YOGIC DIET

A Sadhaka should observe perfect discipline. He must be civil, polite, courteous, gentle,
noble and gracious in his behaviour. He must have perseverance, adamantine will, asinine
patience and leech-like tenacity in Sadhana. He must be perfectly self-controlled, pure and
devoted to the Guru.
A glutton or one who is a slave of his senses with several bad habits, is unfit for the spiritual
path.
“Mitaharam vina yastu yogarambham tu karayet; Nanarogo bhavettasya kinchit yogo na
siddhyati
“Without observing moderation of diet, if one takes to the Yogic practices, he cannot obtain
any benefit but gets various diseases” (Ghe. Sam. V-16).
Food plays a prominent place in Yoga-Sadhana. An aspirant should be very careful in the
selection of articles of Sattvic nature especially in the beginning of his Sadhana period. Later
on when Siddhi is attained, drastic dietetic restrictions can be removed.
Purity of food leads to purity of mind. Sattvic food helps meditation. The discipline of food
is very very necessary for Yogic Sadhana. If the tongue is controlled, all the other Indriyas
are controlled.
“Ahara-suddhau sattva-suddhih, sattva-suddhau dhruva smritih; Smriti-lambhe
sarva-granthinam viprarnokshah—By the purity of food follows the purification of the inner
nature, by the purification of the nature, memory becomes firm and on strengthening the
memory, follows the loosening of all ties and the wise get Moksha thereby.”

SATTVIC ARTICLES
I will give you a list of Sattvic articles for a Sadhaka. Milk, red rice, barley, wheat,
Havishannam, Charu, cream, cheese, butter, green dal (Moong dal), Badam (almonds), Misri
(sugar-candy), Kismis (raisins), Kichidi, Pancha Shakha vegetables (Seendil, Chakravarty,
Ponnan-gani, Chirukeerai and Vellaicharnai), Lowki vegetable, plantain-stem, Parwal,
Bhindi (lady’s finger), pomegranates, sweet oranges, grapes, apples, bananas, mangoes, dates,
honey, dried ginger, black pepper, etc., are the Sattvic articles of diet prescribed for the Yoga
Abhyasis.
Charu: Boil half a seer of milk along with some boiled rice, ghee and sugar. This is an
excellent food for Yogins. This is for the day-time. For the night, half a seer of milk will do.
Milk should not be too much boiled. It should be removed from the fire as soon as the
boiling point is reached. Too much boiling destroys the nutritious principles and vitamins and
renders it quite useless. This is an ideal food for Sadhakas. Milk is a perfect food by itself.
A fruit diet exercises a benign influence on the constitution. This is a natural form of diet.
Fruits are very great energy-producers. Fruits and milk diet help concentration and easy
mental focussing. Barley, wheat, milk and ghee promote longevity and increase power and
strength. Fruit-juice and the water wherein sugar-candy is dissolved, are very good
beverages. Butter mixed with sugar-candy, and almonds soaked in water can be taken. These
will cool the system.

FORBIDDEN ARTICLES
Sour, hot, pungent and bitter preparations, salt, mustard, asafoetida, chillies, tamarind, sour
curd, chutnee, meat, eggs, fish, garlic, onions, alcoholic liquors, acidic things, stale food,
overripe or unripe fruits, and other articles that disagree with your system should be avoided
entirely. Rajasic food distracts the mind. It excites passion. Give up salt. It excites passion
and emotion. Giving up of salt helps in controlling the tongue and thereby the mind and in
developing will-power also. Snake-bite and scorpion-stings will have no influence on a man
who has given up salt. Onions and garlic are worse than meat.
Live a natural life. Take simple food that is agreeable. You should have your own menu to
suit your constitution. You are yourself the best judge to select a Sattvic diet.
The proficient in Yoga should abandon articles of food detrimental to the practice of Yoga.
During intense Sadhana, milk (and ghee also) is ordained.
I have given above several articles of Sattvic nature. That does not mean that you should
take all. You will have to select a few things that are easily available and suitable to you.
Milk is the best food for Yogins. But even a small quantity of milk is harmful for some and
may not agree with all constitutions. If one form of diet is not suitable or if you feel
constipated, change the diet and try some other Sattvic articles. This is Yukti.
In the matter of food and drinks you should be a master. You should not have the least
craving or sense-hankering for any particular food. You must not become a slave to any
particular object.

MITAHARA
Heavy food leads to Tamasic state and induces sleep only. There is a general
misapprehension that a large quantity of food is necessary for health and strength. Much
depends upon the power of assimilation and absorption. Generally, in the vast majority of
cases, most of the food passes away undigested along with faeces. Take half stomachful of
wholesome food. Fill a quarter with pure water. Leave the rest free. This is Mitahara.
Mitahara plays a vital part in keeping up perfect health. Almost all diseases are due to
irregularity of meals, overeating and unwholesome food. Eating all things at all times like a
monkey is highly dangerous. Such a man can become a Rogi (sick man) easily; but he can
never become a Yogi. Hear the emphatic declaration of Lord Krishna: “Success in Yoga is
not for him who eats too much or too little; nor for him who sleeps too much or too little
(Gita VI-16). Again in the Sloka 18 of the same chapter, He says: “To him who is
temperate in eating and in sleep and wakefulness, Yoga becomes a destroyer of misery.”
A glutton cannot at the very outset have diet regulations and observe Mitahara. He must
gradually practise this. First let him take less quantity twice as usual. Then instead of the
usual heavy night meals, let him take fruits and milk alone for some days. In due course of
time he can completely avoid the night meals and try to take fruits and milk in the daytime.
Those who do intense Sadhana must take milk alone. It is a perfect food by itself. If
necessary they can take some easily digestible fruits. A glutton, if he all on a sudden takes to
fruit or milk diet, will desire at every moment to eat something or other. That is bad. Once
again I reiterate, gradual practice is necessary. Do not fast much. It will produce weakness in
you. Occasional fasting once a month or when passion troubles you much, will suffice.
During fasting you should not even think of the various articles of food. Constant thinking of
the food when you fast cannot bring you the desired result. During fasting, avoid company.
Live alone. Utilise your time in Yogic Sadhana. After a fast do not take any heavy food. Milk
or some fruit-juice is beneficial. Do not make much fuss about your diet. You need not
advertise to everyone if you are able to pull on with a particular form of diet. The observance
of such Niyamas is for your advancement in the spiritual path and you will not be spiritually
benefited by giving publicity to your Sadhana.
There are many nowadays who make it a profession to earn money and their livelihood by
performing some Asana, Pranayama or by having some diet regulation such as eating only
raw articles or leaves or roots. They cannot have any spiritual growth. The goal of life is Self-
realisation. Sadhakas should keep the goal always in view and do intense Sadhana with the
prescribed methods.