Diet
In ancient times, yogis considered food to be equivalent to God. Our well-being, both physical and mental, is closely connected to our diet. According to the Bhagwad Gita, consuming Satvik food not only enhances longevity, purity, strength, and good health (physical benefits), but also promotes happiness and love.
To get the most out of your meal, pay close attention to how you chew your food, savor the delicate flavors of each dish, and feel the food as it travels down your throat. By eating mindfully, in a joyful state, you enhance the digestion and absorption of nutrients from your food.
How much to eat?
Yoga recommends Mitahara- in moderation. Bhagwad Gita recommends Yuktahara- neither too much nor too less.
Sri Aurobindo states that finding the right balance between the body's requirements and the amount of food consumed is essential. Overeating can lead to the body feeling heavy, while undereating can cause weakness and nervousness. The key is to consume sufficient food without dwelling on it, viewing it simply as a tool for sustaining the body. (Source: Looking from Within, p. 166)
Unhealthy eating habits are the primary cause of most physical illnesses.
It is recommended to eat until you are three quarters full as a general guideline. For instance, if you have four meals a day - breakfast at 8 AM, lunch at 12 noon, a snack at 4 PM, and dinner at 8 PM, aim to feel hungry by the time of your next meal. If you don't feel hungry, it shows that you ate too much during your previous meal. Adjust your portion size so that you feel hungry by the time of your next meal.
What to eat?
Satvik food includes cereals, milk, milk products, seasonal fruits and vegetables, moong dal with skin (chilka), sprouted cereals, pulses, ginger, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin seeds, honey, jaggery, crystal sugar, raw sugar, ghee, and oils made from seeds such as groundnut, mustard, sesame, and olive. Consuming these foods promotes relaxation in the body and a sense of peace.
What not to eat?
Avoid processed, packaged, fried, refrigerated, fermented, and fast food as much as you can. However, the challenge lies in our preference for rajasic food, which is flavorful, spicy, and oily, often found in outside food. Consuming such food can lead to a state of agitation and restlessness. This category includes non-vegetarian foods, hot spices, onions, garlic, and out-of-season vegetables.
Food classified as tamasic includes all refined, processed, artificially colored, flavored, preserved, packaged, and refrigerated items. This category encompasses tea, cocoa, wine, liquor, bakery products, and aerated drinks. Consumption of tamasic food can cause feelings of dullness, laziness, and lethargy throughout the day.
How to take food?
It is advisable for adults to have two meals a day. Additionally, they can consume milk, fruits, and so on. It is advisable for adults to chew each bite 32 times and eat meals mindfully. Experts recommend refraining from drinking water in between meals. Consuming food when angry, not hungry, excessively hungry, or overly spicy is detrimental to health.
Avoid eating when you are in a rush, unwell, experiencing stomach pain, or have the urge to use the restroom.
Avoid consuming food in unclean environments, during twilight or sunrise, and on damaged dishes.
The one who prepares food and also one who serves should not be immoral, adulterer, back bitter and suffering from communicable diseases.
While taking food, don’t argue, speak harsh words and be angry.
Don’t find fault in food, cry and shout while eating.
Half cooked, tasteless, left out food are tamasic food.
You should not engage in any physical or mental activity immediately after eating- SNY - p30.
Food should have four types of purity.
A) Kshetra Suddhi (purity of place)
It is important for the area where food is cooked and consumed to be clean. If there is dust, dirt, mosquitoes, and flies present, bacteria can thrive and when they come into contact with food, they can cause diseases.
B) Draya Suddhi- (purity of money)
Food prepared or bought with money earned through unethical, illegal, or immoral means affects our body and mind and cannot make us pure and satvik.
C) Kala Suddhi (purity of time)
People who delay their meals are at risk of developing stomach-related illnesses. The optimal time to eat is when you feel hungry.
D) Bhava Suddhi (purity of thoughts)
It is advisable to eat food when you are in a positive mood. Avoid eating when feeling angry, irritated, disturbed, distressed, or depressed.
Balance of alkaline and acidic food
80% of the human body comprises alkaline substances, while 20% is acidic. To maintain this balance, it is crucial for good health to ideally include 80% alkaline foods and 20% acidic foods in our diet.
Alkaline food products
Except for plums, berries, lemons and oranges, every kind of fruit, leafy greens, other vegetables, coconuts, fresh milk, sprouted grains, dates, figs, and soaked dried fruits.
