As students and teachers of Yoga, we make the commitment to follow the observances and ethical precepts of the yamas and niyamas as they relate to all sentient beings.
More than five hundred conscious citizens demonstrated their commitment to animal rights and their belief in living by the yamas and niyamas in their support of a Fur-Free West Hollywood in a series of rallies in 2011. Ahimsa is the practice of nonviolence toward yourself and other living beings in your actions, thoughts, and speech. As yogis, we strive to neither cause harm nor to accept or allow actions that cause harm.
Wearing fur is harmful to both animals as well as a person’s spiritual path because it is a practice that does not embrace ahimsa. The cruelty in the modern-day fur industry runs rampant as fifty million animals are cruelly trapped or brutally slaughtered each year to supply consumers with luxury items such as fur coats and trim.
If, as Gandhi preached, the measure of a society is how it treats its animals, then we are in trouble. When it comes to fur, it is not just an issue of how inhumanely these animals are killed; it is how they suffer right up until their death. Undercover footage taken in fur farms has revealed deplorable conditions: Raccoon, fox, mink, rabbit, and chinchilla were filmed living in disgustingly filthy and cramped cages with water bowls that remained empty for days.
Also captured on film were animals with medical conditions left untreated, including oozing eyes and ears or dangling limbs—conditions considered to be of no relevance as long as the animals are sporting a beautiful coat.
This situation is parallel to the now largely-unpopular “puppy mills” where as long as the breeding momma’s ovaries are intact, the dog is left to suffer minor and major health ailments.
Niyamas and Yamas are ethical codes of conduct outlined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali; they are guidelines for leading a happy, healthy life.
Niyamas:
Saucha – Purity
Santosha – Contentment
Tapas – Discipline
Svadhyaya – Self-study
Ishvarapranidhana – Devotion
(to a higher power)
Yamas:
Ahimsa – Non-harming
(non-violence or compassion)
Satya – Truthfulness
Asteya – Nonstealing
Brahmacharya – Self-control
Aparigraha – Nonpossessiveness
If we are truly practicing Yoga, we must not place vanity above compassion for all living, sentient beings.
West Hollywood is poised to be the first city in the nation to ban the retail sale of fur. It’s already a city with a stellar track record when it comes to animal welfare issues: In 1989, a resolution was passed declaring the city a cruelty-free zone relating to cosmetic testing on animals. In 2003, the city prohibited the declawing of cats in the city’s veterinarian clinics. 2010 ushered in a ban on the sale of dogs and cats within the city limits. The West Hollywood Yoga community is now praising newly-elected City Council member John D’Amico, who had the courage to campaign on a fur-free platform.
The yama asteya encourages taking only what belongs to you. Fur belongs to the animals who are wearing it, not to the people who rob it from them for the sake of luxury items. As Animal Alliance representative Ed Buck shared, “It’s a shame designers can’t be more creative than attempting to revive an outdated concept and selling people on the idea that it’s fashionable to revel in their bad taste. I don’t understand why anyone, especially celebrities, flaunt fur.”
The yama aparigraha encourages us to let go of reliance on the attachment of possessions for peace and happiness.
Beth Shaw, HSUS National Council Member and founder of YogaFit, attended the rallies and said “It’s what we choose to honor that defines who we are; letting go is not always comfortable but it is invigorating.“ She continues, “Our Yoga practice should teach us compassion, love, acceptance, and a desire to honor all living creatures.”
As Immanuel Kant says, “You can judge the heart of a person by their treatment of animals.”
Please allow your Yoga practice to keep this in your heart and share this message with your friends, students, teachers, and anyone who will listen.
In a related development, influential Yoga instructor B.K.S. Iyengar recently contacted fashion designer Donna Karan, asking her to stop using “furs which are violently removed from the living animals, so that those animals which have the right to live, live in peace.” He has urged her to follow the lead of other designers including Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, and Tommy Hilfiger who do not use fur. At the time of press, Ms. Karan has not yet responded.
