Sattva Yoga Society
Yoga and Pure livingsattvik eating principles
The act of eating is considered to be a sacred act, based on the premise that a food item has to give up its own living existence, in order for us to benefit from it. Remember, food has the potential to nourish the body, the mind, and the spirit. It might be wise, therefore to consider some of the following Sattvik eating principles.
1. Eat from the farm as often as possible… such produce has been through fewer hands to get to you.
2. Avoid all foods that have been wrongly prepared, i.e. overcooked, undercooked, burnt, unripe, over-ripe, putrefied or stale.
3. Wash your hands before you sit down to eat.
4. Sit whilst eating, in an isolated, clean area, ideally facing east in the direction of the sun… the earth’s source of fire and heat.
5. Pray and give thanks to Mother Nature for providing you with food. A practical thanks to Nature takes the form of a food offering, either to another human being, or to a plant or animal. This is, in a sense an “exchange” of sacrifice. Food is for the greater good of all mankind, and not just for one’s own satisfaction.
6. Eat alone or with people you know and trust.
7. Avoid habitual uses of restaurants. Most people who sell you food are not particularly concerned with your health and digestion! Only someone who loves you should be permitted to cook for you, transferring his or her love into the food.
8. Immediately before eating, chew a little ginger that has been sliced and marinated in lemon juice. This awakens the taste buds, starts the digestive fire, and purifies the mouth and tongue. After eating, drink a little yogurt mixed with water (chhaas) to assist digestion.
9. Concentrate on your meal… no TV, radio, music or conversation should distract you. Sit and chat afterwards.
10. Do not drink water during your meal. Water dilutes your digestive juices and prolongs digestion time creating imbalances. Drink a moderate quantity of water half an hour after your meal.
11. At the end of the meal give thanks and rinse your mouth.
And over time, when your mind has become sattvik and peaceful like a clear pool of pure water, you may bypass the gunas altogether. Such souls, the Gita tells us, “are unmoved by the harmony of sattva, the activity of rajas, or the delusion of tamas. They feel no aversion when these forces are active, nor do they crave for them when these forces subside. They remain impartial, undisturbed by the action of the gunas. Knowing that it is the gunas which act, they abide within themselves and do not vacillate. Established within themselves, they are equal in pleasure and pain, praise and blame, kindness and unkindness. Clay, a rock and gold are the same to them. Alike in honor and dishonor, alike to friend and foe, they have given up every selfish pursuit. Such are those who have gone beyond the gunas” (BG 14: 22-25).
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
References: Mr Gary Gran (USA), Ayurvedic Cooking for All (Amadea Morningstar), Yoga for promotion of Positive Health (Dr R Nagarathna, Dr HR Nagendra)
