Yogic Eating

One of the main purposes of performing yoga asanas and pranayama is to purify the body, to prevent illness and live in optimal health, and following that, to purify the thoughts and develop love, compassion, peacefulness and contentment.  Asanas and pranayama become futile without the proper nutrients required by the body.  Yogis believe that proper nutrients come from not just what you eat but how the body assimilates what you put in it.  The key here is digestion.

 

Thus the yogic diet has two important paths :  What you Eat and How you Eat

 

Both are equally important and the principals of each should be followed as closely as possible in order to see the full benefits of your yogic practice, specifically to achieve perfect health in mind and body.

 

Yogis believe that improperly digested food results in a toxic body.  Yogic practices attempt to remove those toxins...thus yogis are very strict about what and how they eat.  They are cautious about not fueling their body with more toxins and thus ensure that their food is fresh and healthy and gets properly digested.

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Basic Principals on How to Eat as a Yogi

 

• Eat three meals a day.  If a snack is required, choose fruit.

• Do not eat 3 hours prior to bedtime.  Ideally, opt for a light dinner prior to 7pm.  

• Do not eat to be full.  A full stomach takes longer to digest and drains energy resulting in sluggishness.  Eat to contentment - leave at least ¼ stomach room empty.

• Do not drink anything after your meal for at least 30 minutes.  It is also suggested not to drink anything during your meal, however small sips of warm water is permissible.

• Eat fruit on an empty stomach only.

• Give thanks for your food before eating.  Do not perform any other activity while eating.  Sense each bite and chew small bites of food until it becomes liquid in the mouth.  Keep your utensils down while chewing.

• Be conscious of food combining.  Understand that certain food combinations will result in improper digesting regardless of how you eat.  Select foods that digest well when eaten together.

• Give yourself 5-10 minutes after your meal to sit in silence before you go about your activities.  Avoid movements that increase your heartrate immediately after eating.  Avoid hot or cold showers or any other activity that steals blood flow away from digestion.

• Your stomach should be empty before you eat anything.  Do not eat if you haven’t fully digested your last meal.

• Avoid ice cold beverages at all times and in all seasons.

• Practice yoga asanas to keep digestive organs functioning at their peak