Sattvic food: Habit or Choice?

  While talking about my food a friend asked me, “Are your food restrictions a choice or habit?” To me, this is not a simple question. It helps me to understand and identify the underlying confusion about Sattvic food and diet. Sattvic food has restrictions. Unless we understand the context of these restrictions, it will look like sattvic diet is impossible for you. Sattvic diet is possible for everyone. The context and purpose of sattvic food is to support the growth of our consciousness. We are not body, we are more than that. We are not mind, we are much more than that. We, each one of us, are the reflections of cosmic consciousness. If this thought intrigues you or interests you, then, sattvic food will have some meaning for you.  

The restrictions of sattvic food is from the context of avoiding foods that disrupt our energy flow. This constant flow of energy is the foundation for our conscious growth. Knowing that our consciousness can be damaged by something we eat and knowing that by avoiding these we have a better flow of energy, we are voting to support our conscious growth. Such a priority or choice requires some prioritization in life. Supporting the growth of consciousness takes persistence and patience. We are making a measured, mature choice not only with food, but also with our recreation. We may need to declare that we are not excited about immediate gratification. We are willing to wait for the fulfillment of our goals. And our goals and pleasures lie in the arena of awareness. We want to develop a more restful energy signature as the representation of our growing consciousness. Sattvic food can be tasty. The taste of sattvic food is not meant to excite our senses alone. For example, use of pungent herbs or onion and garlic excites our tongue and makes the food flavorful. However, soon after eating it, we experience a ‘depression’ an inability to move or we can experience low energy which is symbolized by low self-worth or overwhelming self-doubts. That is why certain foods are not considered sattvic. To know the list of sattvic foods, read this blog post. When we choose sattvic food, we are over riding the concerns of ‘taste’ as our priority. So, by choosing growth of consciousness as the priority in our life, we have moved beyond the concept of restriction. You won’t feel anything is a restriction if you like or feel passionate about something. Foods that do not support our conscious growth simply becomes irrelevant to us. It does not support our priority. What do we mean by choosing growth of consciousness as priority? Ancient sages in India have figured out, thousands of years ago, that the brain and body that grows by eating sattvic vegetarian diet can sustain intense energy for long periods of time. Such energy is generated in our body through the purity or activation of the energy centers called ‘chakras.’    

Image courtesy: By Anonymous – The British Library, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4179661 Ritualistic Yogic breathing techniques can also help us reach high energy, sustain it for longer periods and increase the depth of our awareness. But, awakening is only a small part of the entire picture. We need to be able to retain it, manifest powerful cognitions out of it and be prepared to change our life for consciousness to flower. The right fuel in our body, sattvic food, not only supports us to generate high frequency energy, it helps us retain it too. By adopting Sattvic food, we do not choose ‘restriction,’ rather we chose to grow in a selective way. If that is called as choice, yes, sattvic food is a choice. Is it a habit? Habit is something that forms by repeated actions. We repeat it so many times, that a sequence of action becomes a part of us. Is Sattvic diet a habit? Not really. But, that is only partial answer. Sattvic diet is a part of a lifestyle. The purpose of sattvic diet is to support the generation and the flow of Sattvic Ananda, the non-violent bliss. People integrated to sattvic lifestyle, eat foods that support the flow of energy.

Image courtesy: By C.W.Leadbeater – The book “The Chakras”, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6380226 In short, sattvic diet is only a part of a larger sattvic lifestyle. It is more than a choice or habit. It serves a deeper purpose. This purpose is the growth of consciousness. The consciousness grows only with the fuel of on non-violent bliss. Sattvic diet is not restrictive. Sattvic diet supports the growth of consciousness. When we choose sattvic diet, we are choosing a larger purpose in life and realigning everything we do to ensure that we support the grand vision of our life.  We choose to live for the expansion of our consciousness. Other things have become secondary and even irrelevant for us. Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, please post them below.