YOGA ASANAS(POSES)

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Yoga Asanas or postures are body positions, typically associated with the practice of Yoga. They are intended primarily to restore and maintain a practitioner's well-being, improve the body's flexibility and vitality. 

• Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward Facing Dog Pose

In Sanskrit, "Adho" means downward, "mukh" means face and "svan" means dog. In this asana, the practitioner's face is downwards, hence the name.

• Akarshan Dhanurasana - Pulled Bow Pose

"Akarshana" means 'pulled' and "Dhanur" means 'bow' in Sanskrit. In this pose the final posture resembles an archer when taking aim before shooting an arrow.

• Anantasana- Sleeping Vishnu Pose

"Ananta" is another name for Vishnu. This pose reflects the sleeping pose of Vishnu on his serpent.

 

• Ardha Halasana - The Half-Plough Pose

"Ardha" means 'half' and "Hala" means 'plough' in Sanskrit. This pose is the first step to doing the full Halasana posture.

• Ardha Matsyendrasana - The Half-Spinal Twist Pose

"Ardha" means 'half' in Sanskrit. In this pose we perform the half spinal twist as the full twist is very difficult to achieve. The asana gets its name from Matsyendranath, one of the propounders of Hatha Yoga.

• Ardha Padmasana - The Half-Lotus Pose

"Ardha" means 'half' and "Padma" means 'lotus' in Sanskrit. Ardha Padmasana is half of the Lotus Pose. Those who cannot practice Padmasana can start with Ardha Padmasana and then move on to doing the full Lotus pose.

• Ardha Shalabhasana - The Half-Locust Pose

The word "Shalabh" means 'locust' and "Ardha" means 'half'. This pose is an easier version of Shalabasana performed with one leg at a time. The final posture resembles a feeding locust, head lowered and tail up.

• Baddha Konasana - Bound Angle Pose

The word "Baddha" means 'locked' and "Kona" means 'angle'. In this posture the body is locked in a typical angle.

• Baddha Padmasana - Locked Lotus Pose

"Baddha" means 'locked' or 'bound' and Padmasana is the Lotus Pose. In this pose the arms and legs are locked to provide steadiness.

• Balasana - Child Pose

"Bala" means 'child' in Sanskrit.

• Bhadrasana - Beneficial Pose

In Sanskrit the word "Bhadra" means 'beneficial'.

• Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose

In Sanskrit, the word "Bhujanga" means 'cobra'. In the final posture of this asana, the trunk resembles a cobra with its hood raised while the joined legs represent the tail.

• Chakrasana - Standing Wheel Pose

"Chakra" means 'wheel' in Sanskrit.

• Chakrasana - The Wheel Pose Supine

"Chakra" means 'wheel' in Sanskrit. In the final posture of this pose the arched body resembles the rim of a wheel. Hence the name Chakrasana or Wheel Pose.

• Dandasana - Staff or Stick Pose

The word "Danda" refers to 'staff' or 'stick' in Sanskrit. In this pose, the spine, arms and legs are kept straight and stiff like a stick.

• Dhanurasana - Bow Pose

In Sanskrit the word "Dhanus" means 'bow'. The final posture assumed in this pose resembles a tightly drawn bow. Your trunk and thighs represent the curve of the bow and the hands and legs the bowstring.

• Garudasana - The Eagle Pose

The word "Garuda" means 'eagle' in Sanskrit. Garuda is an emblem of the sun and the solar cycle.

• Gavasana - The Cow Pose

"Gau" means 'cow'in Sanskrit.

• Gomukhasana - Cow Face Pose

In Sanskrit, "Go" means 'cow' and "Mukh" means 'face'. The final position of the legs in Gomukhasana looks like the face of a cow.

• Halasana- Plough Pose

The word "Hala" connotes 'plough' in Sanskrit. In this posture the practitioner's body is akin to an Indian plough.

• Januhastasana - Knee-to-Hand Pose

The word "Janu" means 'knee' and "Hasta" means 'hand'. In this pose the hand is placed just beside the knee, hence the name.

