The Effects of a Yoga Diet
Food plays a vital role in the life of every person and the food has been seen as the "prana" or life force. A yoga diet is a one that gives energy, strength, stamina, self-determination and courage. Maintaining a healthy diet that consists of foods that are wholesome, pure, and clean will enhance the benefits of yoga practice. The yoga diet features foods that are easily digestible and refreshing.
The quality of the foods we consume becomes evident during the time of meditation. It is very common for people who meditate to become aware of problems with their lifestyles. If the person is having difficulty staying awake and alert, this is known as the tamasic effect. A second problem during meditation is the opposite effect of being overactive. This is called the rajasic effect. If the people who are meditating want the ability to keep their minds quiet, then they should maintain a diet that will help the in exploring the subtle nature.
The food items need to be well chewed before swallowing and should be eaten in small portions as overeating will definitely lead to tamasic. The food eaten as part of a yogic diet should be enjoyed for its inherent quality and taste rather than the seasonings and spices which are added to the food. Adding too much spice and salt will lead to the hyper rajasic effect. The rajasic effect can lead to the loss of taste and the loss of pleasure in enjoying a good meal. A refined sense of taste leads to increased enjoyment and satisfaction at mealtime.
Most of the food items that are present in the yoga diet are vegetarian as those who practice yoga are advised not to eat meat. Those who practice yoga with the diet may recognize that the vegetarian diet is considered to be a very cooling one. To counteract this problem when necessary, the yogis who live in mountain regions that have low temperatures may include a small amount of meat in their food for increased warmth. Another method to add body warmth is through yoga practice that is centered on the region around the navel.
There are traditional medicine alternatives available to add warmth to the body and that involves incorporating some specific kinds of herbs in the diet like ginseng, ashwagandha (Indian Ginseng), and astragalus. Another option is to include a mixture of spices known as masala in their diet. Masala commonly consists of turmeric root, coriander seed and cumin seed.
Even though it has been suggested that a person can develop a yogic diet through a trial and error method, considering the general characteristics of the yoga diet as traditionally described as pure and wholesome foods can be helpful in following a yoga diet. Organic foods are recommended in the diet for as they are both vital for health and pure.
The foods that are present in the diet should be fresh since leftovers will lead to the lack of energy of a tamasic effect. There are some exceptional cases, a healthy and tasty meal that leads to feeling comfortable and energized isn’t any guarantee that the food will provide the same pleasure when it is reheated another day. Freshly prepared food is a vital component of the yoga diet.
