The Connection Between Yoga and Veganism

On International Yoga Day, let's consider the philosophy beyond the physical.

A little note: this week, after a bit over three months on Substack, I turned on paid subscriptions. The content is still free to read, but I would be so happy if you would consider supporting my writing by becoming a paid subscriber. And…today’s my birthday, just saying! ;)

It’s International Yoga Day (and my birthday!) and as a long-time yoga practitioner, I wanted to delve into some aspects of yoga that many practitioners may be unaware of, or for a variety of reasons might not have considered. As I’m only a passionate practitioner and in no way an expert, I enlisted the help of a yoga teacher and fellow animal rights campaigner, Molly Elsdon.

Yoga teacher Molly holds regular monthly circles for vegans and activists, alongside kirtan (a chanting practice, like a “singing yoga”) and other events such as vegan yoga + brunch, which I’ve been to and it was wonderful. She is also a campaigner for PETA: she organises protests, gives talks and is one of my fellow runway crashers! A vegan for years, Molly is dedicated to shining a light on the connection between the yoga practice and all things non-violence.

Far from just a movement practice or an exercise form, yoga is a life philosophy encompassing eight limbs, of which postures (asana) is only one. In modern, Westernised yoga, very often only asana is practiced, and maybe briefly pranayama (breath work). The other limbs of the philosophy are often left by the wayside, but they are an equally important part of the practice - if not even more important than movement. The very first limb consists of the yamas, the principles of how we treat the world around us. The very first of the principles is ahimsa, the principle of non-violence. Which, according to many interpretations, applies to all beings - not just humans.

“I started doing yoga when I was a vegetarian,” recalls Molly. “It was just one of the classes at my gym, but then I really got into meditation, journaling and the personal development aspects of it.” Later, when travelling through Asia, Molly came across vegans who revealed the cruelty behind the dairy and egg industries, prompting her to go vegan. “I wish someone would have told me sooner,” she remarks today. By then, she was planning to embark on a yoga teacher training, and when she did so four years ago, she was surprised to find out that she was one of the only vegans on the course. “I had just assumed that yoga and being vegan went together. But not even the teachers on the course were vegan. I noticed that there was a disconnect there.”

What is the connection? “The whole meaning of yoga is unite, to find that interconnectedness between all beings,” says Molly. “If we then look at ahimsa, which stands for non-violence, all texts state relate that to not causing harm to other beings. We cannot consume animal products without causing harm. All animals whom we cause harm to when consuming them - they are all living beings. Believing that the principle of ahimsa only applies to those we choose doesn’t do the practice justice.”

It is also worth remembering that non-violence is not limited to “self-care”, as some modern yoga practitioners make it out to be. It is the first among the yamas - the principles that guide how we treat the world around us, whereas the niyamas deal with how we treat ourselves. So ahimsa definitely relates to others too, not just ourselves.

One thing that Molly keeps noticing in yoga circles is that the dynamic of the conversation changes when the topic of veganism is approached. “We can talk about ethical principles such as non-stealing and so on, and the vibe is really positive. And then you mention being vegan, and it turns into a debate.”

Does she think that this would be different on yoga-teacher trainings today? “I think it depends on where you do it. There are specialised vegan yoga teacher trainings out there. And ethics should definitely be part of the training.” She believes that part of the reason why ethics are missing from the conversation lies with the teachers. “I think that many people go into yoga teaching not being vegan is because most of the yoga that we know, and that we fall in love with initially, is about the movement part. We’re not immediately made aware of the philosophy, so it makes sense that people don’t have that knowledge. For this reason, all my classes have an emphasis on the philosophy of yoga. We need more vegan yoga teachers teaching other vegans to be yoga teachers!”

Molly also reflects on how part of the self-awareness journey of yoga includes sitting with the realisation that your actions cause harm (which, in some measure, is true for all of us, vegan or not). “Yoga is a practice of introspection, and when we’re on a deep spiritual journey, that won’t always be easy. Sometimes we need to bring light to the darker parts of ourselves and recognise what areas we need to work on. Avoidance is never going to bring us to enlightenment.”

In her own teaching, Molly’s approach to spreading the word around non-violence has changed. “I actually avoid using the word “vegan” in classes, as I’ve realised that this can be a very triggering word for many people. When people are in this space of being open and vulnerable, the last thing I want to do is say something that is going to draw a barrier up. So what I tend to do nowadays is ask a lot of questions and try to get people to a place where they find the answers themselves. I ask how they can practice ahimsa in their own lives, such as in their food choices. This has so much more meaning than just me telling them what to do. And everything I share will extend past veganism and be applicable in other areas of life too.”

Online, Molly often uses her voice to speak out - especially when yoga practitioners claim that ahimsa doesn’t apply to animals or that veganism isn’t part of yoga. These conversations aren’t always pleasant, which Molly takes into account - but is adamant that we should all speak up anyway. “There’s this beautiful phrase: ahimsa paramo dharma, dharma hinsa tathaiva cha, which means ‘non-violence is the highest moral virtue, but so is action in the name of purpose.’ This should remind us that non-violence isn’t always this passive quality. We can, and should, take action if it’s to stop violence from happening. As activists, it’s okay to hold people accountable and start discussion in order to help end violence and cruelty - even if it is uncomfortable.”

Three tips

I ask my interview guests for three things they would recommend to Kind of Wild readers - it can be anything at all, connected to veganism or not. Only rule: it can’t be their own products.

• Read the book Yoga and Veganism by Jivamukti Yoga founder Sharon Gannon!

• If you go to a yoga class and the teacher talks about the philosophy elements of yoga, make sure to thank them, even if they are not vegan - many teachers are pressured to stay away from philosophy, so those conversations are important.

• If you are an activist, do speak up against injustice even if it’s not always an easy conversation. It’s really the biggest way we can practice ahimsa.

If you are in London, you can join Molly’s monthly vegan circles. All photos by Camille Bieber