I’m a big fan of the Jivamukti Yoga Studio in Charleston, South Carolina. And last week, as I periodically do, I drove down the road for a class. The classes are such a blast and the two owners Geoffrey and Andrea are seasoned teachers with a lot to offer.

For a break from the norm, I hit up their Rockasana class on Tuesday nights with music so loud that Geoffrey has to teach through a mic. I don’t count it as my regular morning class, but even still, it’s fun and it sets my adrenolene pumping like no other. When Welcome to the Jungle comes raging through the speakers I’m able to get out of my mind and into my body in a real way.

But in addition to INXS, Aretha Franklin, and Madonna hits, I’m a big fan of the way that Jivamukti emphasizes your diet as a part of the practice. Ahimsa, nonviolence is a big part of the practice. And while veganism is a tenet, I’m much more drawn to their view on food sourcing. How were those that produced your foods treated? Were the farmers that grew the cocoa from that candy bar paid a fair wage or was it basically slave labor? Were they poisoned with insecticides while producing your morning cup of coffee or even the banana that you cut up and put on top of your oats? These are important thoughts because karma is a part of how your life unfolds. I’ve come across many a yogi nowadays that doesn’t put enough emphasis on their diets and how that impacts their practice.

According to Yoga and Vegetarianism, by Sharon Gannon, “[h]ow can we hope to be free or happy when our own lives are rooted in depriving others of the very thing we say we value most in life -the freedom to pursue happiness? If you want to bring more peace and happiness into your own life, stop subjecting others to violence and unhappiness.”

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