• Janusirsana - Head to Knee Pose

"Janu" means 'knee' and "Sirsa" means 'head'. In this posture head and knees are brought close together.

• Kandasana - Upward Ankle Twist Pose

The word "Kanda" means 'bulbous' in Sanskrit. In this posture the feet of the practitioner resemble the bulb of an onion.

• Konasana - Angle Pose

"Kona" is the Sanskrit word for 'angle'. This pose serves as a warm up pose for more complicated angle poses like Baddha Konasana, Upavistha Konasana etc.

• Makarasana - The Crocodile Pose

"Makar" is Sanskrit for 'crocodile'.

• Mandukasana - The Frog Pose

The word "Manduk" refers to 'frog' in Sanskrit. In this pose the legs of the practitioner look like the hind legs of a frog.

• Marjari Asana - The Cat Pose

"Marjari" means 'cat' in Sanskrit.

• Matsyasana - The Fish Pose

In Sanskrit "Matsya" means 'fish'. If you attain this posture in water, you will be able to float just like a fish with out any support of your hands or legs.

• Mayurasana - Peacock Pose

The word "Mayur" means 'peacock' in Sanskrit. In this pose the body looks like a peacock, hence the name.

• Natarajasana - Lord of Dance Pose

"Nat" refers to 'dance' and "Raja" to 'king'. Lord of Dance is one of the attributes used for Shiva. The final posture is a representation of the dance of Shiva.

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• Naukasana - The Boat Pose

The word "Nauka" means 'boat' in Sanskrit. The body resembles a boat in the final posture.

• Oordhwa Padahastasana - Hand-to-Feet Pose

In Sanskrit, "Oordha" means 'lifted', "Pada" means 'feet' and "Hasta" means 'hand'. In this pose the hands touch the raised feet of the practitioner.

• Padahastasana - The Hand-to-Feet Pose

"Pada" means 'feet' and "Hasta" means 'hand'. In this pose the hands are brought to the feet to catch the toes.

• Padmasana - The Lotus Pose

"Padma" means 'lotus' in Sanskrit. In this pose the feet and hands are akin to the petals of a blooming lotus, hence the name.

• Parvatasana - The Mountain Pose

"Parvat" stands for 'mountain'. In this pose the hands are kept in a position that resembles the peak of a mountain.

• Paschimotanasana - The Posterior Stretch

"Paschim" stands for 'posterior' or 'back' and "Uttan" refers to 'stretched'. In this pose the entire back region of the body gets stretched.

• Pavanamuktasana- The Wind-Releasing Pose

"Pavan" means 'wind' and "Mukta" means 'free' or 'release'. This posture helps in removal of excess wind in the digestive system.

• Plank Pose

• Purna Titali Asana - Butterfly Pose

The word "Purna" refers to 'complete' and "Titali" means 'butterfly' in Sanskrit. In this pose the legs are spread out the way a butterfly opens its wings in flight.

• Samasana - Equilibrium Pose

"Sama" connotes 'balance' or 'equilibrium' in Sanskrit. In this posture the body is in such a position that it can be divided vertically into two identical parts.

• Sarvangasana - All-Parts Pose

"Sarva" means 'all' and "Anga" means 'part' in Sanskrit. This pose exercises the entire body, hence the name.

• Sasankasana - The Hare Pose

"Sasanka" means 'hare' in Sanskrit. The final body posture in this asana looks like a leaping hare.

• Savasana - The Corpse Pose

"Sava" means 'corpse' in Sanskrit. In this asana the whole body is relaxed by remaining motionless just like a dead body.

• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana- Bridge Pose

"Setu" means 'bridge' and "bandha" means 'locked' in Sanskrit. In this pose, the final posture of the practitioner resembles a bridge.

• Shalabhasana - The Locust Pose

In Sanskrit "Shalabha" connotes 'locust'. The final posture resembles a feeding locust, head lowered and tail up, hence the name.

