Yogic nutrition

“Food is the life of all living beings, and the whole world abides in the search for food. Voice and color of face, clarity of mind and purity of body, happiness and longevity, strength and growth, fulfillment and perceptibility, all have their foundation in food.” Charaka. Photo: internet

The topic of nutrition is considered one of the fundamental topics in health. There is such a well-established phrase as “You are what you eat”. This means that with each meal, we create future selves – either making our bodies healthier, stronger and smarter, or conversely, diminishing our potential. “Just as one cannot ‘make a silk handkerchief out of pig stubble,’ one cannot build healthy tissues out of unhealthy food unless one is a master of tantra” (Robert Svoboda).

It would seem that everything is simple – regulate the principles of proper nutrition in your life schedule and be healthy for the rest of your life. But, as we know, in reality, not everything is as obvious as it seems at first glance. In reality, the question of nutrition is very controversial – there are many concepts, theories and rules that sometimes dictate us diametrically opposed recommendations. Some argue that the basis of the daily diet should be meat products – without them we are bound to get sick. Others, on the contrary, that meat is the cause of most diseases. The third say that only in raw plant foods the power. Fourth believe that everything is possible, but in moderate quantities. And what is noteworthy, from all sides are experts – certified specialists who give convincing arguments, research results or authoritative writings. How can we make sense of all this?

For me personally, in order to dot all the “I’s” in this matter, I am guided by the principles of common sense. First, I choose a person whose opinion is authoritative for me. Here I try to judge not by words, but by actions. Everyone can learn to speak intelligently and eloquently, but the guarantee of quality for me is the specific experience of the speaker. Secondly, I still pay attention to the origins of the proposed concept. Where does this tradition/theory come from? Who is behind it? How old is it – that is, how reliably time-tested is it? And thirdly, after the first two components have filtered out any hypothesis, I try something already in my experience, and it is the one that will be decisive for me. If my inner feelings and empirical data prove all the rightness of this statement, only then I will be sure that this point of view is correct.

Therefore, I trust the yogic and Ayurvedic tradition when it comes to nutrition. Bright examples of famous yogis, practitioners and teachers inspire my trust. They are explorers who, through the development of their physical and mental faculties, realize the possibilities of manifested reality through their own experience. They demonstrate to the public such miracles that modern science cannot explain. In their judgments they do not depend on anyone. Their opinion can be called unbiased, because they do not need to adjust it for the benefit of any organization, political force or commercial corporation. My many years of experience in applying yogic wisdom in my daily life has also confirmed the validity of this concept. For me personally, the issue of nutrition has been solved, and I am immensely happy about it.

“I am the food, I am the receiver of the food, I eat the receiver of the food. I consume the whole universe. My light is like the Sun.” Taittiriya Upanishad II, 9.6. Photo: internet

So, in this article, we will look at the concept of food solely from the perspective of yoga and Ayurveda. Yogis, primarily as evolutionaries of consciousness, see food as a tool to influence the workings of the mind. It would seem that how can food influence our mind, after all, it is simply “building material” and “fuel” for our body. It turns out that this is not quite the case. In Vedanta philosophy, the mind (manomaya kosha) is a priori considered to be the quintessence of food: “The food eaten is divided into three parts. The grossest part becomes excrement. The middle part becomes flesh. The subtle part becomes the mind” (Chandogya Upanishad VI, 4.1). This means that the nature of the food eaten affects our emotions and creates a predisposition to both mental and physical disorders.

Therefore, in yoga all foods are divided into three categories: sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. Sattvic food (pure) gives purity and tranquility of mind and nourishes the body well. Rajasic food (stimulating) excites animal passion in human beings and brings restlessness. It provokes excessive activity, irritability, insomnia, increases toxins in the blood, and can also contribute to high blood pressure. The third kind, tamasic, or impure food, causes lethargy, apathy, drowsiness, and decreased activity. It makes a person dull and lazy. His mental faculties are impaired and he sinks to the level of an animal. He has neither high ideals nor purpose in life.