Acidic food products
Meat, egg, cheese, butter, cooked food, chapati and dry fruits, sweets, sugar, grains, coffee, tea, chocolate, sugary syrup, boiled milk, maida, salt, intoxicating drinks, soda water, vegetable ghee, fried and deep-fried foods, baked products, etc.
Individuals who consume a diet rich in raw foods such as fruits and salads rarely experience issues related to acidity or alkalinity, unlike those who primarily eat cooked meals.
Additional insights regarding diet (ahara)
The Ahara-diet comprises our daily intake, which includes bread, rice, vegetables, fruits, milk, yogurt, and other sources of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. According to Ayurveda, food, water, and air are the primary sources of prana and fall under the category of ahara.
Ahara can be categorized as satvik, rajasik, and tamasik.
Eating Satvik food brings happiness and contentment. Rajasik food can lead to feelings of arrogance and irritability. Tamasik food can cause lethargy and despondency.
The recommendation is to avoid eating quickly, refrain from talking while eating, and consume food according to one's constitution. This involves considering: 1) The individual's nature (Prakriti), 2) The taste of the food, 3) The Doshas of the food ingredients, 4) The method of preparation, 5) The combination of food items, 6) Emotional effects, 7) Environmental factors, 8) Timing, and 9) Quantity.
Rules governing intake -
1) Take fresh food 2) Take warm food 3) Take unctuous food 4) Take in proper quantity 5) Take only when earlier food has been digested 6) Take food not having contradictory properties* 7) Take food in proper place 8) Take food in relaxed condition 9) Not eat too slowly 10) Avoid talking 11) Take food in proper manner.
*Food having contradictory properties ( wrong combination)
Banana with milk or curd , radish with milk or curd, milk with curd, honey with hot water or any other hot product, honey and radish, khichadi with sweet pudding, milk with melon, watermelon or cucumber, urad daal with radish, curd and jamun, curd and melon, curd and cheese, fruits with vegetables, at night radish or curd, heated up curd, ten days old ghee in a metal pot, pulses with sweet potato or potato, any other food with melon or watermelon, cereals with rice or cereals with chapati, chapati with milk or curd, chapati and tamarind”.- SYN-p.44-45.
Other important aspects of food
One important aspect concerns vegetable and fruit consumption. It is recommended that approximately 60% of our diet comprises vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Additionally, consuming vegetables in their raw state offers significant health benefits. Vegetables and fruits provide essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins in quantities necessary for our bodies.
Another important factor to consider regarding food is its level of freshness. This refers to the duration for which vegetables or any food item remain in a state of decay. The longer the food remains in a deteriorating state, the more it loses its nutritional value.
The third factor to consider is how our body responds to particular foods. A positive response from our body shows that the food is providing us with a greater level of vitality. If after consuming a meal, your body feels energetic and lively, it signifies that the food is beneficial and well-received. Conversely, if you experience lethargy, it suggests that the food may not be suitable for your body.
The fourth point emphasizes the importance of quantity. Consuming two meals per day is ideal for everyone. I have tried this approach and found it to be extremely effective. Stick to just two meals and avoid any additional snacks or meals.
Timing plays a crucial role in determining the optimal moments for meals. The best times to eat are in the morning, at 10 o’clock and in the evening at 7 o’clock.
The sixth aspect emphasizes the importance of showing gratitude and respect towards our food while consuming it, considering it as an integral part of our body. To illustrate, imagine a person who has not eaten for 4 to 5 days - even if God were to appear before them, they would only request food. It is highlighted that the way we appreciate and acknowledge our food influences its impact on us significantly.
Sleep/ relaxation (Nidra)
Sleep plays a critical role in releasing tension. Following a day of work, the body needs sufficient rest to rejuvenate and get ready for the tasks of the next day. Just as work is crucial for progress and achievement, sleep is equally essential for maintaining productivity. These two aspects are interconnected. This concept is reflected in the natural cycles, such as the sunrise and sunset, inhalation and exhalation, and the alternating patterns of activity and relaxation in the heart. When discussing the importance of Asan Maharshi Patanjali, the focus is on finding a balance between effort (Prayatna) and relaxation (Saithilya).
Excess of everything is bad, as the saying goes. So excess sleep brings tamas and this leads to more laziness instead of making you refreshed and rejuvenated. Again sleeping for long hours and sleeping beyond the night disturbs the sleep. Keeping yourself awake by say tea or coffee is equally harmful. Lack of sleep causes dullness, headache , burning sensation in eyes, body ache and disturbance in bowel movement . Today's issue lies in the excessive emphasis on work and effort, while neglecting the significance of sleep and relaxation. This imbalance is directly linked to the rise in lifestyle diseases.
