animal products. Our world would have enough food to feed 10 billion people, but the animals we use as cattle require 50% of the grains available worldwide. Sadly, many children living next to livestock are starving as the food that is produced right in front of their eyes is being transported to 1st world countries in order to supply the heavy demand for meat products.
We are all connected, and the choices we make impact others in ways we may never know. As yogi’s we want to bring more awareness into the causes and effects of our actions. Just from our food choices, we have the power to help ease the suffering and under nourishment of millions of children and adults around the world.
protecting the Earth’s resources
Could you imagine a world without the beautiful forests, peaceful turtles or the sound of birds singing?
Livestock farming is the #1 reason for environmental degradation (it is even ranked as more damaging than environmental impacts caused by the transportation industry). Did you know that our daily food choices greatly impact the extent and the velocity of climate change? Livestock factories are responsible for the emission of huge amounts of methane and nitrous oxide in our environment; these gases are more than 20 and 250x more powerful than carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. Consequently, adopting a plant-based diet is one of the most powerful choices an individual can make in helping sustain the Earth’s natural resources.
Inviting Satya (Truth) into daily life
As spiritual beings we search for what is true (sat) and what is not (asat).
On this quest, one must have a strong willingness and an open mind to question all of reality. Asking questions leads us to a greater awareness. Take the time to ask yourself what is important to you when making food choices. How do these choices affect your body, mind, others and the environment?
It isn’t always easy to step out of our comfort zone and to open our mind to new ways of being. However, it is only through right and ethical actions that we can live a peaceful existence and attain Truth (satya).
feeling more interconnected
We know that we are all connected – plants, animals, people, the cosmos- all of life. Why?
Because we all come from one source, no matter what you may call it (God, Shiva, Buddha, Mother Earth, Love, One, Higher Self, Consciousness etc.). We are the unmanifest made manifest. As such, our actions, thoughts, and words towards others, also affects ourselves.
What if our actions and thoughts reflected a deep understanding of unity and interconnectedness with all that is? What if we looked into the eyes of our friend, lover, parent, pet, and saw ourselves? Would we steal, judge, lie, or inflict harm?
living with AhIMSA (non-violence)
The underlying principle of ahimsa is the oneness of all creation, the interconnectedness of all that is.
Ahimsa means respecting all living things and acting only with kindness towards them. As human beings, we try to care of our own well-being as well as the well-being of others. However, the term “others” should not only be used when talking about other human beings. It should also include all the living creatures with which we share the world, for they too are an expression of the One. As such, to practice ahimsa means that our actions are rooted in compassion for ourselves, others and for all beings everywhere. In fact, we can practice non-violence not only in our actions, but also in our thoughts and words. Avoiding animal products is a wonderful way to show true compassion for all living creatures.
Raising your vibration
The proverb “You are what you eat” implies that the food one eats has a bearing on one’s state of mind and health.
Scientists have proven what yogis have known from time immemorial, that everything is made of energy and everything is vibration. Therefore, when you eat food that involves the suffering of animals, you are allowing that negative energy to enter into your physical, mental and emotional bodies. In fact, studies have shown that fear experienced during slaughter, raises the stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol in the animal’s body. Ingesting these hormones locked in the meat of stressed cattle is unfavourable as such hormones have negative effects on the human body. In contrast, when we eat plant-based food that has been grown naturally with care, we nourish our body, mind and spirit and literally raise our vibration.
Connecting Deeper To the emotional intelligence of animals
Do we underestimate the emotional intelligence of animals? Scientific studies have proven that animals are sentient beings and are much more intelligent than many previously thought they were.
Animals are capable of communicating with each other and are also capable of feeling a vast range of emotion, like pleasure, pain, frustration, fear, loneliness, and love like we humans do. Unfortunately however, animals don’t always have the power to defend themselves. Therefore, as soon as we interfere with their lives, it’s our duty to also take their emotional intelligence into account.
So what prevents us from choosing a plant based diet?
Going vegan means that we have to change our eating habits, discipline ourselves, learn new ways to cook and handle the social aspects of meal sharing. Nevertheless, as soon as we see through the eyes of suffering animals, future generations, Mother Earth’s natural resources, and the underprivileged that are affected by the meat industry, we can open our hearts to love and compassion, and see that our personal challenges are quite negligible in comparison to the bigger picture.
If you are a meat eater, perhaps try switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet a few times a week, or have at least one meat free meal a day, too see how you feel.
It’s a great way to start!
I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.
