8. Yoga Meditation and Diet
While the Gita talks a great deal about the importance of knowledge, it also places a great emphasis on specific actions that one need to take on a day to day basis to reduce some of these learning into practice. Given that the physical body is granted to individual souls by the Lord to enable them to indulge in activities leading to self realization, it is but natural that the Gita should dwell on how one needs to manage the body (and the mind). Yoga and meditation techniques are part and parcel of the Vedic scriptures and their importance have been recognized by modern medicine. Gita goes a step further in its treatment of yoga and meditation to drive home the point that these should not be executed mechanically but should be performed as a part of a well thought out prayer regimen to the Lord. Gita also teaches on the importance of diet, the impact of the nature of food on human emotions/behavior, in addition to the physical health. While, modern dietary studies focus only the impact of food consumption on physical health, the Gita provides insights into the impact of food on mental health also.
8.1 Yoga
Q: What is the meaning of the term Yoga?
A: Yoga, in general means a path or way or method or procedure to attain a goal (in specific to attain God).
Q: What are the common types of Yoga taught in Gita?
A: The most common types of Yoga taught in Gita are:
Karma Yoga (Path of Action or Labour)
Jnana Yoga (Path of Knowledge)
Bhakti Yoga (Path of Devotion to Lord)
Sanyasa Yoga (Path of Renunciation)
Q: How about the Yoga as it is known in popular culture?
A: Yoga, as known in popular culture is the so called ‘Patanjali Yoga’ which is made up of three components: (a) Meditation (b) Regulated Breathing and (c) Physical exercises (Asanas). Basically, the first component helps calm the mind, the last component increases body flexibility and the middle component regulates breathing and hence blood circulation. A calm mind and a relaxed body make it easy for one to concentrate better and help in all activities.
Q: What is the purpose of yoga and how should one perform the same?
A: Yoga has three purposes, namely, physical, mental and spiritual. For maximum effect, one should pay attention to all these aspects. The physical and mental aspects and benefits from performing the three parts of yoga, namely, Asanas, breath control and meditation are well understood and advertised. The spiritual aspects of yoga are extensively addressed in Vedic scriptures and its import is best illustrated by an example. Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) is one of the most popular yoga exercises. In addition to the physical and mental aspects of this exercise which is well understood, the spiritual aspect of this exercise is actually salutation to the Sun God (as the name suggests) as an expression of our gratefulness for favours received. Of the 5 basic elements of nature (earth, water, fire, ether, wind), we owe the 2 important elements namely, fire (light/energy) and water to the Sun God. These 2 elements are essential for sustenance of life. Without sun light there will not be vegetation and hence there will not be any food. Sun also absorbs the (salty) water from the oceans and results in clouds/rain which is the sole source of clear water for the planet. It is only natural that we should express our gratitude to the Lord who powers the Sun God to help sustain life on this planet. When one performs yoga exercises with grateful salutation to the Lord, one can experience lasting benefits in all three aspects – physical, mental and spiritual.
The primary purpose of ‘Yoga’ is to stabilize and steady the mind. The first aspect towards stabilizing the mind is to make sure that the physical body is steady. This is achieved through the use of ‘asanas’ or ‘poses’. This will ensure that the mind is not distracted because of physical movement. Once the body is steady, it is important to stabilize breathing, as irregular or fast breathing can impact the mind. Once the body is steady and breathing is steady, it is easier to focus on the mind. At this stage, one needs to start meditation to focus the mind on a specific object which over time will help stabilize the mind.
8.2 Meditation
Q: What is the purpose of meditation and how does one meditate?
A: The basic purpose of meditation is to cleanse and calm the mind. By nature, the mind is always wandering and can never be idle. Meditation is the solution to focus the mind away from sundry thoughts and gradually fill it with positive thoughts. The mind can never be empty. Many meditation techniques teach ways to rid the mind of negative thoughts, but it is important to fill the mind with thoughts about the Lord which then allows positive thoughts to take over the mind.
Q: What is the proper procedure for meditation?
A: The environment, the body setup and the meditation process is explained below:
It is important to find a relatively quiet location where one’s mind is not easily distracted. A platform that is neither too low nor too high is recommended for comfortable seating.
While seated comfortably, it is important to align the head, neck and back in a straight line
With relaxed, slow breathing one should focus the eyes on the edge of the nose (preferably the top edge which is the area between the eye brows or alternatively the bottom tip) and slowly withdraw the mind away from worldly thoughts and focus on the Lord
Practicing meditation daily can lead to fairly quick results with a more relaxed mind, and body. Relaxed breathing, less stress and more energy is experienced in conducting day-to-day activities.
A more rigorous form of meditation that involve the various sheaths or layers of a human body is described below.
