Show #92 - Yoga and Veganism

April 22, 2010

Libby Bryant of Swan River Yoga playing the harmonium

This is destined to be a Vegan Radio classic. Derek threads the story of his move to New Orleans through interviews with his yoga teachers and recordings of the Kirtan chanting featured at the beginning of the classes. Derek has been studying Jivamukti Yoga which was founded by vegans Sharon Gannon and David Life and taught at the Swan River studios in New Orleans. The featured interview is with Libby Bryan, a vegan instructor at the school, who offers insight into the connections between veganism and yoga and the Sanskrit word Ahimsa, that means "to do no harm". Much of the featured Kirtan is centered around the chant "Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu", which translates to "May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all." From Derek's personal journey to the universal wisdom of yoga and compassion, this podcast captures something transcendent and beautiful, and perhaps often overlooked in the modern struggle for the liberation of animals.