• Siddhasana- Pose of an Adept

"Siddha" refers to a person who has attained spiritual enlightenment. This pose is generally performed to attain spirituality.

• Simhasana - Lion Pose

"Simha" means 'lion' in Sanskrit. In this pose you assume the posture of a seated lion.

• Sirshasana - Head Stand

"Sirsha" means 'head' in Sanskrit. In this pose the practitioner balances his body on the head.

• Sukhasna -Comfortable Pose

"Sukh" means 'pleasant' or 'comfortable' in Sanskrit. This is a cross-legged posture where you are totally at ease.

• Supta Baddha Konasana - Reclining Bound Angle Pose

In Sanskrit, "Supta" connotes to 'reclining', "Baddha" means 'locked' and "Kona" refers to 'angle'. In this posture, the practitioner leans back, hence the name.

• Supta Udkarshansana - Lying Abdominal Twist

"Supta" means 'reclining' and "Udarakarshan" means 'twisting'. In this pose the abdomen is twisted while lying down.

• Supta Vajrasana - Reclining Adamant Pose

"Supta" means 'reclining' and "Vajra" means 'adamant' in Sanskrit. In this posture the yoga practitioner will be lying down in a supine position in Vajarasana.

• Surya Namaskar -Sun Salutation

"Surya" refers to 'sun' and "namaskar" means 'salutation' in Sanskrit. Surya Namaskara involves series of 12 yoga postures which are done in one long continual process.

• Swastikasana - Auspicious Pose

"Swastika" refers to 'auspicious' in Sanskrit.

• Tadasana - Mountain Pose

"Tada" means 'mountain' in Sanskrit. The hands in this posture form a peak, hence the name.

• Talasana - Palm-Tree Pose

"Tal" refers to 'palm tree' in Sanskrit. In this pose the upper part of the body is extended straight up like a palm tree.

• Tolangulasana - Weighing Scale Pose

"Tolangul" means 'weighing balance' in Sanskrit. In this pose the body posture is balanced on your waist and resembles a weighing scale.

• Trikonasana - The Triangle Pose

In Sanskrit, "Tri" means 'three' and "Kona" means 'angle'. In 'Trikonasana' you assume a posture whereby your feet resemble the three sides of a triangle.

• Ugrasana - The Difficult Pose

The word "Ugra" refers to 'difficulty' or 'frightening'. This posture poses difficulty to the practitioner and hence the name.

• Upavistha Konasana - Wide-angled Seated Pose

"Upavishtha" means 'seated' and "Kona" means 'angle' in Sanskrit. This is a warm-up pose for most seated poses.

• Urdhva Mukha Svanasana - The Upward Facing Dog Pose

"Urdhva" means 'up', "Mukha" means 'face' and "Svana" means 'dog'. In this pose the body is stretched out with the face pointing up like a dog.

• Ushtrasana - The Camel Pose

"Ushtra" refers to 'camel' in Sanskrit. In this yoga pose the practitioner's body resembles a camel, hence the name.

• Utkatasana - The Half-Squat Pose

The Sanskrit term 'Ut' means 'raised' and "kata” refers to 'the hips'. In this pose the hips remain raised above the ground, hence the name.

• Uttanapadasana - The Raised Leg Pose

In Sanskrit, "Uttana" means 'raised' and "Pada" means 'feet'. In this yoga posture, the feet are raised up.

• Uttanasana - Intense Stretch Pose

"Ut" connotes 'intense', and "Tana" means 'stretch' in Sanskrit. In this pose the legs and spine are stretched, hence the name.

• Vajrasana - Adamant Pose

In Sanskrit, "Vajra" means 'adamant' or 'firmness'. This pose gives firmness and stability to the body

• Vakasana - Crane Pose

"Vaka" connotes 'crane' in Sanskrit. The final posture of the body resembles a crane.

• Vakrasana - Twisted Pose

"Vakra" means 'twisted' in Sanskrit. In this pose the practitioner’s trunk gets twisted to the left and right sides.

