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According to Bhagavad Gita, satvik food gives life, purity, strength, health, joy, and cheerfulness. ... Satvik food has a good deal of health inducing properties. Fresh fruits, dry fruits, grains and legumes like rice and dal, milk and milk products are all examples of satvik foods.
Food Qualities
According to the Bhagavad Gita, our food should have four qualities, which can be represented by the abbreviation LWPW. to our kitchen, not go to a factory in between. Nothing processed, tinned, packaged, bottled or canned. Our food should be derived from plants & trees, not from animals.
LWPW Stands for
Living Food
Wholesome Food
Plant-Based Food
Water-Rich Food.
The yogi diet
What does it mean to spiritualise our diet? It's more than just following an ancient or modern theory of what we should eat. When we plug into our life force and true self, we realise life is about relating. Whether we relate to a soul, to the body or to the natural world, the art of the yogi is to infuse all relationships with integrity, care and wisdom.
Though tasty food is a treat, eating is more than pleasure. It is the utmost care for the instrument of the body, the natural world and the delicate balance of all living beings. Below are a few thoughts on the yogic diet.
āAhimsa' or non-violence
The yogi understands that pure and virtuous actions create freedom and peace within. Love is the highest intention behind any action. As we raise our vibration spiritually, our conscience won't allow us to harm any living thing on a subtle or gross level. We become mindful of where our food has come from and whether it was cultivated with care and respect.
A life of āahimsa' or non-violence sweetens the mind and calms the soul. It can be a challenging leap for those new to the spiritual path but one worth at least trying. Through experimentation, we can see for ourselves the calming effect a kind diet has on the mind.
Close to nature, close to home
Naturally grown food
The deepest truths of life are often the simplest. As we return to our real nature, it makes sense to return to real food. The universe, the elements of nature and our bodies are infinitely intelligent. Fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts in their natural form align us with that intelligence and nourish us with its benefits.
Locally grown food
Local foods are seasonal and often taste better. But eating locally is mostly a gift to our environment and community. By buying foods grown and raised close to where we live, we help maintain farmland and green space in our areas. We also help to build our local economies and support small businesses rather than large corporations. Knowing where our food comes from, connects us to the people who raise and grow it. And where there is connection, the chances for accountability, care and integrity increase.
Intuitive eating
There are countless theories about the ideal, healthy diet. How do we know which one to listen to? The good news is we need only turn within. As we deepen the power of stillness, our intuition raises its volume. With each meal, we can observe the effects of certain foods on our mood and energy. As we listen, we hear what the body truly needs. It then becomes an act of care to respond and nourish the body and soul with those foods that uplift the spirit, sing into the cells and restore the life force. Each of us is unique, and the map to our highest destination of health, wealth and happiness lies within.
Tips for preparing food while in a peaceful frame of mind
Take a shower to cleanse the energies you may have picked up during the day. Water refreshes both the body and the spirit. Then turn on some gentle music in the kitchen. Set the intention to make your mealtime preparation a quiet, meditative process. Stay present and enjoy the silence as you chop, clean and cook.
Meditate for 5-10 minutes before you prepare your food. In your meditation, nurture a simple thought. For example, "I, the soul, am fresh, pure, clean light." As you meditate on this thought, savour it. Visualise it. Feel it. Experience it. Then enter into your kitchen with the intention to hold that experience and thought as you prepare your meal.
Take a few moments of silence before you cook. Invite God into the kitchen with you to pour the pure energy of spiritual love over your food. As you cook, imagine God as a waterfall of divine pure, loving light above you. In each moment, see that light as it pours over your mind and heart as well as the food. Hold this vision as you prepare your meal.
Tips for eating while in a peaceful frame of mind
While you eat, simply eat and be fully present. Resist the urge to check your cell phone or search the web. Set the intention to eat calmly. Chew each bite at least 40 times. By counting the bites, you not only improve your digestion but you become present, peaceful and focused.
Before you eat, take a moment to become aware that you are a soul and that the body is an instrument that allows you, the soul, to travel through the physical world and experience the sights, sounds and scenes of life on the planet. Eating is a way of filling the body with good, healthy fuel.
With each bite you eat, imagine that you are filling that food with pure, healing light. As you swallow, visualise that light pouring into every cell of the bodyā¦ healing the body and bringing it into balance and harmony.
Set the intention to rest your mind on one simple thought as you eat. As you eat, simply hold the thought, "I am a peaceful soul." As you savour your food, savour that thought as well. Allow yourself to really feel it and experience it. If your mind wanders, simply come back to that one thought and see if you can hold that for the duration of your meal.
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