It’s wintertime and the holidays have just past, do you feel a little overfed? Sure, yoga asanas can help maintain a strong and flexible body, but did you know you can deepen your yoga practice through the way you eat?
Conscious Eating
To get the most out of yoga asana classes, we need to be aware of ourselves both mentally and physically. There are a lot of internal things going on during asana practice and the body speaks to us continuously through our senses. By being mentally focused, our asana practice becomes an active form of meditation.
This same attention should be paid when we eat, because a lot of things happen inside our bodies. In this way we can transform eating into a form of meditation. By paying attention, we know if we are hungry, thirsty, craving or wanting to satisfy an emotional emptiness. If we are hungry, our body will tell us what type of food it requires, how much to chew, when we have eaten a sufficient amount, and how different foods make us feel mentally and physically.
With awareness, you can work with your body and feed it what it needs no matter what is going on in your life. Eating foods which work with your body will make you feel good physically, mentally and emotionally.
Yamas and Niyamas
The yamas (ethical principles) and niyamas (personal observances) are a part of the eight limbs of yoga, a framework for yoga practice used in everyday life. One of the yamas is ahimsa, or non-violence, which is practiced in many different ways.
One way is choosing food which limits the harm inflicted on others and animals. For some, this means avoiding all animal products, while others select meat which comes from animals who lived a more natural life. Choose what makes sense for you right now as this will change as your yoga practice evolves.
Tapas is a niyama which refers to personal discipline. Practicing tapas helps to control inner urges in order to help purify and cleanse ourselves. Practicing tapas in eating can be done in many ways, such as eating an amount which satisfies the body’s nutritional needs and not more. It can mean intermittent fasting with as little as one meal every few days or even longer. Tapas can also support ahimsa, such as when we limit our foods to plants.
An Aid to Meditation
The traditional yogic diet is one which aides in meditation. It is a plant-based vegetarian diet which includes dairy products and excludes foods which can agitate or depress the mind or body.
Foods which are stimulating include those which are excessively bitter, sour, salty, or spicy such as garlic, radishes, onions, coffee and tea. How food is prepared makes a difference as those which contain preservatives or have been fermented, burned, fried, barbequed or reheated many times lowers energy.
Awareness in the eating process is important as it allows us to make choices which are right for us as individuals. Eating becomes a positive experience. Extend your yoga practice to the dining table and eat to live so you can live fully.