The Indifferent Vegetarian

Peer pressure finally convinced me to became a vegetarian

What finally pushed into the “vegetarian” camp after years of living on the edge of vegetarianism was a lecture at my yoga teacher training. We were told that vegetarianism is natural result of increased awareness gained by the yoga lifestyle. It annoys me that I’ve restricted my diet based on a lecture suggesting I am a lesser yogi if I eat meat. But alas, I must admit that my drive to attain spiritual pursuits is finally what convinced me to give “vegetarianism” a try.

So it was very interesting to speak to my cousin who is a veterinarian (but not a vegetarian) working on antibiotic resistance in animal husbandry. Her wise words stuck with me on my long train ride home from seeing her. She said whatever you decide to eat, just be aware where it comes from, consider what kind of resources had to be consumed to produce it. Then think about whether consuming that food still feels worth it.

Ever since reading the book “Eating Animals” by Johnathan Safran Foer about 5 years ago I have given much more thought to what I eat, especially when it comes to animals. I decided to draw the line about what enters my body based on the type of living environment for the animal. I only bought meat from producers that could certify free-range living conditions for their animals. (In Germany, there are many certificates that assure a relatively high standard of living for farm animals.) This resulted in me cutting my meat consumption considerably, but not completely.

My compassion for farm animals stopped there. I maintained this empathy wall by not thinking about the slaughter process.

Ever since this challenge from the yoga teacher training, I am less able to push the animal slaughter thoughts away.

Although I can’t say I am consumed by passion about this issue, it’s been annoying enough that I decided to give official vegetarianism a try.

I often think about the parallels of the vegetarian “movement” and the sustainable transport “movement”. What my cousin asks of consumers in our current food system, also makes sense for consumers of mobility products as well. For example, you don’t necessarily have to give up driving, just be more conscious and thoughtful about where the resources for your mobility is coming from.

After years of living car-free, I am highly aware of the resources I am burning whenever I drive a car. Although my passion for a car-free lifestyle has cooled, I am still as convinced as ever that the benefits outweigh the costs. Yet, I am still at the early stages of developing that level of consciousness when it comes to eating animals.

It’s been one month since I stopped eating meat. I wonder what kind of physical changes will take place (Will I lose weight? Will I feel different physically?). And psychologically (Will I feel more compassion for other sentient beings?).

Anyone else out there been on a similar journey to the one I have just embarked on?