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Yoga and diet
Yoga diet is very special. I will tell you why in a moment... In principle there are no rules you must obey. With Yoga all you have - is a number of tools, recommendations, which you are welcome to use, to try. No need to blindly believe in what you read or hear from others. Diet for Yoga is special - because it is a part of your Yoga practice. It is special, because it includes mindfulness of food eating process and effect different kinds and amounts of food have on your body and mind.
Yoga vegetarian diet. Do you have to be a vegetarian to practice Yoga and meditation?
Do Yoga and vegetarianism interconnected? - The answer is - yes. It is so for many reasons. I will discuss them in an article on vegetarian diet. Does it mean you have to be vegetarian to practice Yoga? - Absolutely not! Yoga is here to help all of us. Don't worry about stop smoking or eating meat or restrict yourself in whatever else way on the same day you start Yoga practice. This will only add stress, which you may not be able to handle now. Take your time. Listen to your body and your heart. Observe effects of food and other things (smoking, drinking, etc.) in your life on yourself, on your Yoga and meditation practice. And natural changes, and a wish to change will come when you ready.
My personal recommendation (for Yoga diet and beyond)...
You will notice with time that to move forward in your life and at the same time to continue to abuse your physical and mental health - are incompatible things. You may put the following idea, an advice into your mind and it will eventually help you to get rid of things making your life more difficult sooner than later. I would propose to you to consider and eventually make true:
decrease meat eating, and educating yourself about the new diet - eventually become a vegetarian
quit smoking
decrease and eventually exclude alcohol (or other drugs - if not prescribed for you by a medical professional)
...let's start with three things above. It is already a lot!
All these changes come with great benefits I discuss in separate articles. So, by what looks like sacrificing in the beginning, you actually gain in and improve your life!
Yoga eating: eating before and after Yoga
...This is discussed in a separate article, here is the LINK. One more thing to add to that article: try not to eat before going to sleep (at least 2-3 hours) or eat lightly if you have too (fruits, juices, tea with milk, etc.). This will allow your body to rest better during the night (instead of digesting food), you will sleep (dream) better... And if you have excess of weight issues - this habit alone will improve the situation a lot.
What to eat?
Food should be nutritious enough to give you energy for your life and your practice. At the same time if it is too heavy (a lot of it, or with a lot of meat): you become dull, tired from digestion alone, and if you abuse it - you even may get all kinds of health problems (heart, digestion, over-weight, etc.). Well balanced vegetarian food is basically light and nutritious by definition for all kind of life styles and it's much healthier. It is not only written in Yoga diet scriptures :-) It is well documented by modern science. I discuss it in a separate article.
LINKS:
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