A DIET THAT IS WHOLLY CONDUCIVE TO THE PRACTICE OF YOGA AND SPIRITUAL PROGRESS IS CALLED YOGIC DIET.

DIET HAS INTIMATE CONNECTION WITH THE MIND. MIND IS FORMED OUT OF THE SUBTLEST PORTION OF FOOD

THE HEALTH OF THE HUMANS DEPENDS ON THE DIET BUT- WHAT IS HEALTH?

YOGA DIVIDES HEALTH INTO 2 PARTS

1. PHYSICAL HEALTH 2. MENTAL HEALTH

PHYSICAL HEALTH DEPENDS ON

DIET ACTIVITIES REST

MENTAL HEALTH DEPENDS ON

THOUGHTS AILMENTS CONSCIENCE

FOR ACHIEVING THE EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN THE PHISICAL HELTH AND MENTAL HELTH DIET PLAYS A VERY VITAL ROLE

FROM THE VEDIC PERSPECTIVE, ALL OF MATERIAL NATURE OR PRAKRUTI IS MADE UP OF 3 PRIMARY “GUNAS.” THESE GUNAS OR QUILITY OF NATURE ARE, SATTVA,RAJAS AND TAMAS.

THESE ARE ESSENTIAL ASPECTS OF ALL NATURE- ENERGY, MATTER AND CONSCIOUSNESS.

THUS SIMPLEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND THESE GUNAS ARE AS FOLLOWS

SATTAVA = LIGHT = THE AIR ELEMENT RAJAS = ENERGY = THE FIRE ELEMENT TAMAS = MATTER = THE EARTH ELEMENT

EACH GUNAS HAS ITS OWN CHARACTERISTICS.

SATTAVA IS THE LIGHT OF CONSICIOUS AWARENESS, POWER OF HARMONY, BALANCE AND HIGHER SPIRITUAL POTENTIAL . ITS IS NOT ENLIGHTENMENT IT SELF BUT IT UNVEILS WHAT IS TRUE AND REAL IT PROMOTES LIFE, ENERGY, HEALTH AND CONTENMENT

IT ENABLES TO ACHIEVE HIGHER SPIRITUAL AWARENESS THAT IS PRINCIPLE GOAL OF YOGA

RAJAS IS THE ENERGY OF CHANGE. IT REPRESENTS ACTION, CHANGE AND MOVEMENT

ITS MAY CAUSE MOVEMENT EITHER TOWORDS SATTAVA OR TAMAS.

THUS IT MAY ACT POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY

RAJAS ALSO BINDS US TO ATTACHMENT, TO THE FRUITS OF ACTION AND TO SENSORY PLEASURES OF EVERY KIND

TAMAS REPRESENTS THE POWER OF DARKNESS, INERTIA.

THUS TAMAS CONCEALS PRESENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

IT CAUSES DULLNESS SINCE IT IS HEAVY AND DENSE.

BOTH OUR BODY AND MIND ARE SUBJECT TO EBB AND FLOW OF THE GUNAS WITHIN US

THEREFORE WHILE THINKING OF DIET, SATVA,RAJA AND TAMA PLAY A VITAL ROLE.

WHATEVER WE EAT NOT ONLY INFLUENCES OUR PHYSICAL WELL BEING BUT ALSO OUR EMOTIONS AND THOUGHTS.

ACCORDINGLY YOGA HAS BEAUTIFULLY CLASSIFIED THE DIET INTO THREE PARTS

SATVIK FOOD RAJASI FOOD TAMSI FOOD

IN BHAGWAT GEETA LORD SHREE KRISHNA SAYS” FOOD HAS A MAJOR EFFECT ON THE BODY AND MIND, AND ACCORDINGLY SAYS SATVIK FOOD IS THE BEST.

SATVIK FOOD NOT ONLY STRENGTHS THE PHYSICAL BODY BUT ALSO PURITY OF MIND

YOGA ALSO ADVOCATES THAT FOR CONTROOLING THE MIND CONTROLLING OF PRANA IS NECESSARY

YOGA BELIEVES THAT FOOD IS CREATOR OF LIFEFORCE i.e PRANA, THEREFORE THE TYPE OF FOOD WE CHOOSE TO EAT REFLECTS OUR CONCSIOUS DEVELOPMENT.

SAGE PATANJALI ADVOCATES FIRST YAMA AS “ AHINSA” IN OTHER WORDS HE TOO ADVOCATES SATVIK FOOD AS THE BEST WHICH AVOIDS KILLING.