During the night, when the mind is influenced by tamogun, it enhances kapha dosha, leading to the natural induction of sleep. Kapha is associated with growth, development, and improved immunity. However, in the presence of anxiety, tension, anger, or sensuality, sleep may be disrupted as it increases vata dosha.
According to the principle, daytime is meant for work and nighttime is meant for rest. Napping during the day can elevate kapha dosha, leading to a heavy and oily body. Conversely, staying up at night can aggravate vata dosha, making it harder to sleep. However, both vata and kapha are essential for a good night's rest. Pitta, on the other hand, generates heat and can disrupt sleep.
Sound sleep- things to be observed
Secrets of Naturopathy and Yoga by Dr Brij Bhushan Goyal pp 73 has suggested following for deep sleep.
1. Eat three hours before sleeping
2. Before sleeping clean the mouth, teeth, tongue and throat.
3. Do not wear tight clothes. Don’t let television interfere with the timing of sleeping.
Before going to sleep, never let the mind wander instead read good books or practise concentration on any of the following.
Breathing ( inspiration and expiration)
Chanting mantras
Reverse counting from 100 to 1
4. Before sleeping, practise self review and decide upon the ways of improvement. Just before sleeping, these thoughts can be easily accepted by the subconscious mind, and then it will start working accordingly.
5. Sedative pills should not be taken. Although one may sleep well with the help of medicines but over a period they are harmful.
6. Sleep on a coarse bed, on left side, inhale through right nostril and your head should be either in east or south direction.
Yoga Nidra holds a particular importance in the practice of yoga, as it involves the concept of nidra, or sleep.
One hour of Yoga Nidra is thought to be as beneficial as four hours of deep sleep. While it is commonly utilized today for body-mind relaxation to alleviate stress, its initial purpose was to achieve elevated states of consciousness.
This is one of the greatest of all yogic practices for succeeding in life- Yoga Nidra - Swami Satyananda Saraswati p. 190
Benefits of yoga Nidra
By using this psychosomatic balance is restored.
Efficient and effective system of psychic and physiological rest and rejuvenation.
The energy is redirected for healing and rejuvenation .
Body and mind feels much relaxed.
Memory and will power gets strengthened.
Develops emotional control by forming new circuits in the brain.
It is advisable not to go to sleep right after eating. Your sleeping area should be well-ventilated, clean, and pure. Before going to bed, it's recommended to read religious texts or holy books. Lie down on a clean bed with your head facing east or south, and remember God as you lie on your left side. Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep is beneficial. Turn off your TV and phones half an hour before bedtime. Avoid covering your face and sleeping with socks on. Going to bed early and waking up early is beneficial for your health.
Sourced from Dincharya Unk of Gita press Gorakhpur
Relaxation
Few facts about rest and relaxation
1. True rest is found within, rooted in peace, silence, and the lack of desires. This inner peace is the only true rest, as without it, life continues its course regardless of our engagement.
2. The recreational activities like music, dance, painting, gardening triggers production of happy hormones. These hormones are hormones of wellbeing.
3. Relaxation is the cornerstone of a well-balanced personality yet modern men pays scant attention to it. Relaxation is an art which has to be cultivated. Good sleep is a part of relaxation. It is important for our brain, nervous system, body and emotions. If day is there for work, night is there for sleep and relaxation. What we have foolishly believed that work, work and more work is the way to progress. And therefore, sleep, rest and relaxation are considered as impediments, disruptions to growth. This endless pursuit of work has given rise to tension, stress and depression leading to lifestyle diseases. Tension has become accepted part of life. It creates unpleasant symptoms at the physical level. Thought process becomes fuzzy, emotions and feelings take over and one loses one's balance. Often people seek relaxation in external things - watching TV, movies, going to restaurant, unnecessary socialising, smoking, drinking, alcoholism etc. But they are mere escapism. It means coming down to a lower level, whereas in true relaxation one must rise one degree higher , one must rise above oneself. Each time one goes down , one increases the load of subconscient and this huge load of subconscient must be cleaned again and again if one wants to mount says the Mother. Bodily comforts provide a little bit of pleasure not relaxation. Pleasure is at body level; relaxation is a deeper thing.
4. The rest must be an ascent into light, into perfect peace , total silence., a rest which rises up out of the darkness.
5. True rest and repose comes from the widening, the universalisation of consciousness. Become as vast as the world and you will always be at rest.
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