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Vegetarian diets have become popular
during the past 40 years, but the vegetarian diet that is
important to those who practice yoga and meditation is still
not well understood.
The yogic vegetarian diet is based on
how foods affect the mind as well as the body, and that’s
what makes it a bit different from other types of vegetarian
systems.
Gauging the effect of food on the mind
requires an understanding of the philosophy behind yoga.
According to yoga philosophy, the force of nature works in
three fundamental styles and the different foods are
dominated by one of these modifying styles. Thus the yogic
diet has three food classifications:
Sentient Food:
Foods which are beneficial to both the
body and the mind are dominated by nature’s sentient
principle. These foods include most fruits and
vegetables*, grains, legumes* (beans), milk products, nuts, herbs and
mild spices.
“As a result of eating sentient food
and performing spiritual practices, the cells of the human
body become sentient. Naturally, an effulgence emanates from
these cells creating an aura around the physical body of the
spiritual aspirant. This is the reason why many pictures of
mahapurushas [highly-evolved persons] show them with radiant
auras.”
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Shrii Shrii Anandamurti
Mutative Food:
The natural force that creates motion
and change in the universe is predominant in some foods.
Mutative foods are beneficial to the body and may or may not
be beneficial to the mind. These foods are stimulants and
some examples are coffee, tea, chocolate, carbonated
drinks and strong spices. Taken in moderate amounts
mutative foods are not harmful to spiritual progress.
Static Food:
There is a static force that creates
inertia in the universe. This force solidifies and binds
consciousness. Some foods are characterized by a static
quality and when eaten, they make the mind dull and drowsy.
These foods are detrimental to mental concentration and
meditation. They also stimulate the lower chakras
(psycho-physical controlling points) of the body and the
mental propensities controlled by these centers, making it
more difficult for the aspirant to maintain mental purity.
Static foods are harmful to either body
or mind and they are not eaten by yogis. Static foods
include: meat, fish, eggs, onions, mushrooms and garlic.
Alcohol, tobacco, drugs as well as rotting or spoiled foods
also are static.
Those who want to succeed in meditation
and yoga will get great benefits by following a diet that
includes foods from the sentient category, and avoiding the
static foods. A sentient diet is especially important for
those who wish to perform yoga postures on a daily basis.
*Here are some vegetable products which
are not sentient: lentils (taken at night are static and
during the day they are mutative). Red lentils, onion, mushroom, garlic
and white eggplant are static. The durian fruit (of South
East Asia) is static.
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