• Veerasana- Warrior Pose

"Veer" refers to 'warrior' in Sanskrit. In this posture the body assumes the position a warrior takes before attacking. Hence the name Veerasana or Warrior pose.

• Viparit Karani - Inverted Pose

"Viparit" means 'inverted' and "Karani" means 'action'. In this pose the body is kept inverted.

• Virabhadrasana - Warrior Pose

"Virabhadra" is a warrior incarnation of Shiva.

• Vrikshasana - Tree Pose

In Sanskrit the word "Vriksha" means 'tree'. In this pose the practitioner holds his body still like a tree.

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ALSO SEE : YOGA BANDHAS

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What is AYURVEDA?

Simple Definition

Ayurveda is a wholistic system of medicine from India that uses a constitutional model. Its aim is to provide guidance regarding food and lifestyle so that healthy people can stay healthy and folks with health challenges can improve their health. There are several aspects to Ayurveda that are quite unique:

1. Its recommendations will often be different for each person regarding which foods and which lifestyle they should follow in order to be completely healthy. This is due to it's use of a constitutional model.
2. Everything in Ayurveda is validated by observation, inquiry, direct examination and knowledge derived from the ancient texts.
3. It understands that there are energetic forces that influence nature and human beings. These forces are called the Tridoshas.
4. Because Ayurveda sees a strong connection between the mind and the body, a huge amount of information is available regarding this relationship.

Origin

Ayurveda is an intricate system of healing that originated in India thousands of years ago. We can find historical evidence of Ayurveda in the ancient books of wisdom known as the Vedas. In the Rig Veda, over 60 preparatison were mentioned that could be used to assist an individual in overcoming various ailments. The Rig Veda was written over 6,000 years ago, but really Ayurveda has been around even longer than that. What we see is that A yurveda is more than just a medical system. It is a Science of Life. We are all part and parcel of nature. Just as the animals and plants live in harmony with nature and utilize the Laws of Nature to create health and balance within their beings, we, too, adhere to these very same principles. Therefore, it is fair to say that Ayurveda is a system that helps maintain health in a person by using the inherent principles of nature to bring the individual back i nto equilibrium with their true self. In essence Ayurveda has been in existence since the beginning of time because we have always been governed by nature's laws.

Meaning

Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words: Ayu which means life and Veda which means the knowledge of. To know about life is Ayurveda. However, to fully comprehend the vast s cope of Ayurveda let us first define "Ayu" or life. According to the ancient Ayurvedic scholar Charaka, "ayu" is comprised of four essential parts. The combination of mind, body, senses and the soul.

Mind, Body, and Senses

We tend to identify most with our physical bodies; yet, in actuality, there is more to us then what meets the eye. We can see that underlying our physical structure is the mind, which not only controls our thought processes but helps assist us in carrying out day-to-day activities such as respiration, circulation, digestion and elimination. The mind and the body work in conjunction with one another to regulate our physiology. In order for the mind to act appropriately to assist the physical body, we must use our senses as information gatherers. We can think of the mind as a computer and the senses as the data which gets entered into the computer. Smell and taste are two important senses th at aid in the digestive process. When the mind registers that a particular food is entering the gastrointestinal tract, it directs the body to act accordingly by releasing various digestive enzymes. However, if we overindulge the taste buds with too much of a certain taste, such as sweet, we may find that the ability of the mind to perceive the sweet taste is impaired; and thereby the body becomes challenged in its ability to process sweet foods. Maintaining the clarity of our senses is an essential part in allowing the mind and body to integrate their functions and help in keeping us healthy and happy individuals.

SOUL

Ayurveda also sees that before we exist in physical form with the help of the mind and senses that we exist in a more subtle form known as the soul. The ancient seers of India believed tha t we were comprised of a certain energetic essence that precluded the inhabitance of our physical entity. In fact, they hypothesized that we may indeed occupy many physical bodies throughout the course of time but that our underlying self or soul remains unchanged. What we see to help illustrate this concept is what transpires at the time of death. When the individual nears the time to leave the physical body, many of his/her desires will cease to be present. As the soul no longer identifies with the bod y, the desire to eat food or indulge in a particular activity that used to be a great source of satisfaction for that person drops by the wayside. In fact, many individuals have been documented to experience the sensation of being "out of their bodies." These are just a few examples of how we are made up of these four components that we call life. 

