Satvik food, Rajsik food and Tamasik food

 

Satvik food, Rajsik food and Tamasik food

The food we eat will directly impact us on the physical emotional, mental  and spiritual health. Most of the today’s health issues are due to our diet and lifestyle. our diet play important for succeeding in our yoga practices.

 

Bhagvad geeta divide food into three categories  Satvik, Rajsik and Tamasik, each of them has different effects on our body and mind.

Satvik food :

A satvik food is pure vegetarian diet, it includes seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pulses sprouts, dried nuts and seeds, milk and dairy products, which is light and easily digestible, fresh and mild in taste, doesn’t creates any irritation or agitation in the body and also make us calm peaceful. Satvik food makes us full of energy, enthusiasm, healthy  creative and overall balanced personality, so those who want to inculcate these good qualities should prefer satvik food. Satvik food cooked and eaten with love raise our satva guna and consciousnes.

Rajasik food:

Mainly consist of spicy foods  that contains onion and garlic, deep fried foods, coffee, tea, refined sugar and chocolates. These foods gives instant energy for brief periods but ultimately will experience low energy  and stress. It disturbs the mind- body-balance as well as digestive system . A rajasik person is usually aggressive,  competitive and ego driven in nature.

Tamasik food :

Mainly Consists of reheated, stale foods and chemically processed foods such as egg, meat, alcohol, cigarettes ect. A tamasik person will be dull unimaginative, unmotivated, careless, unaware and lethargic. They will experience illness and disease.

Chapter 17 Bhagvad Geeta says that the food one eats and ones personality are related.

Chapter 17.8 States that people with predominant  satva are in mode of Goodness prefer to eat food which are greasy, nourishing and appealing which purify mind, give strength health, happiness & Satisfaction.

Chapter 17.9 States that people with predominant rajas who are in mode of passion prefers to eat food which is bitter,  sour, hot, pungent and dry . Excessive intake of these foods makes one negative miserable and causes  disease and  distress.

Chapter 17.10 states that people with predominant  tamas who are in mode of darkness and ignorance prefer to  eat half Cooked, Stale, Bad Smelling and impure food.

Increasing satva is possible when we reduce rajasik and Tamasik food intake.

Right Diet plays a crucial role in yoga. Hatha yoga text prescribe Mitahara or moderate & Balance diet for yoga student. Eating too much increases tamas causing heaviness lethargic and disease. Due to which aspirant may find it difficult to put an enough effort. Eating  corrects amounts of food  make body more energetic,  allowing to practice asana with enthusiasm. Hatha yoga pradipika  states that  yoga sadhaka should eat  only half stomach full of susnidham snd madhuram food snd fill one fourth stomach with water or liquid and other remaining one fourth empty. yoga aspirant should eat nourishing & Sweet food which nourishes the Sapth Dhatus (7 Basic varieties of tissue that compose human body). Rasa (plasma), Rakta (Blood), Mansa (Maiso ), meda (fat), Asthi (Bones), Majja (Bone marow) & Shukra (reproductive tissue). These is a saying that "jaisa Anna waisa mann" as is one's food so is one's mind. By changing your food you can change your mind.

"you are what you eat, every meal you eat, you have a choices so Choose wisely".