tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post7271593488215892348..comments2023-10-09T04:35:26.579-04:00Comments on The World According to Om Gal: Issues Weighing on a Yogi's MindUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-11171221194847163352010-03-26T13:48:16.738-04:002010-03-26T13:48:16.738-04:00For me, yoga and food have been inextricably linke...For me, yoga and food have been inextricably linked. Down Dog? My stomach gurgled. Agni Sara - whoa nelly. Yoga brought me to where I am today, eating what feels right for my body. I have no use for rules or restrictions but I do know what is going to make me feel great and what will make me feel ick.<br /><br />I'm actually running a program right now targeted at yogis - this will help everyone get a clean start and remove some variables so they know how certain foods affect them! http://www.findyourbalancehealth.com/2010/03/reinvent-yourself-21-day-detoxMichelle @ Find Your Balancehttp://findyourbalancehealth.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-7453551721754629852010-03-14T23:15:39.402-04:002010-03-14T23:15:39.402-04:00Well, yoga is initially, or only, a health and wel...Well, yoga is initially, or only, a health and wellness plan for many people. They want to look good and feel great, so the diet is just part of the expected plan. <br /><br />But then we also have a lot of senior teachers saying gluttony is the worst of obstacles, fasting is an essential tool, vegetarianism is a necessity. So there are more "serious" students also concerned with the optimal diet. Because it doesn't make sense to spend 20 years on OM or asana as a route to transcendence, if your diet is a big old anchor. <br /><br />So I think we as yoga teachers have to address it, VERY DELICATELY. Food is incredibly emotional, messing with someone's diet is like taking away their blankie. I refuse to label my diet any more. I tell people to eat 80% vegetables, and 20% whatever they want.Scouthttp://yogoer.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-2446201835596617852010-03-11T23:14:22.132-05:002010-03-11T23:14:22.132-05:00Interesting... I saw Michael Pollen on Oprah today...Interesting... I saw Michael Pollen on Oprah today. I love this post (and your blog) because it is all about what makes you feel good. I like to think of my body as a temple, one which I would be very upset (sick/yucky) if I left to much garbage in it. Balance is the key to all...and for every veggie there is a piece of chocolate...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17066390233640356626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-25671454850382716992010-03-11T17:44:51.353-05:002010-03-11T17:44:51.353-05:00Hey Great I just saw Michael Pollan's DVD on ...Hey Great I just saw Michael Pollan's DVD on tv today Food Inc. .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-30840920164268209882010-03-11T17:39:21.477-05:002010-03-11T17:39:21.477-05:00Well done as usual OmGal. I think your querie real...Well done as usual OmGal. I think your querie really is tied up in the Westernization of Yoga. Adapting Yoga to the Western culture. In India, vegetarianism is a way of spiritual life. It is not tied to aesthetics. I find that a lot of Yogi's are caught up in walking that tightrope of promoting an ancient practice in a modern Western Culture. As it so happens, this has a great appeal to body dysmorphic types (who see problems with their bodies constantly), and unfortunately border on anorexia. Yes these "cleanses" "detoxes" and "high vibrational only eating" seem to be thinly veiled eating disordered type yogis. And Yoga is just a disguise......<br />Thanks for shining the light on this issue and I hope more men and especially women can follow your suggestions for conscious but not controlled eating. NamasteAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-41549637112813419762010-03-11T16:15:59.796-05:002010-03-11T16:15:59.796-05:00I like your diet mantras, Rebecca, and I try to us...I like your diet mantras, Rebecca, and I try to use them too. I find that when I practice Yoga regularly, my body craves healthier foods. I look for those "whole" foods Pollan speaks of - no perservatives, no processing, just food. Granted, that doesn't mean I'm on a super-healthy diet all the time; I still reach for an occasional candy bar (like this afternoon!) when I feel the desire to do so. But, overall, I think my diet is more balanced, and I'm cooking for myself more!Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12809397616829044745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-90625590681401052832010-03-11T12:50:38.475-05:002010-03-11T12:50:38.475-05:00I think of food as fuel. My bod is the engine. I f...I think of food as fuel. My bod is the engine. I fill up in the morning with a nice nutritious breakfast. Throughout the day, I keep my eye on the gauge remembering to refill when I get near empty. I do this with healthy snacks and small meals packed with healthy fats, protein, and minimal sugar. This keeps my engine running smoothly--and my metabolism, too. As far as my "diet," I am all about the 80/20diet. This means you'll eat healthy 80 percent of your life and not-so-healthy about 20 percent. So if you're good alll day and then you need to have a froyo for dessert--go for it. I like to eat realllly good all week and maybe splurge a little bit on Saturday--I can't say no to barbecues or movie dates! Thanks for the post! xo, cmcassandra madsenhttp://www.cassandramadsen.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-72390057888124994992010-03-11T12:18:18.490-05:002010-03-11T12:18:18.490-05:00My yoga teachers have always been important role m...My yoga teachers have always been important role models for me so it was natural for me to want to try any diet that they mentioned in class. I have tried to be vegetarian, vegan and even a raw foodist due to influences from my teachers. None of these lifestyles really fit with my yoga practice since I am prone to hypoglycemia. Also I became a "junk food vegetarian" eating nothing but larabars, cereal and roasted vegetables. In my yoga teacher training we were encouraged to try a raw food diet for 30 days...I only made it two days in before my body revolted.