Eating consciously

[Emmalevine]

Being pescetarian is, for me, a choice that I made as part of living consciously. When I've eaten meat in the past it is a symptom of falling back into spiritual sleep. At times it is easy for me to detach from where meat comes from or what happens to the animals in the process. I didn't have to worry about such things because I indirectly paid others to do the dirty work for me. I know full well that if I ever had to kill the animal myself, I simply couldn't.

Waking up is part of my choice to remain awake and aware of what I'm eating, where it comes from, the sacrifices that are made etc. It's about being sensitive to life and suffering and above all my own choices and responses to that.

I'm not saying all this because I feel everyone should do the same. I just feel good about my choices and want to share what being a pescetarian means for me now. I feel I'm evolving spiritually and part of that is making conscious choices about what I eat. I fully accept that others may make different choices and continue to eat meat despite being fully conscious. I don't judge. I only know what feels right for me.

I wish I didn't have to eat fish but due to chronic health problems I don't feel able to cut it out at present. Same with eggs. Despite this I am sensitive to where fish come from and the fact they feel pain. I am hopeful that one day I will be able to live on a fully vegan diet.

So I don't see pescetarianism as separate to my spirituality, but all part of the same thing. It's a way to apply my spirituality to everyday life. I think it's all about being conscious and sensitive to how I react to life and choosing to remain this way rather than fall back to sleep.

[moonincancer]

Originally Posted by Starbuck

Being pescetarian is, for me, a choice that I made as part of living consciously. When I've eaten meat in the past it is a symptom of falling back into spiritual sleep. At times it is easy for me to detach from where meat comes from or what happens to the animals in the process. I didn't have to worry about such things because I indirectly paid others to do the dirty work for me. I know full well that if I ever had to kill the animal myself, I simply couldn't.

Waking up is part of my choice to remain awake and aware of what I'm eating, where it comes from, the sacrifices that are made etc. It's about being sensitive to life and suffering and above all my own choices and responses to that.

I'm not saying all this because I feel everyone should do the same. I just feel good about my choices and want to share what being a pescetarian means for me now. I feel I'm evolving spiritually and part of that is making conscious choices about what I eat. I fully accept that others may make different choices and continue to eat meat despite being fully conscious. I don't judge. I only know what feels right for me.

I wish I didn't have to eat fish but due to chronic health problems I don't feel able to cut it out at present. Same with eggs. Despite this I am sensitive to where fish come from and the fact they feel pain. I am hopeful that one day I will be able to live on a fully vegan diet.

So I don't see pescetarianism as separate to my spirituality, but all part of the same thing. It's a way to apply my spirituality to everyday life. I think it's all about being conscious and sensitive to how I react to life and choosing to remain this way rather than fall back to sleep.

Could completely relate to your post as I have made similar choices and find it hard to explain to people:)

[knightofalbion]

I take a pragmatic view. Anything which reduces the suffering and killing of animals is to welcomed, even the person does not yet feel ready or able to go the whole way.

[Shinsoo]

Good post. I far prefer that term rather than a flat out label.

Admittedly, I was calling myself vegetarian, very close to vegan, for a while, but in reality, the more I look at it, the more it's of a conscious eating. When I prepare meals for myself, I choose products carefully. I choose non GMO items when I can. I use lots of veggies and whole grain products because they taste good and make me feel good. I drink soy milk. I do eat eggs sometimes, but alternate with egg substitutes when I can afford to.

I as a general rule, don't eat meat, I don't buy meat. Because I am a huge animal lover, and protest the way animals are treated in industrial food production here in the states. Especially chickens..ugh. ><

But here's where I feel I get a bit more fuzzy.

Around Thanksgiving, and other holidays, I relax my rules a bit. Because you know, despite the fact that turkey most likely suffered an excruciating death, I feel it is countered by the passion and love the person who cooked it, has brought into it. I come from a family that still holds traditional values about food, how it's prepared, arranged, etc. Food is revered and blessed, and never taken for granted. (Leftovers for 3 days, lol)

So for me, there is no way, that when my mother or another close family member works their [Edited by staff/ Swearing]off all day cooking a huge meal for us to enjoy, that I would refuse to eat at least a small portion of the bird/cow, what not they worked so hard to cook and get just right.

Just another way of looking at things. Feelings of the humans I live and interact with are just as important, you know?

[Emmalevine]

I agree with what you say Shinsoo. When a person knows what they are eating and why, it gives them the ability to make choices that come from a good and aware place. Whilst I hope to remain pescaetarian, I may also have to eat meat occasionally, for health or perhaps other reasons. Labels can be helpful but can also be restricting.

It's one thing to have a set of beliefs about how to live a life, but I think it's another to be conscious of the choices we make, why we hold the beliefs, and how they fit into the spiritual context/world. This is how I see it anyway - i know it may be different for others.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by Starbuck

Being pescetarian is, for me, a choice that I made as part of living consciously. When I've eaten meat in the past it is a symptom of falling back into spiritual sleep. At times it is easy for me to detach from where meat comes from or what happens to the animals in the process. I didn't have to worry about such things because I indirectly paid others to do the dirty work for me. I know full well that if I ever had to kill the animal myself, I simply couldn't.

Probably underestimate yourself there.

Waking up is part of my choice to remain awake and aware of what I'm eating, where it comes from, the sacrifices that are made etc. It's about being sensitive to life and suffering and above all my own choices and responses to that.

It is good to know where it comes from, not always easy to find out though.

I'm not saying all this because I feel everyone should do the same. I just feel good about my choices and want to share what being a pescetarian means for me now. I feel I'm evolving spiritually and part of that is making conscious choices about what I eat. I fully accept that others may make different choices and continue to eat meat despite being fully conscious. I don't judge. I only know what feels right for me.

It's wonderful to have a healthy and balanced diet.

I wish I didn't have to eat fish but due to chronic health problems I don't feel able to cut it out at present. Same with eggs. Despite this I am sensitive to where fish come from and the fact they feel pain. I am hopeful that one day I will be able to live on a fully vegan diet.

So I don't see pescetarianism as separate to my spirituality, but all part of the same thing. It's a way to apply my spirituality to everyday life. I think it's all about being conscious and sensitive to how I react to life and choosing to remain this way rather than fall back to sleep.

Where I studied meditation, it's fully vegetarian, but conscious eating meant to be aware of eating, like how the fork moves and every jaw movement and the fine details of the textures and tastes, and how it feels like to swallow... etc.

[Emmalevine]

Hi Gem, yeah I guess I call that mindfulness eating, where you follow every movement of the fork and how it feels to eat what you're eating. I remember reading somewhere that it's a good practice to do this even with a single raisin. It's definitely part of conscious eating, to be mindful of the eating process. I'm really bad at noticing as I'm usually absorbed in thinking or some other activity at the same time.