UPANISHADA SAYS” FOOD IS BRAHMAN.FROM FOOD ALL BEINGS ARE BORN.BY FOOD WE LIVE AND INTO FOOD WE RETURN”

AS PER AYURVEDA: “WHEN DIET IS WRONG MEDICINE IS OF NO USE

WHEN DIET IS CORRECT MEDICINE IS OF NO NEED”

ACCORDING TO AYURVEDA HEALTHY STATE MEANS,THE TRIDOSHAS i.e.VAT,KAPHA AND PITTA ARE IN BALANCED STATE

TRIDOSHAS MEANS AN INTRINSIC MIX OF SATTAVA, RAJAS AND TAMAS

HEALTH IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF GAINING DHARMA, ARTHA, KAM AND MOKSHA. HEALTH EMBODIES IN ITSELF THESE FOUR PURUSHARTHAS.

TYPES OF FOOD

WHAT IS SATVIK FOOD? THE FOOD WHICH PURIFIES THE

BODY AND CALMS THE MIND THE FOOD WHICH INCREASES

VITALITY,ENERGY,VIGOUR, HEALTH AND JOY AND WHICH IS DELICIOUS IS SAID TO BE PURE

THE FOOD COOKED AND CONSUMED WITHIN 3TO 4 HOURS CAN BE SATVIK

EXAMPLES: FRESH

FRUITS,GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES, NUTS, FRESH MILK, GRAINS, CERTAIN SPICES, GHEE ETC

WHAT IS RAJASIC FOOD? THE FOOD WHICH

STIMULATES THE BODY AND MIND INTO ACTION.

EXCESSIVE OF THESE FOOD, CAUSES RESTLESSNESS, ANGER HYPERACTIVITY

EXAMPLES: SPICY FOOD,

GARLIC, ONION,TEA. COFFIEE, FRIED FOOD ETC

WHAT IS TAMASI FOOD?

THE FOOD THAT DULLS THE MIND AND BRINGS INERTIA, CONFUSION CAN BE CONSIDERED AS TAMASI FOOD

IN TAMASI FOOD PRANA/ENERGY IS WITHDRAWN, BODY’S IMMUNITY LEVEL DECREASES AND MIND IS FILLED WITH, UNWANTED EMOTIONS LIKE ANGER, GREED ETC.

EAXMPLE: STALE FOOD, NON

VEG FOOD, OILY FOOD, EXCESSIVE INTAKES OF FAT

WHAT DIET THE YOGI SHOULD CONSUME?

THE BEST FOOD IS THE SATVIK FOOD AS SAID BY THE YOGA SHASTRA

THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF YOGA IS SAMADHI OR MOKSHA FOR WHICH CONTROLLING OF MIND IS NECESSARY

THE DIET SHOULD ICLUDE FOOD COTAINING 6 RASAS

SWEET (MADHUR) SOUR (AAMLA) SALTY (LAVAN) SPICY (TIKTA) BITTER (KATU) ASTINGENT (KASHAY)

THE DIET SHOULD PROMOTE

SAPTA(7) DHATUS RAS (FLUIDS) RAKTA (BLOOD) MANSA (MUSCLE TISSUES) ASTHI (BONES) MEDA (ADIPOSE TISSUES) MAJJA(BONE MARROW) SHUKRA (GENERATIVE TISSUES) BALANCED DIET- RICE,

WHEAT,GREEN VEGETABLES,PULSES, MILK,GHEE,PULSES BE INCLUDED.

MIXING UP OF ITEMS OF OPPOSITE TYPE i.e. VIRUDHHASHAN BE AVOIDED e.g. FRUITS WITH CURD.

HOW MUCH DIET THE YOGI SHOULD CONSUME?

IMAGINE 4 PARTS OF THE STOMACH. TWO BE FILLED WITH FOOD,ONE WITH WATER AND

ONE BE LEFT FOR AIR OR GASES TO MOVE (HATHAPRADIPICA AND GHERANDSANHITA)

WHAT SHALL BE THE ENVIRONMENT? PREFERABLY FOOD BE CONSUMED

WITH PLEASURE PREFERABLY FOOD BE CONSUMED

WITHOU T TALKING TO ANYBODY PREFERABLY FOOD BE CONSUMED

WITH CONCENTRATION PREFERABLY OUTSIDE FOOD BE

AVOIDED

TO CONCLUDE: “ YOU DON’T GROW OLD BY

YEARS,YOU GROW OLD BY FOOD. THE BOTTOM LINE IS NOT HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, THE BOTTOM LINE IS HOW MUCH YOU EAT AND WHAT YOU EAT”

YOGIC DIET IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE IT ONLY TELLS US THE MORE HEALTHY OPTIONS IN OUR DIET.

THANK YOU…. C.A. GIRISH KULKARNI (M.A. YOGA)