Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food – Hippocrates
I have been on the Dharma Ahimsa diet for ten days now- and I’ve never felt better.
I just got back from the first part of a 500-hour training that I’m doing with Sri Dharma Mittra; originally from Brazil, he is a NYC based yoga teacher who has been teaching since 1967. Alongside daily practices of mantra, pranayama, asana, and meditation, a very important part of the training is the food component- all the trainees are expected to be on a sattvic (whole food) diet for the two months between the two modules. A sattvic diet is of the purest- it nourishes the body and maintains it in a peaceful state; it calms and purifies the mind. Sometimes it’s simply called the “yogi diet”.
First, let’s talk about Ahimsa. Its means “non-harming” and it is the first of five yamas, the right of living or ethical rules that are the base of the yoga practice. The Yamas actually come before the asanas (physical postures) in the 8-limbed yoga path. As my teacher Sri Dharma Mittra says, “no yamas- no yoga”. Non-harming literally means not to hurt anyone else. This is the first ethical rule, the basis, of this whole yoga practice. Love. Love everyone and everything. Have compassion. Basically, don’t eat animals.
Diet is a word that is often associated with weight loss. However, the primary definition of diet is “the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eat”. Right now I am on a vegan diet. But it is even stricter than simply no animal products- all foods need to be consumed in their whole form, unaltered. That means no coffee, tea, dried herbs, or spices. Salt is not allowed, and neither is refined sugar or alcohol. No fermented foods like vinegar. Onions and garlic are also prohibited- these are foods that encourage rajastic behavior. Foods that are rajastic are very spicy, bitter, sour, salty, or dry. Rajastic foods can destroy the mind equilibrium and over-stimulate the body, making the mind restless and uncontrollable. Overeating is also considered rajastic.
“When the student is ready- the teacher will appear” – Buddha
The title of the training is “Life of a Yogi”- which really embodies the yogic lifestyle. And that’s what it should eventually become, if you are a devoted student or teacher. Not just a physical practice- But a certain way of living. I started exploring and contemplating, asking myself questions like- Why am I doing this? Is it just for relaxation? To stay fit? Peace of mind? There’s got to be more.
I was craving more than asanas and brief savasanas (the relaxation at the end of class). See, I’ve been practicing “yoga” (really just asana and a bit of meditation) for 7 years now. I was struggling to maintain a personal practice. I needed something I could do at home everyday, something that required discipline; something that would rock my world. I had no idea that it would be the diet that would really ground me. I was a little surprised at first when I saw the list of foods that were allowed (it was such a small list!). Part of me wondered if I could hack it- it all seemed so extreme.
It’s not that I didn’t care about what I ate, I love to cook and I spend lots of time in my kitchen. But I’m not always so disciplined- often when I’m lazy or tired, even if there is food in the house, I will order in. I love breads, pastas, cheeses… I would rarely eat fruit and definitely not enough vegetables. I would basically eat whatever I wanted anytime I wanted, like a little kid loose in a candy store. I had made myself aware of what is going on in the food industry with Monsanto and GMO vegetables, the meat industry with their cruelty towards animals and utter disregard for the environment. But I never really applied what I learnt from the books and documentaries. The shock factor never affected me to the point of turning me into a vegetarian or vegan. I always just told myself that if I’m buying from a local, sustainable source, it’s fine. But truthfully, I didn’t even always do that. I had the awareness, but was actively practicing ignorance.
The first three days on the yogi diet were grueling. Everything tasted so bland. I missed my coffee in the morning and my little fried egg on toast, which I’ve probably eaten every morning for the last 4 years. Aside from missing my morning java, I felt tired all the time and I also felt like I couldn’t get full. Like nothing I ate was satisfying. “Food is a very emotional experience,” Adam Frei told us at the training. You have to put all your conditions aside if you want the full experience of the training.
And then the magic started happening. Slowly I started noticing small changes here and there. Like when I wake up, I still miss coffee (I’m not here to lie to y’all)- but more for my senses, for the taste and the smell. When I rise, I feel alert. I also noticed that I never have a bad taste in my mouth- you know when you drink too much coffee or eat something really garlicky? Now my breath always feels very neutral. My sweat feels cleaner and less smelly as well. I never feel bloated after eating, and I hardly ever fart now (it was a problem… haha!). I started tasting the vegetables- like my pallet had been refined. I was masking the taste of everything with onions and garlic. I have more energy than before- and I know it’s the prana (lifeforce) that I’m getting from eating plenty of fruits and veggies. My head feels clear, it’s easier to concentrate and stay focused. Not to mention it is rocking my asana practice! I feel lighter all the time, like nothing is weighing me down. I’m becoming stronger and more flexible quick- the progress is pretty darn mind blowing.
I feel healthy. Like, really healthy! It feels like all the systems are working in harmony. I wasn’t treating my body kindly, and I needed a bit of a kick in the ass to realize I wasn’t nourishing myself properly. And it’s only been ten days. So there comes to motivation to continue- just the fact that I’m feeling so great, not only healthy but also more confident. I feel like I’m radiating these days, bursting with excitement over this new lifestyle. I am finally embodying the first yama, and I feel like a proper yogini. Not like a faker or an imposter, which I felt like at times. This has been a very empowering experience so far- I feel like I’ve taken control of my life.
I’m not saying you need to change your whole diet; it took me 7 years to get here. But keep an open mind- don’t knock it until you try it. I had convinced myself that I was open-minded, because I was informed. But actually in defending my ways without actually trying something different, I was being narrow minded. Give yourself time, be gentle, be forgiving. I encourage you to make even just a small change, for a week or two. Cut out refined sugar, or coffee, or vow to eat a salad everyday. Keep a journal. You will really surprise yourself!
http://www.dharmayogacenter.com/about/about-dharma-mittra/
