Sharon Gannon - Yoga and Veganism: The Diet of Enlightenment

Praise for

Yoga and Veganism

I n Yoga and Veganism, Sharon Gannon radiates timeless wisdom and applies ancient truths to contemporary customs. She describes how yoga and a vegan diet can help heal our societys disease of disconnection and remedies a mind-set that has allowed cruelty and violence to become normalized on our troubled planet. I hope everybody will read Sharons book, which describes how our actions affect our world and how we can liberate ourselves through compassion to others.

G ENE B AUR, founder of Farm Sanctuary

I f we are to survive as a species, we need to improve our relationships with animals and nature; this book will show you how.

D UNCAN W ONG, founder of Yogic Arts

R eading Yoga and Veganism I was enchanted, challenged, and moved. This beautiful book reminds us that loving-kindness is at the heart of yoga.

K AREN D AWN, founder of DawnWatch and author of Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals

S harons mission of ahimsa is so deep and profound; she writes from her heart and soul.

G URMUKH K AUR K HALSA, director of Golden Bridge Yoga

S haron Gannons commitment to animal rights has been evident in every aspect of her life. She recognizes that the continued murder and slavery of animals affects all levels of consciousness, as well as our health, environment, and global famine, and that it will only be through individual shifts of mindfulness that this suffering can finally end. A modern, compassionate, and well-informed voice for Self-realization and planetary change, she has been unwavering in her quest to educate humankind that our animal brothers and sisters are experiencing a mass level of intolerable abuse that must be addressed if we believe in creating a world that is sustainable, harmonious, and peaceful for all. In her new book, Sharon uses the traditional text of Patanjalis Yoga Sutras to draw our awareness to how our actions affect each other and the world we share. I highly recommend this informative book as an excellent resource to anyone interested in understanding yoga, its principles, and how these ancient teachings can impact all beings and species in these contemporary and complicated times.

S EANE C ORN, yoga teacher, co-founder of Off the Mat, Into the World and author of Revolution of the Soul: Awaken to Love Through Raw Truth, Radical Healing, and Conscious Action

S harons writing is born from her commitment to walking the talk. She is the living embodiment of the selflessness she teaches and has had a profound impact on my life as a musician and peace worker. She encourages me by her example to mean what I say and to say what I mean with each breath and with every smile.

M ICHAEL F RANTI, musician, activist, and author of Food for the Masses: Lyrics & Portraits

S haron Gannon beautifully illustrates the perfect symbiosis of yoga and veganism. The most mindful, spiritual, soulful practice married to the most healthful, harmless, life-affirming dietwhat could be more intuitive, more beneficial, and more necessary?

R ORY F REEDMAN, co-author of the #1 New York Times best seller Skinny Bitch

A prayer as pledge, a practice opening compassion, a yoke that gives freedom, a strength that comes from kindness, a yoga book that reveals how beautifully liberating animal-free eating is.

C AROL J. A DAMS, author of The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory and co-author of Protest Kitchen: Fight Injustice, Save the Planet, and Fuel Your Resistance One Meal at a Time

T he urgency of ahimsa and animal protection, especially when it comes to our own diets, is a very important component of spiritual life, and is often underestimated. Few have been as outspoken on this as Sharon Gannon, who has written a pioneering, groundbreaking work on this subject. It is innovative and important because through her insightful investigation of the yogic scriptures she has taken the subject to new depths, going beyond the common conception of ahimsa and showing how universal compassion manifests in satya, asteya, brahmacharya, and aparigraha as well. She also reveals the connection between asana and veganismperhaps for the first timeand also how a compassionate vegan diet intersects with Patanjalis kriya yoga (tapas, svadhyaya, and ishvarapranidhana). In other words, her book should be considered the guidebook on the yoga of action or modern-day spiritual activism. Indeed, she is to be applauded for her efforts on behalf of ourselves, the planet, and our four-footed, scaly, and feathered kin.

S TEVEN J. R OSEN (S ATYARAJA D ASA), biographer, scholar, and author in the fields of philosophy, Indic religion, and comparative spirituality

S arve Sukhino Bhavantu: May all beings be happy. This is the universal message of true spirituality. Compassion to all beings is the natural expression of one who is spiritually awakened. To be an instrument of Gods love in all that we do is an essential practice and the goal of yoga. In Yoga and Veganism, Sharon Gannon shares the treasures of her own compassionate heart, and her lifetime of study and practice. In doing so, she helps us to connect with our own hearts and the hearts of all life-loving beings. I am sincerely grateful to Sharon for her genuine kindness and for this illuminating book.

H. H. R ADHANATH S WAMI, spiritual leader, activist, and best-selling author of The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami and The Journey Within: Exploring the Path of Bhakti

Y oga means connection, but yoga is much more than uniting with ones physical body. Through bhakti yoga, loving devotion to God, a soulful bond is established with the Divine presence. Entering into such a relationship with the Supreme requires a body, mind, and heart that has been purified and is maintained through a sattvic vegan diet. As described in this book, veganism will bring the practitioner closer to mukti, that state of eternal bliss and total love.

S HRI M ILAN G OSWAMI, spiritual leader, direct descendant and lineage holder of the Pushti Marg (Path of Grace) Sampradaya of Vallabhacharya

Also by

SHARON GANNON

Freedom Is a Psycho-Kinetic Skill (1982)

Cats and Dogs Are People Too! (1999)

(Italian-language translation available)

Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body

and Soul (with David Life) (2002)

(German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish translations available)

The Art of Yoga (with David Life) (2002)

Jivamukti Yoga Chant Book (2003)

(Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian,

Spanish, and Turkish translations available)

Yoga and Vegetarianism (2008)

(Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian,

Spanish, and Turkish translations available)

Yoga Assists: A Complete Visual and Inspirational Guide

to Yoga Asana Assists (with David Life) (2013)

(Italian translation available)

Simple Recipes for Joy: More Than 200

Delicious Vegan Recipes (2014)

(Italian translation available)

The Magic Ten and Beyond: Daily Spiritual Practice

for Greater Peace and Well-Being (2018)

(Italian translation available)

The Art of Norahs Nepas (2019)