Breathing Life into Food – Yoga and Meditation
Thomas Edison once said, “The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease”. This aligns with the advice of Yoga and Meditation. Five thousand years later, modern science now agrees i.e. correct nutrition offers one of the most effective and least costly ways to fight many ailments. Proper nutrition is essential for growth and development of our mind and bodies and is also a key factor in the prevention and treatment of disease.
Prana
Prana is a term that from the Sanskrit and is referred to as the “life force” or “life energy”. The Chinese call it “chi”, the Japanese “qi,” Egyptians named it “ka”. Nadis provide a network in the body to circulate the prana. Circulation of prana is essential for optimal functioning of the chakras or energy centres of the body.
Authentic Yoga and Meditation practitioners advise eating foods that are high in prana e.g. fruit, vegetables, whole grains, coconut, spices, honey, and nuts. They further advocate eating of a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day and with every meal. These deeply coloured natural foods are higher in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are essential for good health. For example, consider:
–> Greens – kale, mustard greens, broccoli, dark green lettuce.
–> Sweet vegetables – carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, squash, beets.
–> Fruit – berries, apples, mangoes, oranges, berries.
Traditional yoga and meditation practitioners do however advocate against eating foods which can disrupt the flow of prana/energy such as garlic, onions, chillies, asofetida, coffee and tea, eggplant. These foods are said to interfere with meditation as they stimulate the thoughts and emotions.
Celebrity Chefs
Pranic food is pure and vibrant and when further prepared with love and care this increases the vibration of food. Everything in the universe has avibration. You can see that locally grown organic produce has more natural colour and aroma i.e. prana than foods that have travelled thousands of miles or foods from fast food outlets. It is not a coincidence that all celebrity chefs such as Gary Mehigan, Maggie Beer, Curtis Stone, Luke Nguyen, Peter Kurivita and others strongly advocate the use local produce. Consider Jamie Oliver’s Kitchen Garden Project which is about teaching children about food, where it comes from, how to grow fruit and vegetables, cook it and how it is healthy for our bodies.
If we want to reduce childhood obesity and chronic ailments, then at the very least following the advice of Yoga and Meditation ancients is a huge step in the right direction.