My last post centered on how there are some misconceptions surrounding the lifestyle of a yoga teacher or yoga lover. One of those misconceptions was that in order to be a yogi, you have to be vegetarian. This is most certainly not true! According to our instructor (who pays close attention to these kind of facts), about 85% of all yoga teachers are NOT vegetarian. She also said that in our yoga school curriculum we would not be concentrating on any sort of diet or way of eating because - simply put - each and every person is different.
You see, she grew up with many food allergies and this led to the discovery that a primarily plant-based diet works the best for her. Some people who practice yoga thrive on the foods that bother her the most. However, she did share some tips that have helped both her and others thrive in their yoga practices and in their lives.
One tip was that you can never really go wrong eating fruits and vegetables. Adding more of them is always good, and eating richly-colored ones usually have the most nutrients.
Another is that simplicity is usually the best way to go. What did your grandparents and great-grandparents recognize as food? The majority of what they ate did not come in a box or package pre-made with lots of added sugars, fats, salt, and fake ingredients. They usually had home-cooked meals with simple ingredients.
Simplicity is also probably a factor in why so many Americans lately suffer from some sort of indigestion. We're eating a bunch of fake food! Avoiding artificial ingredients, additives, and preservatives will most certainly help with stomach issues. Read what's on the list of ingredients on the label. Can you pronounce what it says? Do you know what it is without having to Google it to find out?
The final tip she shared I think is the most important one. It has to do with a very important part of being a yogi - mindfulness. (Don't run away just yet! It's NOT the same as meditation!) Mindfulness has to do with awareness of yourself and your environment. It's basically recognizing what your body needs and listening to its cues. That means eating when you're actually hungry (and not out of boredom or because you're stressed or sad) and on the flipside, when you feel full, STOP. There is no need to finish what's on your plate if your body is saying, "Hey! I don't need more!" This is how one becomes overweight.
This tip ties into a section of a book that is required for our curriculum: Baron Baptiste's Journey Into Power. He has a very large chapter dedicated entirely to diet and how eating a certain way can help your practice and your life. The first of his eating "Guiding Principles" is to bring mindfulness to your eating habits. He states, "Two of the most fundamental truths of yoga are mindfulness and intention. Both are hardly ever as important as when you are eating. Would you shovel unhealthy food or monstrous portions if you were truly conscious of what you were doing?"
Well, would you?
He also invites us to think about food this way. "Everything you eat is either fuel that sustains and energizes you, or a burden that clogs and drains you." To him, intuition is important and the key to using intuition when eating is asking yourself: "What will this food cause in me?" How will you feel after eating it? Will you feel energized, or will you want to take a nap?
His basic eating premise is this: "It all comes down to eating consciously and cleanly. Eating clean isn't a requirement for having a yoga practice. But as you journey deeper into your power, you'll want to give up your negative eating habits," says Baron.
I adore this food mindset. I personally feel that if more people followed it that we'd have a much healthier world. What do you think?
Thanks for reading! I wish a healthy day to you!
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