Student Spotlight: Liz

Here following we feature Liz in the latest in our student spotlight series. To date most of the Student Spotlights have been podcasts, This is different as I asked Liz if she was interested in writing a guest blog post about her experiences – and the project developed from there. Liz and her family were active in our classes some years ago and then this fall she again became very active as she regularly attends our Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday morning classes…

October Vegan Challenge

When Satyam announced the October Veggie Challenge, my first thought was that this challenge would not apply to me. I am already a vegetarian and I eat plenty of vegetables. On further contemplation, I realized that this was the perfect chance to start a Vegan Challenge. As an ovo-lacto vegetarian, I did eat dairy products and eggs and I would even occasionally eat fish. For my Vegan Challenge, I would give up all animal derived products, which meant saying goodbye to my beloved yogurt, the delicious cream that I put in my coffee, and the eggs in all my baked goods. Time to get out of my rut and move on! I knew that the myriad health benefits of eating a plant-based diet are well documented. I just had a hard time imagining life without some foods I had been raised on. Continued below…

What I have learned this month is that it was easier than I expected to change my ways. It has felt great on both physical and spiritual levels to eat an entirely plant based diet! I have also experienced the many challenges that vegans face. Eating out can be impossible in some settings. Preparing food for my family that is not yet ready (or willing) to be vegan is an exercise in patience. Eating a plant-based diet that does not include processed foods or a preponderance of starch takes special planning. However, I have also seen how the world opens to you as you explore food options with a curious and open mind (and a growling stomach).

Another challenge I wanted to add this month was a daylong fast that I planned to repeat weekly. “Why in the world are you doing this?” my husband asked. I have heard about the benefits of intermittent fasting to aid in physical healing, to sharpen focus, to slow down and simplify, to practicing mindfulness and improve discipline. I secretly hoped it would help me break the old habits of scooping up ice cream late at night, and raiding my hidden chocolate stashes.

October 1st was my first fasting day.  I was to only drink water for a whole day. By late evening, I became frantic with hunger and crash landed into a bowl of hummus. Not a beneficial ending to my first fast. What a stomachache!

With help from Satyam, I tried again. He told me about using the moon’s phases to set beneficial days for fasting, and to fast from sunrise to sunrise. I was gentler with myself during the day of the fast, using the spare time for some meditation and mindfulness. As the day progressed, I noticed interesting calmness and engaging introspection. I slept well that night and broke my fast, according to Satyam’s direction, the next morning. The banana I ate that morning was a revelation of flavor and texture. Throughout the next few days, I continued to realize the benefits of the fast as a subtle internal stillness lingered.

I am so happy to have returned to yoga this fall after a long hiatus. I am grateful for our trusted teacher who does so much more than help us perfect our poses. He helps us stretch in other ways as well. This is a wonderful yoga community where we can come together to practice, learn and grow!

Namaskar,
Liz