Russell Simmons Embracing Vegan Lifestyle Fueled by Passion for All Life

Pictured/Photo credit: Russell Simmons

May 31, 2011

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We can have it all when it comes to life is the key message in Russell Simmons' latest book, “Super Rich,” released this year. The book should not be mistaken for one that focuses on how to have the finer things in life but instead has “everything to do with living in a state of consciousness where you are equally connected to the world and your highest self.” It is a guide for living that Simmons may have unknowingly started 18 years ago as he embarked on a journey to live better and to be a better person. It started with Steve Ross, of Maha Yoga in Los Angeles, who introduced him to not only the power of yoga but to key principles that would ultimately lead to his passion for following a vegan diet today.

Yoga Led the Way

Simmons first went to yoga while living in Los Angeles because, as he says, “there was a bunch of cute girls there.” He went on to say, “I went there and there was a teacher named Steve Ross and he taught yoga but he played loud rap music. He had been a monk and he himself has been a raw foodist for now 40 years.” In fact, it was Ross who gave Simmons his first copy of the Yoga Sutras. Furthermore, Simmons said it is the first social law called Ahimsa that is the reason why he does not eat meat and is committed to a vegan diet.

Ahimsa, which refers to ” non-violence, inflicting no injury or harm to others or even to one's own self, it goes as far as non-violence in thought, word and deed,” is the passionate force behind others' decision to forego animal protein and instead opt for food that they feel is humanly responsible. “There are 15 billion animals that are deserving of life like you and me that suffer or are going to suffer for a short time and stuffed with sickening chemicals and bad energy and fed to us.” Simply put, he shared, “For passionate reasons is why I am vegan.”

So now that it is very clear what type of diet Simmons enjoys and why, it was only natural to next ask about the food and what fuels a multi-million dollar business mogul like himself. On the day of the interview, he had consumed dal soup three times already – served once with chickpeas, then with vegetables and then by itself. It seems typical that after attending a class at the Jivamukti Yoga School, he will stop by the school's eatery, the JivamukTea Café, for a meal. In addition, he says that he drinks a lot of green juice to sustain his diet.

Accessing Your Higher Self

Since embarking on his journey, Simmons has witnessed health benefits as well noting that he has lost weight and has been able to keep it off. Most importantly, he feels better. For years, many have followed his vision for music and hip hop, and now his passion for conscious living and eating has gained even more followers. As a result of Simmons' transformation over 18 years ago, friends and fans have embraced this “infectious” passion by changing their dietary lifestyles to one that is vegan also. This is a testament to Simmons' power of influence not just in the music industry but in the world of health and social justice.

Life has truly come full circle for Simmons who knows that the key to living rich is more than the money in your account. It is about using your talents and gifts to serve the world and the people and animals in it. Then as his book says, “You're going to have access to the greatest stimulus package of all: your higher self.”

To read more about Russell Simmons, visit www.rushcommunications.com or “like” his Facebook fan page here.

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