Pranic Energy And Food Are Beneficial For Meditation
The pranic energy and food are closely related. According to Sadhguru, food is not just about maintaining physical health but is also deeply interlinked with our mental and spiritual well-being. The very nature of the food we consume can significantly impact our system. For example, consuming fresh and vibrant food can make us feel energized and alive, while consuming old and stale food can make us feel sluggish and dull.
He classifies food into three categories, namely Tamasic (stale/dead food), Rajasic (stimulating food), and Sattvic (pure and natural food), similar to the classification in the yogic tradition. He recommends a Sattvic diet for those seeking to raise their spiritual consciousness, as these foods are believed to facilitate mental clarity and well-being. Sadhguru emphasizes the importance of eating with a sense of gratitude and awareness. He suggests that by eating attentively, we can listen to our body’s needs more accurately and avoid overeating.
Pranic Energy And Food
According to Sadhguru, consuming food with high prana or life energy is beneficial. These foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and seeds, as they are full of vitality and can influence our energy positively. He often advocates for a vegetarian diet. He says consuming meat involves a certain level of violence and cruelty, which can create negative energy within an individual. In addition, he also points out the environmental benefits of a vegetarian diet.
Sadhguru often discusses the importance of consuming “living foods” — raw or minimally cooked. These include fruits, nuts, vegetables, sprouts, and fresh dairy products. Since these foods have not been overly cooked or processed, they retain a high level of prana. Eating such foods can vitalize the body and mind. He advocates for a largely vegetarian diet because plants are considered high-pranic foods. He explains that the prana in fruit, for instance, can be more readily assimilated by the human body than that found in non-vegetarian foods.
The act of cooking food affects its pranic levels. While certain cooking processes, such as making sprouts or certain types of fermentation, can increase the prana in food, overcooking or reheating can deplete it.
Sadhguru also emphasizes the importance of one’s attitude while eating. He suggests that eating with mindfulness and gratitude can enhance the assimilation of prana from food.
Negative Pranic Foods
According to Sadhguru, “negative pranic” foods can remove vitality from the body. While they might have certain health benefits, they are believed to affect the human system in other ways, interfering with one’s energy or mood.
Despite being recognized for their health benefits in various medical traditions, onions, and garlic are considered negative pranic foods in the yogic tradition. They are said to increase agitation, anxiety, and restlessness, hence are usually avoided, especially by those who practice meditation regularly.
Stimulants like coffee and tea are also considered negative pranic foods. While they can provide short-term alertness, their long-term use can disrupt the body’s natural energy rhythms. Similarly, chili peppers are also categorized as negative pranic food. They can over-stimulate the system, causing imbalance.
Heavily processed foods, fast foods, and foods with artificial additives are considered to have low or negative pranic energy. Substances that can alter consciousness, like alcohol and drugs, also have negative pranic energy and should be avoided by meditators.
This knowledge stems from the yoga and Ayurveda traditions, which hold that diet affects physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual development.
Fasting
According to Sadhguru, fasting is a beneficial practice that can help balance the body’s energies and promote overall health and well-being.
The process of digestion uses a significant amount of energy. By fasting, you give your digestive system a break, allowing that energy to be utilized elsewhere in the body. Fasting is also seen as a way to cleanse the body, helping to remove toxins and accumulated waste. This cleansing process can help increase the overall pranic energy in the body.
Fasting can also balance the body’s energies. The body can regulate itself and reset any imbalances by abstaining from food. This equilibrium allows for a better flow of pranic energy. On a spiritual level, fasting is believed to increase one’s level of awareness. With increased awareness, Sadhguru suggests that individuals can better perceive and manage their pranic energy.
By conserving energy usually used in digestion, fasting can increase vitality and life energy, or prana. Sadhguru suggests this can improve physical health, mental clarity, and emotional balance.
