A yoga practice does not change us only in the physical realm. As you move forward in the postures, the need to take yoga beyond your mat naturally appears.
The fact that yoga makes us stop to think about our diet has to do with your becoming more conscious at all levels:
- Grow your attention to bodily sensations: identify which foods make you feel bad and which ones well.
- Working with the body changes your perception of him and you try to take care of him more.
- You realize that physical practice is much easier with light digestions.
- You begin to be more aware of your impact on the environment (other living beings, environment ...).
But, whether you do yoga or not, you have surely noticed that the way you eat matters, and a lot.
We know that when we start binge eating and relying on junk foods we begin to see in a short time negative consequences at all these levels:
- Mood
- Power level
- Intellectual performance
- Global health status
For all this, today we are going to talk to you a little about what is meant in yoga by proper eating and we will see small changes that we can make in our dietary habits to get closer to this vision.
YOGICAL TRADITION AND FOOD
Yoga is not just about practicing a series of postures, it is a lifestyle.That is why in many classical yoga texts reference is made to food.As always, I am going to talk to you about one of the fundamentals: the yoga sutras of Patanjali:
The first two branches of yoga (yamas and niyamas) introduce us to certain general codes of behavior that we can apply to our relationship with food. Let's see four of them:
Ahimsa: the principle of nonviolence. Basically, this is the reason why most yogis become vegetarians at some point. According to this principle, a yogi must not harm any living being. Does that mean you can't do yoga if you eat meat? Of course not. Because as I said, this is a path that everyone starts where they can. It is true that with continued practice many yogis leave the meat, but most were not vegetarians when they started with yoga.
Brachmacharya: this yama talks about the importance of not making excesses. Originally he was referring above all to the issue of celibacy, but it can also be given meaning with regard to food.
Saucha: this niyama means purity. In yoga the body is considered a gift to take care of, and therefore we have to provide nutritious food and avoid alcohol, tobacco, or any kind of harmful substance that will cause harm.
Tapas: Finally, this niyama is about self-discipline. To have a healthy diet, it is necessary to have a certain level of discipline and not let ourselves be carried away by what we feel like in each moment or we will become slaves to our impulses.
Following these yoga foundations is a great way to change our mindset towards a better relationship with nutrition and our health.
This article was commissioned and brought to you by Tiger Nuts USA we do hope that you enjoyed it!