Read more about :

1. Application of Ayurveda in Cooking
2. Ayurvedic Massage techniques
3. Gemstone Therapy according to the Ayurveda
4. Ayurveda Home Remedies
5. The Glory of Waking up
6. PANCHAKARMA
7. KERALA PANCHAKARMA 
8. Panchbhoutic Siddanth

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Application of Ayurveda in Cooking & Vegetarianism

The Ayurvedic cook derives his knowledge of herbs, spices, vegetables, legumes and so forth from the Ayurveda, which helps them maintain physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony.

Ayurvedic foods are appetizing, flavourful and aromatic and a way of offering love, becoming healing when served in an inspiring atmosphere. The cleansing of toxins that have entered the body and the electrochemical vitalising of the body are main objectives. Ayurvedic cooking thus is an art and a science at the same time, when cooking becomes alchemy and food becomes Tantra. 

The basic principles of Ayurvedic Cooking are : the five Elements, the three Doshas, the three Gunas, the seven Dathus and the six Tastes. It also attaches a lot of attention to the effect of the cooking method on the quality of the foods, the importance of the vibrations of the cook and of the surrounding atmosphere, the compatibility of foods, the right time for cooking and eating, the cycle of the seasons and the effects of foods on consciousness.

Also read the following :

• Why Vegetarian Diet!
• Comments on Western diet
• Cooked or raw food?
• Cooking without Tasting
• Cooking as Worship
• Food and Consciousness
• The 6 tastes in Ayurveda
• The three doshas
• The three gunas
• Digestability of foods
• Milk in a Vegetarian Diet

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Why Vegetarian Diet!

People want vegetarian recipes for many reasons. Ayurveda offers reasons that many might not have considered.

 

Vegetarian recipes have always been at the core of the Ayurveda and of the Hindu living principles. Ayurvedic wisdom provides a deeper insight into the reasons why you really should stick to vegetarian recipes, even if the meat-industry would ever get rid of mad cow disease, antibiotics and other horrifying stuff. Take mental health for example…

The nature of meat

Flesh is a dead food, often days old by the time it reaches the supermarket meat counter. Dead food from whatever source is tamasic in nature, removing vital energy from the organism. Fill two glasses with tap water and add a slice of fresh vegetable to one and a bit of steak to the other - keep at room temperature and observe at the end of the third day.

Foods and digestion

Carnivorous animals possess powerful stomachs and short simple intestines, allowing foods to be processed and expelled within a 24-hour cycle. This short digestive cycle minimizes both decay and the absorption of toxic chemicals. Even so, most carnivores sleep for 10 to 24 hours following a full meal, so that all energy may be concentrated on food processing. And most carnivores only eat freshly killed meat. Humans have a very different digestive tract than carnivores.

Anxiety and meat

Animals experience strong states of fear during the process of shipping and slaughter. Such fear will create a dramatic production of stimulating biochemicals such as adrenalin and dopamin within the animals' flesh, that produce similar reactions in human beings. The body of a meat-eating individual is continually in a state of drugged hyper-arousal, creating chronic tension, anxiety and feelings of insecurity and confusion. One simply looses touch with the true inner feelings and urges. Vegetarian recipes are a way out of such madness.

Carnivores and vegetarians

Compare the difference in breath smells of a cow and a cat. This smell is not only produced by residual particles in the mouth, but also by waste products discharged in the lungs.

Cat stool is probably the most unpleasant of its kind. Cow dung has been burned for millennia and forms the basic binding material in most of the forms of incense sold anywhere, also in the West.

