Food, the art of nourishment

Yoga means union. So if for some reason you have to skip yoga asana practise, it doesnt mean you cannot do yoga. Food is a great way to practise.

The art of eating is given great importance & rightly so. Food is nourishing our body, sustaining our outer being. Naturally its very important. There is a "right" way to eating, so let me detail it out here.

Firstly, timing is crucial. The first meal of the day, breakfast needs to be had as early as possible. Before 8 30 am. Lunch, the heaviest meal, should be when the sun is hottest. About 12 to 1 pm.
An evening snack at 4 or 5 pm. Dinner, the lightest meal, should be around sunset & surely before 8 pm.

Next comes quantity. The ideal way is that fill half stomach with solid food, one fourth with liquid & one fourth empty meaning air space. Over eating is strongly discouraged.

Now comes quality of food. The food should be procured locally as this will in harmony to the environment of the area where you are located. The local produce will reflect the need of the environment. Thats why in hot places one can find water intense, alkaline fruits & vegetable. Likewise, in cold climates one gets a lot of earthy, root vegetables. Tea grows in moist places as it is astringent or drying in nature.
Also, quality implies the freshness of food. A meal needs to be eating soon after it is prepared as it begins to lose energy, nutrients & vitality. We all know that fruits & vegetables loose their crispness & deacy on storage. Eating such food will not be nourishing.

The next important factor is the attitude or the mental state whilst eating. One needs to eat in a clean space, thanking Providence for the food & focussing entirely on the act of eating. If you do so you will notice the variety of flavours, smell & definitely enjoy the meal much more. On the other hand if you eat while watching TV
or talking, the food will be virtually tasteless.
Its important that you eat in a happy mood en joying the meal. This will certainly translate into perfect digestion resulting in good health & well being. Also, when you eat mindfully your stomach will signal you when it is full & you can avoid overeating.

These are just a few pointers, try them in the yoga sadhana!!