Human beings are comprised of five sheaths or layers. These are identified as:
The physical sheath
The sheath of energy
The sheath of mind
The sheath of intellect
The sheath of bliss
The five steps of meditation that involve these five layers are outlined below:
Step 1: The first step in any meditation is to ensure that the body is in a comfortable position to help one concentrate and implement the other steps. Hence it is recommended that one be seated comfortably and not attempt meditation while walking, running or sleeping. At this stage, it is important to take control of the external sense organs to help calm the nerves. The eyes should focus on the upper end of the nose (that is the area between the eye brows) or at the lower tip of the nose. This step this deals with the physical aspects of the body (the physical sheath).
Step 2: In this step, one should start regulating the breathing operation. After inhaling a deep breath, one should hold the breath as long as possible (internal breath control) and start the meditation during this phase. Other possibility is to take a deep breath, exhale, and then hold the breath (external breath control). Initially one may be able to hold the breath for few seconds, but over time it is possible to be in this phase for many minutes (Note: Those with heart disease etc, should perform breath control only under medical supervision. In general, they may find it easier to hold the breath externally rather than internally). Since breathing is directly related to energy, this step is associated with the sheath of energy or life force.
Step 3: Having completed steps 1 and 2, the next stage is to start bringing the mind to focus. This is the most difficult step as human mind is always wandering. It is impossible for mind to focus on ‘nothingness’, as thinking never stops while one is awake. The solution to this is to ensure that the mind starts focusing on the Lord, either through mental chanting of the Lord’s names or singing of hymns etc. This step is appropriately associated with the sheath of mind.
Step 4: This step is related to the sheath of intellect. To be able to control and focus the mind, it is important to develop the conviction in the power of meditation. This conviction is often a result of knowledge accumulated over time. Strong conviction powered by the intellect will clear any doubts in the mind and make it easier for the mind to focus on the Lord during meditation.
Step 5: Meditation performed with successful implementation of these steps, will over time allow the soul to experience unexplainable joy, which will be almost on par eternal bliss experienced after salvation. This step is rightfully associated with the sheath of bliss.
Q: How does meditation help in daily life?
A: The benefits and indeed the requirement of meditation as an integral part of the set of activities prescribed for a seeker is well known. On a more mundane level, meditation has been demonstrated to help reduce stress, induce calmness and clear the mind. In particular, meditation helps one conquer three of the major ills that attack human mind- namely, desire, fear and anger.
Q: What is the best time of the day for performing meditation?
A: While one can meditate at any time, for maximum effectiveness the best time is the period starting from 90 minutes prior to sun rise and the time of sun rise. When one has just woken up from sound sleep and the mind is still fresh and not encumbered by daily activities; it is easier to focus on meditation. It also happens that during this period, external noise is less as it is too early in the day. So, both from spiritual and practical points of view, early morning hours are the most optimum time for meditation.
Q: What is the significance of the word ‘Om’ that is used often in meditation, prayers etc
A: ‘Om’ is a very special word is Sanskrit and is one of the most common names by which the Lord is known. Grammatical analysis of the components of letters that make up ‘Om’ yields a meaning: the one that pervades the universe, in other words, the Lord Almighty. ‘Om’ is a root word from which the scriptures originated, just like a single seed gives rise to an entire tree. The transcendental sound vibration ‘Om’ is comprised of three letters ‘a’, ‘u’ and ‘m’ which when incorporated in yogic breathing exercise involves stomach, chest and clavicular breathing and has enormous health benefits. It is for such reasons that ‘Om’ is used as a prelude to meditation, prayers, rituals etc.
Q: How does one visualize the Lord while praying or meditating?
A: It is very important to visualize the Lord in some form during meditation to ensure that one’s mind is completely focused on the Lord. There are essentially three forms of visualization adopted during mediation and prayer:
Most people resort to praying to an idol of the Lord. This is the simplest and the most common method. While the idol itself is not the Lord, one can visualize the Lord as existing in the idol and use the idol as a symbol to concentrate the mind. This is the same effect when one visits temples and prays to an idol of the Lord in different forms and shapes
Some visualize the Lord in the form of fire in rituals. This is a bit more advanced than visualizing the Lord as an idol as fire does not have any specific shape or form. However, fire is a symbol of purity as it can engulf any object but continues to stay pure. It is for this reason that fire is an integral part of ancient rituals.
Even more advanced practitioners visualize the Lord as resident within their hearts and meditate with full focus. Such practitioners do not need any external objects such as idols, fire etc, but are able to meditate at any time and any place of their choosing as they are able to invoke the Lord within themselves and pray with ease.
It is important to feel the presence of the Lord always, and especially at the time of leaving this physical world as that will ensure eventual redemption for the soul.
Q: Since the Lord is omnipresent, why is it that many people resort to visiting specific places of worship such as temples? Can’t everyone just pray at home?