The breath rate of carnivores is fast and shallow, a pattern associated in humans with anxiety, tension and pain. Herbivores breath deeply and slowly, breathing peace and relaxation.

Diet and choice

Carnivorous animals, because of their specialization that has ecological origins, have no choice. They must eat flesh or perish. Man however can very well survive without meat. The fact that millions live on vegetarian recipes alone should be ample evidence.

Plants become suitable foods for man in two basic circumstances : at the end of the reproductive cycle or at the end of the life cycle. Plants rely on the consumption of their fruits and seeds for reproduction. Most other vegetable foods are mostly eaten only when ripe, that is at the end of their life cycle.

The source of life

All vital energy on the planet ultimately comes from the sun. Vegetarian recipes provide the most efficient nutriment for the human system, because plants form the basis of the food chain, closest to the source of life itself, which is solar energy. Carnivores rely on second-hand photosynthetic energy, first converted to the flesh of the herbivorous prey. Very few people have tasted the flesh of carnivores because it is tough, stringy and difficult to digest.

What to do ? Fire and digestion

A comparison of the digestive tracts of man and carnivores reveals man to have a considerably longer intestinal system - yet shorter by an almost equal proportion than the viscera of herbivores. The human system is not geared for eating meat, but neither for eating raw fruits and vegetables. Man however has mastered the element of fire, thus reducing the expenditure of energy required by the intestines. One who is seeking to raise his energy level must inevitably conclude that digestion is one of the single greatest demands on the system. That much less energy is available for meditation, concentration and enjoyment. The obvious path of least resistance is well cooked vegetarian recipes.

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Comments on Western diet

How would you classify the typical Western diet? 

 

For those who are health conscious, I think they should avoid it. I would not say that those who are eating that fast-food diet are bad people, but I don't think they have any great understanding about food nor about life's actual purpose for that matter. They are rather unfortunate, because in a sense anyone on that diet lives only to die. The American diet is spreading around the world, but in Delhi in India, McDonald's went out of business, and Coca Cola is having great difficulty. 

In what direction do you see the Western diet moving in the future? 

Food is a necessity, not a luxury. Food should not be treated as carelessly as it is nowadays. It is common in this country to see someone walking down the street eating "fast food" on the run. Large-scale manufacturers of food do not concern themselves with the question of consciousness and vibration in regard to preparation. There are many people who have no time to think about food. They simply eat when they are hungry, and are not particularly interested in what, how, or where they eat. Others are led only by taste. Only a few realize the importance of understanding the relationship between our food and our living habits. Unfortunately, whatever is easier will become more popular, because at least in the West, man has no time.

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Cooked or raw food?

You recommend cooked foods over raw foods. Why?

Harish Johari :

Whatever you eat raw is then "cooked" within the body.

Most people do not have the necessary digestive power to eat many raw foods. Humanity has mastered the element of fire, which reduces the expenditure of energy required by the intestines. Body heat and stomach acids provide the catalysts for digestive action. The human body is not geared for eating only raw fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. Foods such as these are more difficult to digest. They require more energy to digest.

The obvious path of least resistance is cooked vegetarian food, with raw foods like fruits, salads, nuts and sprouted beans and seeds eaten within an hour and a half after preparation. 

Cooking is also necessary to kill certain bacteria. If you do eat raw foods such as salads, oil or lemon is necessary for the same purpose. Only a few things can be eaten raw; most foods must be cooked. Civilized humanity knows how to cook food and use spices.

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Cooking without Tasting

In Ayurvedic Cooking, the cook should not taste the indian food before it is served.

In the West I doubt if many people could relate to not tasting the food while it's still on the stove. Typically one might think, "How will I know if it is done or properly cooked without tasting it first?"

Once the cooking starts, one cannot taste the food, nor should one try to enjoy the food being prepared even by smelling it. If it is enjoyed first by ourselves, it is no longer fit to offer to God.

I cook every day and never taste it before it is finished and offered and everyone tells me it tastes very good. One should have confidence in what he or she is doing to begin with. 