“From sattva comes knowledge, from rajas comes greed, from tamas comes confusion, ignorance and delusion” Bhagavad Gita XIV, 17. Photo: Internet

With this information, we can consciously influence our mental and physical well-being through our diet, matching it to the pace of life, our current social responsibilities, and the tasks at hand. For example, if you have a measured and contemplative lifestyle (whether on a temporary (retreat) or permanent basis), a purely sattvic diet is likely to be ideal for you. For those who wish to attain a state of meditative mind, but also need to continue to live and work in the world and lead the active life of a householder, a diet of sattvic foods, including small amounts of rajasic foods, would be more suitable. Those who practice powerful disciplines involving the transformation of sexual energy into spiritual energy, such as Kundalini Yoga or martial arts, should definitely include some rajasic food in their diet. Tamasic foods are best avoided by all.

Accordingly, the basis of the diet of an average person who takes care of the health of his body (practicing yoga, for example), strives for the evolution of consciousness (meditating), and is quite active in the society are sattvic foods, with some combination of rajasic foods. In this case, the base of his diet will be cereals, especially rice (basmati or long brown rice), wheat and oats. It is important to note, however, that cereals are also very good for those who are involved in intense physical exertion. Bread, by the way, also has sattvic properties. Try to use products made from whole grains.

The next mandatory component of a healthy diet is, of course, vegetables and fruits. Fruits, like grains, are sattvic in nature. They are sweet, light, harmonize the stomach, quench thirst, soothe the heart, purify and nourish body fluids. It is best to eat them fresh and in their proper season. Vegetables too are mostly suitable for the sattvic diet, though to a lesser extent than fruits. Spicy vegetables – onions, garlic, radishes, hot chillies – are rajasic and tamasic, they tend to overexcite the nerve fibers associated with the sexual sphere. Their consumption should be moderate. Excess cabbage (white cabbage, broccoli, Brussels, mustard, and to a lesser extent, cauliflower) is also Rajasic, it promotes gas formation. Potatoes and yams in excessive quantities may be too heavy or cause mucus formation. All other vegetables, fresh or steamed, and vegetable juices are generally beneficial. The brain is particularly benefited by celery. Mushrooms are considered tamasic because they are closely associated with decay – try not to overuse them (or eliminate them from your diet entirely).

Seeds and nuts also fit well into the sattvic diet, although they are a bit heavy from the digestive point of view. Eat them in small quantities, fresh or lightly roasted, without salt and spices (or with minimum amount of them), otherwise they will acquire rajasic and tamasic properties. Almonds, pine nuts and walnuts are especially useful.

Dairy products are sattvic by their nature, but pasteurization and other such [heat] treatments can make them tamasic. Keep in mind also that most varieties of cheese are very heavy foods and are not recommended for regular consumption (i.e., be moderate with them). Oils are also heavy in most cases and are not desirable in large quantities. However, Ghee (clarified butter) is sattvic, improves intelligence and perception and can be used without restriction, added to rice, vegetables and porridge. Sesame, olive and coconut oils are also sattvic.

Legumes are most often rajasic. They are heavy, irritating, gas-forming, and are generally not recommended for a yogic diet. The exceptions are tofu, mung beans, and aduki beans. Kichadi (or kichari), a mixture of husked masha and basmati rice, is a staple of the yogic diet. In Ayurveda, kichadi is used as the basis of the diet in purification therapy and during the patient’s convalescence.

Proper nutrition also implies the daily consumption of not only “daily bread” but also “daily herbs”, because herbs are a kind of fine food. In small doses (less than 30 grams per day), herbs are mild and almost everyone can and even should use them regularly because they are an essential element of our diet. They can be brewed in various combinations instead of tea (study the effects of each individual herb in more detail beforehand).

Most spices are rajasic, but there are a number of exceptions. Sattvic spices include: ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel and coriander, and turmeric. They help balance the effects of fruits, dairy products and other foods that help increase moisture in the body. Spices are ideally best ground just before use.

You can drink pure spring water, tea from sattvic herbs, milk. Coffee and other stimulating drinks should be avoided. Sometimes black or green tea is consumed, which is believed to improve the functioning of the mind.

Most essential oils, as well as most incense, are sattvic by their very nature. The best ones are sandalwood, saffron, camphor, vetiver, frankincense, lotus and rose.

Of all the six tastes, only sweet is considered sattvic because it is pleasant, nutritious, has harmonizing properties and reflects the energy of love. However, it is worth remembering that refined sugars are tamasic. A yogic diet includes natural sugars in small amounts, including honey (not heat-treated) and raw sugar, especially palm sugar. Spicy, sour and salty tastes are rajasic because of their excitatory properties, while bitter and astringent tastes are tamasic because their prolonged use causes rigidity (stiffness, inflexibility).