<br /><br />I think that yoga teachers can unwittingly encourage others to try fad diets by talking or reporting about them in class. Many of us look up to our teachers and want to emulate their characteristics. Ultimately, of course it is up to the student to practice yogic principles of non-harming when it comes to their own bodies...but learning to listen to our bodies often takes some time. Even now my relationship with food remains a daily issue in which I need to apply compassion and care. And I have learned a hard lesson that sometimes you need to listen to your own body and your own wisdom rather than that of your favorite yoga teacher.Teresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16141185285987272211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-56409394545784173922010-03-11T09:52:54.354-05:002010-03-11T09:52:54.354-05:00After years of struggling with food issues I can s...After years of struggling with food issues I can say that I eat better when I feel better. And even though I just started practicing yoga I can say that it makes me feel just that- better, more energized, lighter(in every way - emotionally, mentally, physically) and so I don't ever feel the need to eat my problems away. <br />I think people should listen to their bodies more, and maybe do a little bit of research on nutrition instead of just jumping on the next diet fad without thinking. Being a biologist by profession some of the diets that have come lately just blow my mind by their physical impossibility. Some of them are just downright dangerous. People really should know more about how their bodies work. <br />Awareness also helps. Feed your body when its hungry, listen to your cravings, hydrate and try not to stress out about food so much. I think food should be something to be enjoyed, not stressed out over. Its very easy to enter into a vicious cycle of eating because you're stressed out, guilty or angry at yourself for eating badly. <br />Best wishes to everyone who is struggling with food, its a tough fight.Aneliyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13416112464259164738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-8000397983604946592010-03-11T09:35:55.194-05:002010-03-11T09:35:55.194-05:00Thank you for raising this question, which I'v...Thank you for raising this question, which I've mulled for years. At one point I started studying with a very "high profile" teacher in LA, who promoted a macrobiotic vegan diet, which I, in her thrall, adopted to the best of my abilities. Eventually I went on a retreat led by another teacher, and one night we all ate at a local restaurant. I was shocked to see this other instructor tuck in to a gorgeous tuna steak, accompanied by a glass of wine. "You can eat that," I asked, confused, because I truly thought that all serious yogis-- especially teachers!-- would "have" to be vegan. She opened my eyes to the idea of balance and personal choice. Yes, I feel better when I eat more consciously, and wish I did so more often, but my life would not be as happy without wine or cheese. Is yoga about denial? Or is it a complement to a happy balanced life? Believe me, I still struggle with these food related questions, especially as they relate to my now 12+ years of practice, so I'll be very interested to read other comments.Kathrynhttp://www.marburyvmadisonave.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-875727349988399492010-03-11T09:17:19.818-05:002010-03-11T09:17:19.818-05:00Right on sistah! More than anything I listen to wh...Right on sistah! More than anything I listen to what I need to eat. And I listen to what I don't need to eat. I know for example that if I eat a bowl of brown rice and broccoli (my favorite!) that my body is really happy. And I try to stay off the scale. Numbers don't factor in that happiness. And jumping on the scale isn't staying in the moment because you're automatically thinking about what you can do tomorrow, the next day, or what you shouldn't have done two hours ago. I think a little common sense and self control can be the best "diet" for your body. Everyone wants instant gratification, but just like it might take years to do a handstand, getting your body back in balance takes time too.Jessacahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07610472867468390772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068525752950388732.post-26873925688452709482010-03-11T05:34:11.074-05:002010-03-11T05:34:11.074-05:00I think you are exactly right. Its ALL about awar...I think you are exactly right. Its ALL about awareness. That is where we fall short as we have become such a "in your head" society. People don't live in their bodies any more, so they don't really KNOW when they are hungry. We are to busy comparing ourselves and trying to be better than. <br /> I have always been a "bigger girl" I am 5'8" 150lb. growing up I weighed 158 and that was considered fat (at least by my family). I have been on roller coasters of diets. NONE have worked, mainly because the minute I say DIET.. all i crave is CHOCOLATE:)<br /> recently a friend became paralyzed in a tragic snowmobile accident, it made me stop, be in my body and be grateful... for everything it does, no matter how it looks. No matter how I berate it, it has never let me down. Since the day of that accident, my whole relationship with it has changed. I cut it some slack, I am more IN it during yoga (which has brought that to a whole new level), I am more "IN" it and not my head so much.. I am gratefulvtyogihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14158792902303764638noreply@blogger.com