Those who cannot see, hear better; and those who cannot hear, see better. At the loss of one faculty, nature gives more power to other faculties. If we refrain from tasting the food beforehand, then our ability to subtly experience what it will taste like will increase. One must learn to cook by feeling, not by tasting. 

Cooking improves one's sense of smell, sight and touch respectively. The sense of taste is deliberately not used. The energy that would have been centered there may then flow into other sense organs, thus making them more receptive. By willfully abstaining from tasting, a cook improves his or her other senses such that they become more sensitive and efficient. I know a blind man who used to cook bread simply by listening to the sounds it made during the process of cooking.

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Cooking as Worship

In Indian food, cooking is a form of worship just as any activity in life can be seen as worship.

You have described eating and cooking as forms of worship. Can you explain that?

Eating is always worship in the sense that the body is our instrument of work and we must take care of it in terms of diet. We should not eat simply for filling the belly. Food should have some taste and give rise to love and life, like most indian food does. 

The body is a temple: the individual consciousness that dwells within the body is part of the supreme consciousness. Every effort to make our body pure and help its proper growth and development is a form of "worship." So it is with eating as well as cooking. Food that is cooked by someone who does not want to cook, who is not in the proper consciousness, will not be healthy food despite the ingredients. You may not get sick from it, but it is not health producing. We do not eat only the food that is cooked, but the consciousness of the cook as well. 

Cooking should be done as an offering to God. Before eating one should first offer a portion on a separate plate to God in meditation. It should be done slowly and deliberately since meditation cannot be done in a hurry. In India, one who has not taken bath and put on clean cloth will not be allowed in the kitchen. One must be clean, and the kitchen also must be clean before starting. The one cooking should be in a happy mood, as should be the one who serves the indian food. Food cooked by one who really likes to cook tastes quite different from that food which is cooked merely out of obligation. 

Bathing before cooking has a twofold effect: preparing to bathe makes the cook more conscious of his or her work; in this way it prepares one's mind. It also cleans, purifies, relaxes, and removes fatigue and depression. 

The art of cooking involves an emotional relationship between the food and the cook. Cleaning, cutting, chopping food - all these activities can be performed with a sense of rhythm and in a relaxed manner. Cooking should be enjoyed as much as any other art. It becomes a creative art when the person cooking does so with complete emotional involvement. In this way, like a clairvoyant, he or she will receive messages through intuition, creating new tastes and evolving new recipes. 

Once the cooking starts, one cannot taste the food, nor should one try to enjoy the food being prepared even by smelling it. If it is enjoyed first by ourselves, it is no longer fit to offer to God.

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Food and Consciousness

How is it that food affects our consciousness? 

Harish Johari:

Food is the first essential part of our life, annamayi kosha. The first stage of realization of the nature of reality involves understanding our relationship with food.

Without food, prana (breath) will not work, nor manas (mind), nor jnana (intelligence). Psychic make-up depends upon body chemistry and body chemistry is directly influenced by food input. Food is not just fuel for our bodies - it is as much alive as we are. 

Food is also a medium through which one person's feelings can be transferred to another. In our country we say that food prepared by one's mother can satisfy the child more than the same food prepared by another. Certain foods will create a particular consciousness and another's consciousness can be transferred through prepared food. The body has both the physiological side and the emotional side and food affects both. 

If you eat saffron yoghurt for a few days you will feel happy. Whenever I have groups of 20 or 30 people in a workshop, I use fenugreek because it is a regenerator. It also gives inspiration and joy. I can prepare food of such type that upon taking it a man will run like a horse for sex. Or I can cook food such that upon eating it one will feel calm and become quiet.

This is all a question of knowing the art of spicing. Some spices are hot, while some have a cooling effect upon the body. One must know how to mix them properly to cause different effects. Spices are very important. After all, if it weren't for spices, America might never have been discovered.

