Do you have to be a vegetarian to become an accomplished yogi?

Elodie Abadie • 24 août 2023

Why is the vegetarian diet such a hot topic in the yoga world?

Yoga is more than just a practice, it's a lifestyle based on balancing values and actions. Practicing yoga is generally part of a healthy process. Yogic wisdom teaches us to listen to ourselves, and to reconnect with our intuition and common sense when making everyday choices. The same common sense that helps us choose between a big burger and roasted vegetables! Or between a yoga session and the latest Netflix show! 
(Well, sometimes common sense just isn't there when it comes to making our choices, so if anyone knows why, I'd love to know!)
If yoga practitioners are so keen on vegetarianism, it's because of all the values they respect through this diet. Animal wellbeing, environmental causes, health...

So what does it mean to be vegetarian?



In other words, it excludes the consumption of animal flesh, meat and fish, while permitting the consumption of animal products such as dairy, cheese and eggs. It differs from the vegan diet, which excludes all animal products.

Nowadays, we know that what we eat has an impact on our bodies, minds and the planet. Can you picture a world with an abundance of vegetation, fruits and vegetables, full of color and life... it's a kind of wonderland, isn't it? Yes, and that's exactly how you would feel in such a world. I'll let you imagine the opposite... Oh, but isn't this our world today?


So do I have to be vegetarian or vegan?



There is no obligation, but rather an invitation to be one. You'll become an accomplished yogi when your values are aligned with your actions. When pleasure is integrated into the choices you make. Frustration never leads to a healthy mind, quite the opposite... The simple fact of doing your best, one tiny step at a time, is already part of a positive and meaningful approach. 

Take directions that are consistent with the person you want to become and the world you'd like to live in tomorrow. And if for you that means being vegetarian during the week and flexitarian in the weekend, that's completely okay.


What about eating seeds?



If you don’t like seeds, leave them to the birds 😉



How to find the right balance?



According to Hippocrates, "food is our first medicine", so it's no coincidence that after breath and movement, yogis also give great importance to food quality.

In India, and especially in Ayurveda, diet/nutrition is the core of this preventive medicine, with three types of diet:

Sattvic: pure foods that enable maintaining great serenity, with a healthy body and profound mental clarity. Vegetarian diet. 

Rajasic: in this case, foods are energizing, stimulating the body and agitating the mind. 

Tamasic: heavy foods for body and mind, which irritate the body and lead to negative emotions.
Therefore, in yoga practice, we tend to promote the Sattvic diet.

Here are a few examples of foods that are great to include in your diet, the ones you should rarely consume, and the ones that you should completely avoid:


Recommended :

  • Vegetables
  • Raw vegetables
  • Fruits
  • Cereals ( rice, quinoa, barley, bulgur..)
  • Plant-based milk
  • Tofu
  • Tempeh
  • Seeds ( pumpkin, flax, chia…)
  • Nuts ( walnuts, almonds, unsalted cashews …)
  • Dry fruits
  • Honey
  • Agave syrup 
  • Ghee (clarified butter)
  • Olive oil 
  • Walnut oil
  • Avocado oil 
  • Canola oil
  • Flaxseed oil
  • Tamari sauce
  • Water


Foods to be consumed responsibly :

  • Meat
  • Pizza
  • Cheese ( with a preference for goat cheese)
  • Alcohol 
  • Pastries 

Foods to be rarely consumed :

  • Refined sugar - white or brown
  • White salt
  • Candies
  • Sodas
  • Cold cuts
  • Chips
  • Processed food


In conclusion, I would like to talk about the benefits of a mindful attitude from the moment you are grabbing your fork, to observe all the different sensations : temperature, taste, smell....

Why Teaching Yoga Is Never a Neutral Act

par Elodie Abadie • 19 janvier 2026
Teaching yoga is never a neutral act. Behind every class, every transmission, every guided posture, there is a deeper intention than it may seem. For some, teaching yoga comes from an inner calling—almost visceral.
For others, it is a fully structured profession, grounded in economic reality.
And for many, it is also—sometimes without intending to be—an engaged, almost militant act in a world that moves fast… too fast. So, teaching yoga—
Is it a vocation?
A profession like any other?
Or a conscious stance toward society? The truth is that teaching yoga often sits at the crossroads of all three.
And that is precisely what makes it so powerful… and so complex.

🌿 How to Find Your Path: A Journey Back to Yourself

par Elodie Abadie • 5 janvier 2026
Finding your path.
These words sound like a promise… and sometimes, like pressure. We’re constantly told to “find our purpose,” “follow our heart,” “live our passion.”
But in reality, it’s rarely a straight road. It’s more of a winding path — full of doubts, sparks, turns, and awakenings.
A deeply inner journey before anything else. So how do you find your path when you feel lost?
How do you know what’s truly right for you — without being influenced by others’ expectations?
And most importantly, how do you move forward even when the answers aren’t clear yet? This article is an invitation to come back to yourself — not to search harder, but to listen differently.

