Thereis a yoga teacher I love who talks about being mindful of not forcefully jerking yourself around the yoga mat in pursuit of achieving the perfect poses you are after. The idea is that when you are yanking yourself around the mat, you’re no longer enjoying your practice, nor are you being kind to yourself, and this defeats the whole point of yoga. You’re bringing aggression, judgment, competition and a sense of burdensome obligation to your practice instead. How does this apply to veganism? I think we lose the juicy joy of veganism when it becomes all about lists, rules and tallies or about grief, anger and conflict. When we lose the pleasure, I think our vegan practice becomes more of a chore that we are powering through than something that comes from a deeper core conviction of trying to create a more compassionate and just world. Bring joy to your practice by watching cheerful animal videos, by spending time in nature, by discovering new foods and ingredients, by enjoying how your taste buds have become awakened, by feeling grateful to be able to live at a time when we are able to put our convictions into our daily lives. There are so many ways to bring joy into your vegan practice. Don’t lose sight of them and you will also be modeling to the world someone who is powerfully compelling.
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Best wishes on your vegan journey. You've got this!