ART OF 'MINDFUL EATING'

At breakfast, the newspaper we read, reports 300 point drop in the share market; lunch consists of dashing into a fast food joint, grabbing a bite to eat or perhaps piles of work compel us to take a quick mini lunch on the desk itself or ‘cuppas’ of tea replace the food; the evening news reports the rising prices of petrol and violence eruption in the city!

  

Can we possibly enjoy, digest and assimilate food when our minds are engaged and disturbed? With our busy lives, we are eating large quantities irregularly and with much too little consciousness. Are we being nourished on the physical, mental and emotional levels? Is it any wonder that so many people routinely use digestive aids!

  

Where does digestion begin – Is it the mouth or the stomach? Most digestion actually begins in the mind ! Let us look at the effect of diet on mind. According to our ancient scientists of life, the sages – food reflects a general predominance of one of three attributes called the gunas: sattwa - balance; rajas - over activity; and tamas - inertia.

 Balanced or Sattwic food

Food that is wholesome, fresh and natural is balanced or sattwic in nature. Such food gives the body lightness, alertness and energy. It gives strength from within as it is said to nourish the consciousness. Examples of sattwic food are fresh and dry fruits, fresh fruit juice, freshly cooked home food which is mild in spices, neither overcooked nor undercooked, salads, sprouts, buttermilk, whole grain items, seeds (sesame, flaxseeds ) and beans.

 Sattwik food brings vitality and health to the body and peace and joy to the mind. It is not only simple but tasty, and is as close to their natural form as possible. When food is natural, we eat less of it; our bodies are nurtured and satisfied, and our minds are in harmony. When food is whole and unprocessed, we chew more thoroughly, releasing digestive juices to aid digestion. This liquefies the food and the work of digestion is half done! Nutrients are extracted and the remainder is efficiently eliminated. Balanced food satisfies our need and not our greed.

  

  Overstimulating or Rajsik food

Rajsik food is over stimulating and causes restlessness, disease and agitation in the body and the mind. It energizes the body but not in the sense of yielding a clear balanced energy. It tends to stimulate and push to increase the speed and indulge more in activity, sensual pleasures and comforts. In excess, it can encourage the passions to rise and the mind to become very restless. Rajsik food is rich and tasty and was actually meant for the Kings (Rajas) and the warriors.

In present times, it is appropriate for the military forces or those in the field of sports with heavy physical activity to utilize it. As most of us are leading an automated life with remote controls and gadgets everywhere,such food does more harm than good. Meat and alcohol first have a stimulating effect and then cause us to become lethargic and dull. Too much coffee can set our heart racing! Spicy, saucy and thickly gravied foods, fried delicacies, aerated drinks and fast foods, tempts one to eat more. They keep us restlessly striving to fulfill uncontrolled desires of the taste buds; ultimately leading to pain, grief and disease.

 Inertia giving or Tamasic food

Tamasic food is any food that takes away energy from the body and mind. Food that is old or cold, overly fermented, moldy, has lost its essence, has been processed and preserved, is overcooked is considered tamasic as it has no spark of life in it. Dead and decaying food cannot give us vitality and life.

  

Many cultures will not permit food to be reheated or cooked again. They understand that food becomes tamasic and looses energy. The pot of soup we had last week and just found in the back of the refrigerator probably has very little vitality left in it. Think about reheated foods lacking energy when you see burgers piled up under hot lights or frozen potatoes being fried to serve our palate!  

Such food may add matter to the body but then creates a feeling of heaviness and lethargy. One oscillates between an irritating restlessness and a tendency to fall asleep. Such tamasic food may lead to a toxic accumulation of unwanted chemicals and substances that the body is unable to use as fuel – lactic acid, uric acid or overabundance of fats and sugars which manifest as general aches and pains and ultimately disease.

  

The art of ‘Mindful Eating’ 

• Choose foods that compel chewing
• Avoid or reduce intake of processed or stored foods
• Avoid overeating
• Consume food cooked within the same day
• Avoid television while eating to enjoy the food
• Avoid cold drinks with food as they suppress the digestion

24 Hours Yoga... Part II... Healthy Standing, Sitting and Driving

Standing Healthy

• Keep the feet hip- width (ear width) apart.
   
• The feet should be parallel to each other. Most of us stand with the forefoot or the front part of the foot turned out. To nullify its harmful effects and also to activate out inner legs, standing with the forefoot or the front part turned in by half to one inch, called as pigeon toed feet, feels good as it offers stability and balance.
   
• Keep the knees soft, neutral and unlocked - they should not be pushing back into hyper extension. Standing with maximum weight on the heels locks the knee joints. So spread your weight evenly over the feet.
   
• Pull in the abdomen in by half an inch, as if zipping a pant, but never by holding the breath.
   
• Lift the breastbone and the rib cage as if a puppeteer is pulling you up on a string. This should create a good distance from your hipbone to your rib cage. As you do this, the shoulder blades will move down. Feel an imaginary thread pulling up your head towards the ceiling..
   
• Slide the head slightly back if it is jutting forward (which it usually does). This will bring the head and neck in line with the spine. The chin will be parallel to the floor.

Sitting tips

• Sit up with your back straight and your shoulders back. Your buttocks should touch the back of your chair. Distribute your body weight evenly on both hips.
   
• Bend your knees at a right angle. Do not sit with your knees crossed. Feet should be resting on the floor with knees and hips bent 90 degrees
   
• Try to avoid sitting in the same position for more than 30 minutes.
   
• Rest your elbows and arms on your chair or desk, keeping your shoulders relaxed.
   
• When standing up from the sitting position, move to the front of the seat of your chair. Stand up by straightening your legs. Avoid bending forward at your waist.

Driving

• Adjust the seat so that the back is vertical. Allow your back to be supported by the seat back and your head to rest against the headrest with your chin level.
   
• Knees should be bent to reach the pedals and they should be at the same height or higher than your hips.
   
• If the back hurts after driving, move the seat close to the steering wheel to support the curve of your back. The seat should be close enough to allow your knees to bend and your feet to reach the pedals.
   
• Sit on a thin cushion – as this hip lift will relax the tight muscles there and ease the pressure on the back.