THE YOGA OF FOOD

 

Eat Like a Yogi: A Yoga Diet Based in Ayurvedic Principles

Just take a quick peek inside the kitchen of Ayurvedic educator and yoga teacher Scott Blossom's Berkeley, California, home. In the pantry you'll find ghee and sunflower seed butter, plus dozens of herbs, spices, and teas. In the 'fridge, bundles of kale, carrots, and beets. On the counters, jars of homemade jams, organic raw honey, and a warm loaf of sprouted spelt bread. On the stovetop a pot of dahl (Indian lentil soup) simmers.

All of these foods reflect Blossom's quest to meet his nutritional needs while honoring his yogic values. He spent 20 years experimenting with veganism, vegetarianism, and other dietary styles, while studying Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, before figuring out the right diet for himself and his family. In 1998 he settled on an Ayurvedic diet in which his daily food choices reflect the needs of his individual constitution, what's going on in his life, and the season of the year.

"Eating is perhaps the single most important act for one's yoga practice," Blossom says, "because nourishment of the body's tissues forms a foundation for nourishment of the mind and emotions." One way to think about this is to imagine devoting your days to practice while feeding yourself nothing but sugar and caffeine. What effect would that have? It's easy to see that a balanced, calm mind is much easier to come by if you commit yourself to nourishing your body properly, just as you commit yourself to asana, Pranayama, and meditation. But what exactly does it mean to nourish yourself properly? Just how do you eat like a yogi?

This 6-week course includes:

• Strategies to help you be more mindful of your breath
• Postural sequences to prepare for pranayama 
• Tips for how to support your spine, ribs, and lungs in preparation for pranayama 
• An exploration of more than six breathing techniques to help you deepen your yoga practice and connect to the vital source of energy inside 
• Guided Savasana that restores and enlivens the subtle body 

Each week you’ll get:

• An introduction to the theme of the week and the benefits of the breathing technique
• An asana practice to help you prepare for breathwork (approximately 15 minutes)
• A mindful breathing or pranayama practice (approximately 40 minutes)
• Homework or meditation practices to help you reflect on what you’ve learned