Yoga, Nutrition, Diet And Ayurveda – The Inter-Relationships Decoded
You must have come across such terms as Yoga, Ayurveda, Nutrition, and Diet, sometimes in their lone form, or at times in conjunction with one another. These are also the multi-million-dollar industries today. To make matters simple for you, you must know that you can reap great benefits, if you utilize all the combined principles.
If you want to make holistic lifestyle a part of your existence, then Yoga practice may be a good thing to start with. Traditional yoga revolves around the practice of Hatha Yoga, which is something beginners are comfortable with. Furthermore, you must have noticed, that almost everyone connects yoga with physical poses. However, the reality is far removed, from what you think it is. After the onslaught of the pandemic, almost everyone has begun some sort of holistic ritual and yoga seems to be one of them. But what about the others, like Ayurveda, Nutrition, and Diet? You must understand the big picture, and that is what we are going to tell you today.
Know More About The Holistic Realm
If you want to simplify the meaning of holistic, then you must find out more about the accompaniments. In this case, the point of discussion revolves around Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a sister science of Yoga. In fact, Ayurveda is the science of life, and yoga is the application of the science. Both go back atleast 5,000 years, to be precise. Ayurveda is an ancient healing practice that defines, what food you should have, when you should have it, and how food habits and practices must change with changing seasons and weather. For that very same reason, Ayurveda Retreats in Rishikesh are thriving.
According to the guidelines mentioned in Ayurvedic texts, you must follow a proper diet. There are three main types of diet in the realm. Sattvic, Rajasic, and Tamasic. They have different effects on an individual. Nutrition revolves around an individual’s diet. You have to supply the body with the right ingredients, so that the body can perform all necessary functions, without any problems. Moreover, it also helps to generate fresh ‘Prana’.Prana helps to clear blockages and keeps one healthy and happy. Let us break down the concept for ease of understanding.
The Ultimate Aim Of Yoga
The ultimate aim for those seeking to walk on the spiritual path is oneness with the universe. Yoga asanas are a way to reach that goal. Asanas help one to head there, with ease. Moreover, unless your physical body is prepared, you cannot start the journey inward. Asanas help in strengthening the body and remove impurities as well. There are many kriyas apart from asanas, like meditation and Pranayama, which help the body reach the state of bliss. You have to make sure that the energies are flowing freely. Only when this happens, can you direct your powers to achieve something spiritual. As asanas fix the body, Pranayama practice helps to clear the nadis and chakras.
When you have immersed yourself in sufficient yoga exercises, then you will start noticing the shifts slowly. First there will be mental ones related to cognition, then emotional patterns, and finally spiritual ones. It happens in a perfect order. You can open up the energy pathways, to achieve the higher union, that occurs through the Sahasara Chakra, or Crown chakra. But, the body also needs fresh Prana to operate, and that is where Ayurveda, diet and nutrition enters the scene.
Ayurveda And The Role of Food
Food has been found to affect feelings and mood. It not only affects the stomach, but the mind as well. In Ayurvedic philosophy, there are three doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Your prakriti determines, what food you should eat and what lifestyle you should lead.It is always encouraged to go for Sattvic food, as it helps in the generation of ‘prana’. Additionally, there are six gunas or tastes according to Ayurveda. They are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, astringent, and bitter.
If you head to an Ayurveda Center in Rishikesh, you will come to know about these in complete detail. For now, here is a short explanation, to make matters easy for you.
- Sweet foods like breads, pasta, sugar, honey and syrup, can calm the mind. Moreover, it can bring in an equilibrium of Vata and Pitta.
- Sour foods on the other hand, like citrus fruits and berries stimulate your eating habits and aids in digestion. Sour foods can also strengthen the Vata and Pitta component.
- Salty foods like soy and salty meats balances the Kapha, by cleaning the sinuses.
- Pungent foods like chilli and black pepper, induce a lot of sweat and balances all the three doshas.
- Bitter foods like bitter gourd and celery can detoxify the body and balance the Kapha and Pitta.
- Astringent foods like pulses, grapes, and tea balances the Kapha and Pitta.
When you go to a renowned yoga center India, you will learn about all these nuances. If you are interested in delving deeper into Ayurveda and Yoga, you must enroll in a yoga course India. Apart from the right diet for eachprakriti, you have to ensure that you have the right meals at the right time of the day or season. Ayurveda stresses that one should have food according to the changing weather as well.
There are some additional guidelines, which state that you should do everything in moderation. And, that primarily includes food, but secondary means other day-to-day practices as well. One of them being that, you should never eat to your full capacity. And, consume food with a lot of love and gratitude. Most of us live highly stressful lives, and yoga should be a part of the daily regime. So, we again arrive to where we started from. Yoga can help you to remove physical as well as mental stress. Apply all the above principles of yoga, ayurveda, nutrition, and diet and enjoy a disease-free and healthy life. You can also enroll for a detox or retreat program, to get a better idea.
