FROM THE MAT TO PLATE: WHOLESOME DIET FOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD

 

In our childhood days, my parents usually offered us Milk which was not at all desirable at that time. Even at times they forced me to drink at-least a glass of milk every day. Still now I am taking a glass of Milk every day with my breakfast. Since I was practicing Yoga during my school days along with my studies, my parents taught me some important lifestyles for performing a better practice and better result in studies. They told me that if I do not take a balanced diet how can I grow faster. I asked them what type of food is required for a balanced diet? They told us that a balanced diet contains protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. A combination of grains, pulses, fresh fruits and sufficient fresh vegetables with some milk is required for Wholesome diet.

Every night I was sleeping with my grandmother, she usually used to tell various new Slokas from the Bhagavat Gita since she was a versatile woman with vast knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita, The Ramayana, The Mahabharata and various Puranas. Tonight was the topic about what Lord Krishna told to his disciple Arjuna regarding the food to be taken for Yoga Practitioners.  

“Ayuh-sattava-balarogya -sukha-priti-vivardhanah

Rashya-snigdha-sthira-hridya-aharah-sattvika-priyah”

The meaning of the above sloka is:

Enhancing life, strength, health, happiness and affection,
Flavors that are juicy, unctuous, firm, pleasing to the heart.

These foods are loved by pure disposition.

Therefore, a vegetarian diet is beneficial for cultivating the qualities of the mode of goodness that are conducive for Yoga Practitioners and for spiritual development. This has been echoed by many prominent Philosophers.

As per Pythagoras, “O my fellow men, do not defile your bodies with sinful foods. We have corn and we have apples bending down the branches with their weight. There are vegetables that can be cooked and softened over the fire. The earth affords a lavish supply of riches, of innocent foods, and offers you banquets that involve no bloodshed or slaughter; only beasts satisfy their hunger with flesh, and not even all of those, because horses, cattle, and sheep live on grass.”

George Bernard Shaw said, “I do not want to make my stomach a graveyard of dead animals”.

Conclusion : Adopting a vegetarian diet is an important pre-requisite for yoga practitioners as it aligns with the philosophy of ahimsa, or non-violence, central to yogic principles. A plant-based diet promotes physical vitality, mental clarity, and spiritual harmony, fostering a deeper connection between the practitioner and their environment. By choosing compassion over cruelty, yogis enhance their Cthe interconnectedness of all living beings. A vegetarian diet thus becomes an integral component, fostering a holistic approach to yoga that extends beyond the mat and contributes to personal well-being and global ethical consciousness.