The true observance of yoga principles leads practitioners to follow a compassionate, vegan lifestyle. To the casual observer in American studios, yoga appears to be the worship of flexible bodies twisted into interesting poses while wearing tight pants. This is how our cultural appreciates (or to some, appropriates) the practice. Beneath the surface of this Western yogic appearance underlies a spiritual practice that is what yoga actually is, even when the depths are overlooked. The word “yoga” itself stems from the Sanskrit word for union. As laid out in the yoga sutra (the fundamental teachings of yoga to devoted followers) by Patanjali, yoga is a tool that a student uses to recognize the true nature of, and interconnection with, the universe.

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