🧘‍♀️ How I Stay Organized as a Yoga Teacher & Entrepreneur

par Elodie Abadie • 29 décembre 2025
Between teaching, creating, managing projects, running trainings, and nurturing a personal life, being a yoga teacher and entrepreneur can easily feel like a balancing act.
You’re expected to inspire, teach, plan, organize, create — all while leaving space for yourself, your family, and your breath. People often ask me: “How do you manage it all without burning out?” So today, I’m opening the doors to my own routine — not a perfect or rigid system, but a living, breathing, adaptable rhythm that changes with my energy, priorities, and inspiration. If you’re a yoga teacher, a creative entrepreneur, or simply someone trying to find balance between structure and flow, this is for you.

🪷 Yoga: Spiritual, Physical or Political?

par Elodie Abadie • 15 décembre 2025
Yoga intrigues, fascinates, and sometimes even divides.
Some see it as a physical practice, others as a spiritual path, and some as a symbol of engagement or resistance. But deep down… what is yoga really?
Is it a lifestyle? A path of awareness? A way to connect with yourself and the world? In this article, we explore the many faces of yoga — physical, spiritual, and even political — to rediscover its essence: a living, embodied, and profoundly human practice.

🌿 Living Yoga Every Day

par Elodie Abadie • 1 décembre 2025
What if yoga wasn’t just about postures?
What if, beyond the mat, this ancient practice became a way of inhabiting your life — acting with awareness, breathing with presence, and connecting deeply to yourself and the world around you? Through its eight branches, yoga offers far more than a series of physical exercises.
It’s a complete philosophy of life, a daily art of living, and an inner compass to navigate with balance, authenticity, and serenity. In this article, you’ll rediscover the 8 limbs of yoga — known as Ashtanga Yoga — and learn how each one can transform your life, step by step, breath by breath.

Yoga Alignment: Beyond the Postures

par Elodie Abadie • 17 novembre 2025
You might think that alignment in yoga means placing your knee perfectly above your ankle, keeping your hips square, and your spine long and straight.
But what if it was so much more than that? In our culture of “doing things right,” alignment is often reduced to a technical cue — a matter of perfect lines and precision.
Yet in yoga, true alignment goes far beyond the body .
It extends into the breath, the energy, the emotions — and the way you connect to yourself. This article invites you to revisit this word we hear everywhere and rediscover its deeper meaning — on your mat and in your life.

Simple Yoga: Returning to What Really Matters

par Elodie Abadie • 3 novembre 2025
What if we practiced yoga to return to simplicity? 
Not to perform.
Not to master a thousand postures.
Not to impress.
But to come back to what truly matters: one breath, one presence, one body we truly listen to. Today, yoga is often seen as a performance discipline — associated with the image of the perfect body or the most advanced pose. 
Yet, in its essence, yoga is a practice of awareness and unity .
It’s not about doing more, but about being more present. This article invites you to drop the masks, let go of the “shoulds,” and rediscover yoga as a path back to yourself — to slowness, to simplicity, and to truth.

Emotional Release Through Movement

par Elodie Abadie • 20 octobre 2025
What if your body had messages that your mind can’t put into words?
What if free movement was a doorway to everything you feel deeply but don’t dare to express? The body remembers.
The body speaks.
And sometimes, all it takes is letting it move differently so it can finally set itself free. In this article, let’s explore the emotional intelligence of the body, the blocks that manifest through physical tension, and the power of spontaneous movement to bring back breath, clarity, and inner peace.

Dancing Your Yoga: Freedom and Expression

par Elodie Abadie • 6 octobre 2025
What if your yoga mat became more than just a space for postures?
Imagine it as an inner playground, a sacred space where you can move differently, breathe deeply, and express yourself freely. Dancing your yoga is a unique practice that blends free movement, breath awareness, and spontaneous creativity.
It’s a yoga that both grounds and liberates.
A yoga that isn’t limited to “doing it right,” but one that invites you to feel, create, and vibrate. In this article, discover what it means to dance your yoga, the benefits of this practice, and how to integrate it into your daily life.

How to Overcome the Fear of Failure?

par Elodie Abadie • 29 septembre 2025
The fear of failure affects everyone, regardless of age, background, or life path. It often prevents us from taking action , seizing opportunities, or truly believing in ourselves. Combined with the fear of judgment from others, it can become paralyzing if we don’t learn how to understand and transform it. In this article, let’s explore why the fear of failure exists, what the signs are, what failure can teach us, and above all, how to overcome it to regain confidence, serenity, and motivation.