A: The Lord is indeed omnipresent and one can just as easily pray at home or any chosen location. The reason most people visit places of worship is that temples generally have an environment which encourages pious behavior and allow people to take their minds away from worldly things. In that sense, many people feel divine vibrations in such surroundings. Unless one is in an advanced stage of concentration and meditation, one will not be able to focus on the Lord in normal surroundings. In such cases, the order, the discipline and the structure present in temples help one to concentrate on the Lord. Additionally, the benevolent Lord indeed will bestow His blessings on those who spend the time and effort in visiting places of worship, the accent being on the ‘time and effort spent’. This is indeed the reason that many people undertake arduous journeys and visit places of worship in the remotest of corners.
Q: What is the significance of the emphasis on remembering the Lord at the time of death? Most people will be suffering from some disease and will be in pain. How then can they think of anything other than their pain at that time?
A: It is said that when a soul traverses from one physical body to the next, the thoughts that occur in the mind will determine the context of its next birth. This means that if someone is focused on the Lord at the time of death, that soul is destined to reach the Lord’s abode. While it is true that during last moments most people will be thinking of the pain they are experiencing none of this pain will be present at the time of the soul leaving the physical body. It is said that at that precise moment, the soul will feel liberated as if it has been freed from captivity. So, it is not inconceivable that noble souls who have realized the temporary nature and limitations of the physical body will be able to remember the Lord during their death.
Q: How can one ensure that one is able to remember the Lord at the time of death?
A: There is no magic formula and this can only be achieved through rigorous practice. For one who is constantly aware of the presence of the Lord with the mind unattached to worldly matters, the probability of remembering the Lord at the time of death is very high.
8.3 Diet
Q: Can one control the seemingly uncontrollable desire for eating by resorting to fasting?
A: No. Fasting only diminishes the ability of sense organs to enjoy consumables, but does not quench the in-built craving to taste food. The desire for tasting food, even though it is expressed as a requirement to appease the tongue, basically has its roots in the mind. Note that a sick person may have lost craving for food and it would appear as though that person has conquered the desire for food. But it is only temporary. The sense organs of a sick person are weakened; hence there is no desire to consume food. Even then among all sense organs that get weakened due to fasting or sickness, the tongue still retains its desire and craving to taste good food. Once that person recovers, the desire returns. It should also be noted that very aged persons who may have lost ability to digest food fully, often still crave for tasty food. This basically confirms that the desire emanates from the mind not from sense organs themselves. So fasting does not solve this issue. The only solution is to surrender to the Lord while practicing mind control. Ultimately, it is only through the grace of God that one can hope to control the sense organs.
Q: What are the guidelines on the amount of food that a person should consume?
A: One, who is focused on balanced living and meditation, should neither over eat nor under eat. Excessive eating leads to lethargy, indigestion and other ill effects. Under eating renders one weak and unable to concentrate on daily activities and hinders meditation. Similar approach applies to sleep.
Q: How does the process of food digestion work?
A: The Lord powers the digestive organs in the body to be able to successfully digest the 4 types of food consumed by a person. Food is categorized as following based on the method of consumption: food that is chewed, sucked, licked or drunk. Foods chewed includes those that are masticated before swallowing such as rice, bread etc. Honey is an example of a food that is sucked and swallowed. Mango pulp is often licked and then swallowed. Liquids such as milk and water are drunk. Given that the Lord Powers the organs of digestion, it is important that one always offer food to the Lord before consuming.
Q: Since there are a wide variety of foods available for consumption, which are the recommended categories for those focused on living an ideal life?
A: Food is basically categorized into 3 classes based on the effect they produce on the body and mind.
Foods which are tasty, moderately sweet, salty, spicy, or pungent are generally considered to promote healthy body and mind
Those foods which are excessively salty, spicy, pungent, or hot are known to promote excessive passion and do not allow for a calm mind and also cause bodily discomfort
Those foods which are stale, not tasteful, unhealthy and have negative impact on mind and body (ex: alcohol and non-vegetarian food) are known to excite negative feelings, apart from harming the body.
Q: How can one avoid consuming unhealthy (and harmfully addictive) substances such as alcohol, tobacco etc?
A: It is interesting to note that even passionate consumers of such addictive substances usually refrain from offering them to their parents, Gurus and elders out of respect. They will certainly avoid consuming them in temples and such places out of respect for others. It is however, ironic that they feel comfortable consuming them in other circumstances as perhaps they feel that they are not amongst elders, Gurus or parents. Once they realize that the Lord is everywhere, including every nook and corner of their bodies and anything one consumes is indeed consumed by the Lord within, perhaps such behavior may change.
8.4 Takeaways
Yoga is a generic term meaning way or path. The Gita introduces the concept of different types of paths which are essential for a seeker travelling on the road to self realization
Aspects of Patanjali yoga such as physical exercises, breath control and mediation have the beneficial effects of calming the mind and relaxing the body which allows one to concentrate better in daily activities
Human behavior is also impacted by the type of food that one consumes. Reduction of food consumption or dieting does not necessarily result in reduction of carving for food, which can only be achieved by mind control.