You may not think there is a connection, but there is and the easiest place to see and understand it is through the Yamas and Niyamas, which are known as the yogic commandments or ethical guidelines. Here are just a couple in relation to food.
One of the Niyamas is Saucha meaning purity/ cleanliness, which could be extended to the cleanliness of your diet or clean eating. Now I don’t know about you but I love eating clean, however that doesn’t come without ‘cheat days’ or long weekends eating way too much and too many unhealthy foods. Getting back on track is the important part. Going back to the clean eating and truly respecting the body we live in.
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
– Hippocrates
In my food world there is no fear or guilt, just joy and balance. – Ellie Krieger
The very first of the Yamas is called Ahimsa which means non-violence or non-harming. Do you want to eat foods that harm you or others? This is a great question to ask yourself when making conscious decisions about food choices and maybe I need to ask myself more too! The less processed a food the better it is for you and the less violence that exists. Out of concern for the welfare of animals many yogis choose vegetarianism or veganism. This is not all yogis however and not eating meat for some people is actually going against Ahimsa for their own body. But if you do choose to eat meat or dairy products, bring awareness to your choices and those animals that were harmed in the process. Better to choose ethically raised farm animals and dairy products than not.
Another form of Ahimsa (non-harming) is to only eat when you are hungry and not to numb feelings, emotions or boredom. It’s so important to also remember that Ahimsa means taking care of oneself, not harming your own mind, body and spirit.
Self-Study is another area that can play a role in food and yoga. Cultivating mindfulness on the mat can lead to mindfulness in other areas of life, including eating. Yoga can encourage this internal awareness and self-study to figure out which foods work best for us. One particular food may leave you feeling lethargic and bloated afterwards, or you may experience insomnia or feel agitated. It may be that this food isn’t agreeing with you. Keeping a note or food diary is a great way to practise svadhyaya or self-study. Through this study of food, you will become more aware of which foods nourish your body making it thrive, compared to foods that diminish your life energy and should be avoided.
Now none of this is to say that you shouldn’t eat food without pleasure! I sure do! And food is one of life’s joys. But if you are continuing to eat foods that are not supporting your health and body, I encourage you to think why you are making these choices. Enjoy your food but eat mindfully, in moderation, and with gratitude of where it came from and how it is nourishing your body. The more awareness we can bring to food and our body the better dietary choices we will most likely make and the healthier we will be.