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Ancient yogis, through diligent observations, understood how human bodies worked internally. They postulated that human body consisted of a fire referred to as “Agni” via which, everything that a person eats was consumed and transformed into a finer substance called “Ojas” that could later be used to build a human body.
However, this could only happen if the food that was consumed was pure. If the food is impure or harmful, Agni needs to work harder to break it. This results in the creation of lesser amounts of Ojas, which is required to build a healthy and strong body, and an additional substance called “Amma”, which can cause the body harm.
Ayurveda defines Amma as the main problem for all health issues as it clogs the body and blocks the flow of life or Prana. When Amma is formed, it most easily finds its place in fat cells, which according to western science is responsible for the toxins that are harbored in human bodies.
As a human, you tend to consume foods that can create Amma when:
You have any unresolved past emotions that govern our present actions.
Follow a poor diet.
Surrounded by physical and emotional stress.
When you keep bombarding your bodies with the wrong kinds of foods, the Agni inside us too grows weaker.
A good diet is essential to reverse this cycle as Agni is greatly affected by the quality of food you eat. Yogis believed in a healthy yogic diet that was essential to bring Agni to full health. Hence it is essential to consume a diet that compliments your practice.
Enhance your Health
Mostly people are unable to keep up with their diets because of the cravings and emotional instability created by the Amma deposit, present in the body. It is your responsibility towards your body to understand what it likes. If you feel dull, heavy, and uncomfortable after a meal, it’s your body signaling that the food was not right. Always remember that good foods always make you feel energized and light.
We cannot say that there is any prescribed diet that ancient yogis advised and even if they did, it would be highly unlikely that we would find those food items in that form now. Milk in ancient times was healthy, but with commercial diaries around the world, a good number of people are lactose intolerant.
So, to make the entire process of choosing the right kinds of food for your body, as you practice yoga, ancient yogis divided foods into the following three main categories:
Rajasic Foods
Sattvic Foods
Tamasic Foods
Of all three, Sattvic food is considered as the healthiest. Let us talk more in details about these three categories to understand them.
Sattvic Foods
Ayurveda considers Sattvic foods as the purest and most harmonious foods for a yogi’s body. This category of food derives its name from the Sanskrit word Sattva, which means Purity. Fruits, dairy products, nuts, seeds, whole grains, natural sweeteners like honey, and anything edible that is in its purest form.
These foods promote a peaceful state of mind, healthy body, emotional stability and mindfulness, and a longer life. Traditional Yoga Diets were mostly Sattvic in nature. If not taken in measured quantity or if cooked with spice, Sattvic Foods can become Tamasic.
Rajasic Foods
These foods derive their name from the way that kings dined in ancient times; their menu consisting of no less than 56 food items at one given time. Foods that taste bitter, spicy, or salty and are dry or hot come under this category. This category of foods includes fried foods, sweets, and beverages, which are undesirable for yoga practitioners as they are heavy and full of fats.
Tamasic Foods
Mostly, non-vegetarian foods are considered as Tamasic. However, if any food item is created using too many spices and an excess of salt and chilli it can be called Tamasic. This food category is responsible for the heat created in the human body, thus resulting in outbursts of anger and a coarse temperament. Yogis believe that this food category makes people quarrelsome, impatient, and intolerant, thus completely ruling it out for yoga practitioners.
Yogic Diet Benefits
Since the Sattvic Diet is pure, it gives the body innumerable benefits. Here are some of the benefits of the Sattvik diet:
A good and healthy yoga diet plan promotes digestion and cures practitioners of stomach problems like constipation, aches, and gas.
It helps in keeping your colon clean.
As sattvik foods help in detoxifying your circulatory and digestive system, they clean skin and reduce breakouts and acne.
Meditation can calm the mind, but the results can be attained faster with the help of sattvik food items as they are lighter food items which ease your mind and body.
Undoubtedly, eating sattvik foods can help you lose weight and get a healthier body.
Tamasic and Rajasic food cause blockage in the body and it also results in joint pain. Sattvic foods combined with yoga helps to open these blockages and relieve you of these issues.
A good yoga diet is not something difficult to follow. There is a common yoga diet misconception that a person must give up on all types of foods to achieve good health.
But, that is not true. It’s all about understanding your body’s needs. You need to understand whether the hunger you are feeling is really a want for food or your body asking for water. Your body can only digest as much as its capacity and overburdening it can cause an emotional breakdown.
Give your food a thought and lead a healthy life. Happy Yoga to You!!!
