A Sadhaka must maintain strict discipline. In his behavior,
he must be civil, friendly, courteous, gentle, honorable, and gracious. In Sadhana,
he requires tenacity. He must be fully self-disciplined, pure, and faithful to
the Guru. A glutton, or someone who is a slave to his senses and has several
bad habits, is unfit for spiritual life.
“Mitaharam vina yastu yogarambham tu karayet; Nanarogo
bhavettasya kinchit yogo na siddhyati na siddhyati na siddhyati na siddhyati na
siddhyati na siddhyati na siddhyat.”
“If one follows Yogic rituals without practicing dietary
moderation, he will not gain any advantage but will develop multiple diseases”
(Ghe. Sam. V-16).
- In Yoga-Sadhana, food is very important. In the beginning of his Sadhana era, an aspirant should be very cautious when selecting Sattvic-natured posts.
- When Siddhi is achieved, the stringent dietary limits can be lifted. Food purity contributes to mental purity.
- Meditation is aided by sattvic food.
- Food discipline is extremely important for Yogic Sadhana.
- When the tongue is under control, the other Indriyas follow suit.
“Ahara-suddhau sattva-suddhih, sattva-suddhau dhruva smritih; Smriti-lambhe sarva-granthinam viprarnokshah."
—"By the purity of food
follows the purification of the inner nature, by the purification of the
nature, memory becomes solid, and by the loosening of all bonds, the wise get
Moksha thereby.”
SATTVIC FOOD ITEMS DESIRABLE FOR YOGIS (A Sample Indian Diet)
For a Sadhaka, here’s a list of Sattvic or desirable foods:
Milk, red rice, barley, wheat, Havishannam, Charu, cream,
cheese, butter, green dal (Moong dal), Badam (almonds), Misri (sugar candy),
Kismis (raisins), Kichidi, Pancha Shakha vegetables (Seendil, Chakravarty,
Ponnan-gani, Chirukeerai, and Vellaicharnai), Lowki vegetable, plantain-stem.
Charu: Combine half a seer of milk, boiled rice, ghee, and
sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. This is a fantastic meal for Yogins. This is for use throughout the day. Half a
seer of milk will suffice for the night.
Milk should not be cooked excessively. As soon as the
boiling point is reached, it should be extracted from the fire. Boiling it very
much kills the nutritional values and enzymes, rendering it worthless. Sadhakas
will like this dish. Milk is a whole meal in and of itself.
A fruit-based diet has a positive effect on the body. This
is a healthy way of eating. Fruits are excellent sources of electricity.
Fruits and milk in the diet aid concentration and mental
attention. Barley, wheat, milk, and ghee all help you live longer and have more
power and strength.
Fruit juice and water with melted sugar sweets are also
excellent drinks. It is possible to consume butter filled with sugar candy and
soaked almonds. These will help to keep the machine cool.
FOOD ITEMS THAT ARE RESTRICTED FOR YOGIS
Salt, mustard, asafoetida, chillies, tamarind, sour curd,
chutnee, beef, milk, fish, garlic, onions, alcoholic beverages, acidic stuff,
stale vegetables, overripe or unripe fruits, and other articles that conflict
with the system can all be avoided.
Rajasic food serves as a mental diversion. It arouses
enthusiasm. Excluding the salt from your diet. It arouses arousal and emotion.
Giving up salt aids in the discipline of the mouth, and
hence the spirit, as well as the development of willpower. A man who has given
up salt will be unaffected by snake bites or scorpion stings.
Garlic and onions are much worse than beef. Live a healthy,
holistic lifestyle. Easy, agreeable food comes to mind. You can build your own
menu based on your body type. When it comes to choosing a Sattvic diet, you are
the ultimate judge.
Yoga practitioners should refrain from eating foods that are
harmful to their work. Milk (and ghee) are ordained during deep Sadhana.
Several articles of a Sattvic nature have been given above.
That isn't to say you can take anything. You'll need to choose a few things
that are both readily accessible and appropriate for you.
Yogins prefer milk over other foods. However, even a limited
amount of milk may be toxic to certain people and may not be suitable for all
constitutions. If one type of diet isn't working for you or you're constipated,
switch to another Sattvic dietary food. This is what is Yukti. You should be an
expert in the field of food and beverages. You do not have even the slightest
need for any single meal. You must not become enslaved to any one thing.
MITAHARA
Heavy food causes a Tamasic state which only induces sleep. There is a widespread misconception that a large amount of food is needed for good health and power. Much is dependent on the ability to absorb and assimilate information.
In the vast majority of cases, the majority of the meal, along with feces, passes undigested. Take a half-tummyful of nutritious food. Fill a fifth of the way up with pure water. Leave the rest to chance.
Mitahara is important for maintaining optimal wellbeing. Meal irregularity, overeating, and unwholesome diet are the root causes of almost all diseases. It's really risky to eat anything at all times like a monkey. Such a person will quickly become a Rogi (sick person), but he can never become a Yogi.
“Success in Yoga is not for him who eats too much or too little; nor for him who sleeps too much or too little,” Lord Krishna declares emphatically (Gita VI-16). “To him who is temperate in feeding, in sleep and wakefulness, Yoga becomes a destroyer of misery,” He says in Sloka 18 of the same verse.
A glutton cannot have diet rules and follow Mitahara from the start. He'll have to get used to it over time. Allow him to take half as much as possible at first. Allow him to eat fruits and milk alone for a few days instead of his normal heavy night meals. In time, he would be able to totally skip night meals and rely solely on fruits and milk during the day.
Many who practice Sadhana for a long time must only drink milk. It's a whole meal in and of itself. They can take any quickly digestible fruits if desired.
When a glutton suddenly switches to a fruit or milk diet, he may be compelled to consume something at all times. That's not nice. I'll say it again: incremental preparation is needed. Don't fast for too long. You would become vulnerable as a result of it.
Fasting once a month or when love is bothering you greatly would suffice. You need not really consider the different types of food when fasting. When you're fasting, you can't keep worrying about eating all the time. Stop company when fasting. Live on your own.
Make the most of your time in Yogic Sadhana. Do not eat something heavy after a fast. It is beneficial to drink milk or fruit juice. Leave no fuss over your eating habits. Whether you can pull off a single diet, you don't have to sell it to anyone.
The observance of such Niyamas or rules is for your spiritual growth, and you can not prosper spiritually from making your Sadhana public. Many people nowadays find it a profession to earn money and a living by practicing Asana, Pranayama, or adhering to dietary restrictions such as consuming only raw foods, leaves, or roots. They are unable to grow spiritually.
Self-realization is the ultimate purpose of creation. Sadhakas should keep the target in mind at all times and perform intense Sadhana using the methods prescribed.
You may also want to read more about Kundalini Yoga and Holistic Healing here.