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The 6 tastes in Ayurveda

Ayurveda considers taste as a way not only to stimulate tastebuds, but a higher consciousness as well. The 6 tastes are a major way for the Ayurvedic cook to alter biochemistry on the level of the effect that the food has on the system before digestion. Other classifications of foods, dishes and tastes refer to the effects during and after digestion. That is represented through effects on the doshas and the gunas.

TASTE	ELEMENTS	VATA	PITTA	KAPHA	GUNAS
Sweet	Earth & Water	Subdued	Subdued	Increased	Sattvic
Sour	Earth & Fire	Subdued	Increased	Increased	Rajasic
Salty	Water and Fire	Subdued	Increased	Increased	Rajasic
Pungent	Air and Fire	Increased	Increased	Subdued	Rajasic Tamasic
Bitter	Air and Akash	Increased	Subdued	Subdued	Rajasic
Astringent	Air and Earth	Increased	Subdued	Subdued	Rajasic

Other important factors related to the 6 tastes tastes are the attributes (Gunas), Essence (Virya) and Effect (Vipak).

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The three doshas

The three humors are responsible for the functioning of the human organism according to the Ayurveda. When the three Doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha reside undisturbed in their proper organs and tissues, the organism is supported by them and is in balance. When disturbed, they cause disease and deterioration of the body.

Of all of them, Vata (Wind) is the key. Pitta and Kapha cannot move from their centers unless the air within the body carries them.

DOSHA	ELEMENTS	SUBDOSHAS	ORIGIN
Vata (Wind)	Air and Akasha	Prana Vata	Chest region
		Udana Vata	Thoracic and throat region
		Samana Vata	Hearth and navel region
		Vyana Vata	Hearth and circulatory vessels
		Apana Vata	Pelvic region
Pitta (Bile)	Fire and Water	Pachaka Pitta	Liver and pancreas
		Ranjaka Pitta	Liver and spleen
		Sadhaka Pitta	Hearth
		Alochaka Pitta	Eyes
		Bhrajaka Pitta	Skin
Kapha (Mucus)	Water and Earth	Kledaka Kapha	Stomach
		Avalambaka Kapha	Hearth, chest and lower back regions
		Bodhaka Kapha	Mouth, Tongue and throat
		Tarpaka Kapha	Head (cerebrospinal fluid)
		Sleshaka Kapha	Joints

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The three gunas

According to the ayurveda, medicines and foods are sattvic, rajasic or tamasic or a combination of these gunas.The gunas are three fundamental attributes that represent the natural evolutionary process through which the subtle becomes gross. In turn, gross objects, by action and interaction among themselves, may again become subtle. Thus the three gunas are defined as :

Sattva : Essence (subtle)
Rajas : Activity
Tamas : Inertia (gross)

People equally can be more or less dominated by one of the three gunas and an important way to regulate these gunas in body and mind is through ayurvedic cooking :

Sattvic foods :

• Are fresh, juicy, light, unctuous, nourishing, sweet and tasty.
• Give the necessary energy to the body without taxing it.
• The foundation of higher states of consciousness.
• Examples : juicy fruits, fresh vegetables that are easily digestible, fresh milk and butter, whole soaked or also sprouted beans, grains and nuts, many herbs and spices in the right combinations with other foods,…

Rajasic foods :

• Are bitter, sour, salty, pungent, hot and dry.
• Increase the speed and excitement of the human organism.
• The foundation of motion, activity and pain.
• Examples : sattvic foods that have been fried in oil or cooked too much or eaten in excess, specific foods and spices that are strongly exciting, …

Tamasic Foods :

• Are dry, old, decaying, distasteful and/or unpalatable.
• Consume a large amount of energy while being digested.
• The foundation of ignorance, doubt, pessimism, …
• Examples : foods that have been strongly processed, canned or frozen and/or are old, stale or incompatible with each other - meat, fish, eggs and liquor are especially tamasic.

Saints and seers can survive easily on sattvic foods alone. Householders that live in the world and have to keep pace with its' changes also need rajasic energy. They ought to keep a balance between the sattvic and rajasic foods and try to avoid tamasic foods as much as possible.

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