Yogic Diet to Purify Your Inner Self
Chhandyoga Upanishad says "by the purity of food one becomes purified in his inner nature; by the purification of his inner nature he verily gets memory of the Self; and by the attainment of the memory of the Self, all ties and attachments are severed."
Such is the importance of food in our lives and respecting food and our bodies is of utmost importance. Practising yoga and meditation are wholesome experiences. Some of us just do yoga to shed calories and maintain the right body physique but there are many others who treat the practice sessions as divinity itself. Eating the right kind of food and that too in the right quantities is extremely important for us. Gluttons and greedy ones just cannot stop eating and they do not have the ability to control. Ancient yoga says such people suffer very badly, physically and emotionally.
In meditation and yoga, food plays an important role. The food we eat has a deep impact on our brain and controls our emotions too. Depending upon various studies, yogic saints have categorized food into three different types. We have compiled a list of those foods and their effect on the human brain. Read on.
1. Sattvic diet - This diet comprises of all kinds of sweet and tasty fruits, vegetables, milk, rice, nuts and legumes, honey, cream, cheese, butter and ghee.
Those who want to attain spiritual freedom must stick to such type of a Sattvic diet that feeds the soul and frees us from cravings. In the ancient times, many saints and yoga gurus strictly followed Sattvic diets to keep themselves healthy and free from illnesses. The basis of this diet is sattva meaning ahimsa or not harming anything in the process of eating. Foods that grow and ripe naturally must be consumed by man. Such a method is harmonious and also does good to the environment.
People who follow a Sattvic diet are usually very pleasant, cheerful and far away from negative emotions like anger, greed and jealousy.
2. Rajasic diet – All foods that are bitter, pungent, hot, spicy and aromatic fall under this category. Fish, eggs, meat, pickles, tamarind, coffee, tea, cocoa, white sugar and all the other spices we used every day comprise a rajasic diet.
Yogic saints believe that such a diet should be taken only occasionally but not on a regular basis. A person who cannot stop eating these foods is usually confused, cannot focus on the bigger things in life, is constantly bothered about future and seems restless no matter how well he is settled. If you love such food, have it only during the noon but not for dinner because the fat content in these foods inhibits normal digestion and may lead to tummy upset.
3. Tamasic diet – Tamasic means potentially harmful that destructs the body, mind and soul. Fish, meat, garlic, onion, liquor, foods that are stale or rotten, overcooked or uncooked foods fall into the tamasic category.
When a person eats the above mentioned foods on a daily basis, his brain deeply impacted causing negative attitude and emotions in him. Such people are shrouded by darkness and you cannot connect to them. Their thoughts and actions are full of negativity and don’t do good to anybody. Yogic studies indicate that tamasic foods must be consumed very rarely and those who are deeply involved with meditation and yoga must totally avoid them.
Out of all these three yogic diets, Sattvic tops the list. Those foods are natural, filling and do not cause harm to the person at all. Even scientific studies have proved that such pleasant foods keep the body away from illness and obesity. If you have been following the rajasic and tamasic diets, now is the time to change.