“Even food, which is the life of living beings, destroys life if taken improperly, whereas poison, which is by nature a destroyer of life, acts like an elixir if taken properly.” Charaka. Photo: internet

Apart from the foods themselves, their nature, the way they are prepared, their combination with each other and other additional parameters (such as climate, season and the constitution of the eater), the effect of the meal also depends on certain rules of eating. Below are some of them, which are recommended to be observed:

• Predominantly eat food warm, this aids digestion;
• Eat buttery foods (using Ghee butter, for example) – it ignites the digestive fire and nourishes the body;
• Eat food in due measure, after digesting what has been eaten before, so that every nutrient has a free passage forward. At each meal the stomach should be one-third full of solid food, one-third full of liquid food, and one-third empty;
• Eat in a quiet place with all the necessary accessories (clean tablecloth, flowers on the table, etc.), alone or with loved ones, so that the mind is not depressed;
• Eat neither too fast nor too slow, so that you can appreciate the good and bad aspects of the food you eat and so that the food moves through the digestive tract in the proper rhythm;
• Eat without laughing or talking, centered, thinking about your body’s characteristics and what is good and not good for you from what you eat;
• Do not eat without feeling hungry and do not refrain from eating if you are hungry;
• Do not eat when angry or depressed or during any other emotional arousal;
• Try to keep as much space between meals as possible;
• Eat with a sense of gratitude to the universe for this opportunity. Appreciation for everything and all that the universe has to offer is the healthiest life stance. Food is the universe donating itself to you;
• Try to nourish all five senses: examine the food and appreciate its sight and smell before you eat it; listen to the sounds it makes, especially when it is cooking; chew each bite of food to fully extract the flavor. Reverence and love it, for it will soon become part of you, and the emotional charge you put into it will carry it further into the organs of your body;
• After eating, take a hundred steps to aid digestion, but do not exercise. After eating, you can rest by lying on your left side, thus stimulating the right nostril, which will serve the good digestive process;
• Don’t eat a nightly meal less than two hours before bedtime (in fact, at least 3-5 hours before bedtime is better);
• The mindset of the person preparing the food is also an important factor: it should be prepared with diligence and good feeling. In Ayurveda it is believed that every thought that flashes through the mind of the cook affects the food and the person who tastes it. Only those who are truly capable of loving those for whom they are cooking and who are willing to expend effort to put their love into the food have the right to prepare food.

Be sure to conduct regular meal withdrawals from time to time. Starvation helps keep food cravings under control, cleanses the body, gives rest to the digestive organs, brings the sense of taste in the mouth back to normal and refines it, and makes you more respectful of the act of eating itself.

If after reading this article you find that your diet and eating behaviors are not at all in line with a healthy yogic concept, you should not immediately try to change something drastically. Most likely you will not be able to do it quickly – the power of your eating and behavioral habits will quickly overwhelm you, and your mind will find a thousand reasons why it does not suit you. Even junk food or any poisonous substances that are regularly submerged in the gut can become extremely addictive over time. Think, for example, of your body’s healthy reaction to the first cigarette smoked or the first alcohol intoxication – at first it’s outright poisoning, then acceptance, and then addiction. To cope with such intoxicants, the body reorganizes itself, creates a new metabolic equilibrium, which implies regular intake of poisonous substances.

It is the same with junk food, it is also an addiction, a forced dependence on the substances of the world around us. In order to stay in good mental and physical shape, it is enough to change your habits, accustoming yourself to healthy food. However, such changes should be made gradually, so that the digestive system and brain have time to adapt to the changed conditions. That is, this is not a revolutionary process, but an evolutionary one.

1. Robert Svoboda. «Аюрведа: жизнь, здоровье, долголетие». М.: Саттва, ООО «Профиль». 2014 г. 384 с.
2. David Frawley. «Аюрведическая терапия». М.: Саттва, ООО «Профиль». 2013 г. 448 с.
3. Swami Vishnudevananda.. «Йога: полное иллюстративное руководство». М.: ООО Книжное издательство «София». 2018 г. 304 с.
4. Yogi Bhajan. «Учитель Эпохи Водолея: Международная программа по подготовке учителей Кундалини йоги школы Йоги Бхаджана Уровня I». РОО «Федерация Учителей Кундалини Йоги». 2011 г. 332 с.