Day 7 of the #plantfueledyoga Challenge starts our Compassion & Heart Opener Series!

Eating a plant based diet has a 3-prong approach for Sarah and I.

• The health impact eating plants has on your body.
• The environmental impact of eating plants (it takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a lb of beef!)
• The Compassion element of eliminating meat consumption and eating that which was not harmed

For the next 3 days, we’ll explore compassion and share animal love. We do not want to preach, get on our soap boxes, or shame anyone for doing what works for them. It is simply spreading a message we believe deeply in: Plants can nourish our bodies as well, if not better, than meat and no one was harmed in the process.

Top 5 facts about food animals you may not have known

1. Chickens are very social animals. They will fight to protect their family and will mourn when a loved one is lost.
2. A mother hen begins bonding with her chicks before they are even born. She will turn her egg as often as five times an hour and cluck to her unborn chicks, who will chirp back to her and to one another.
3. The average lifespan of a cow is 18 to 22 years, but some can live 25 years or even more. Unfortunately, beef cattle are typically slaughtered at 18 months of age. Dairy cattle are slaughtered around 4 years of age.
4. Cows are very social animals. They form large herds and will bond to some herd members while avoiding others. They “moo” and use different body positions and facial expressions to communicate with each other.
5. Pigs are very intelligent and learn quickly. They pick up tricks faster than dogs. Pigs rank #4 in animal intelligence behind chimpanzees, dolphins and elephants. Piglets learn their names by two to three weeks of age and respond when called.

Your Heart Opener Yoga Pose: Wild Thing

Get into downward dog, lift your left leg, then gently open your hip, bending your knee.

Slowly spin down your left leg and open your chest, raising your left hand. Stretch and breathe here. Feel your heart opening!

Namaste!