What Is the Origin and Practice of Yoga Tradition?
Yoga is the ancient practice or rather the discipline of the oriental origin, that has emerged from philosophical concepts that aim at stabilizing the natural unity between the mind and body. Today it is practiced surprisingly more in the West because of the immense health benefits and aiding in lifestyle improvement such as healthier eating habits and regular exercise regimens.
Etymologically, the word ‘yoga’ means to ‘join’, ‘unite or ‘attach’. This is the unity between the body (anga in Sanskrit), mind (chitta in Sanskrit), human emotions, and soul (atma or atman in Sanskrit ).
Yoga first originated way back dating up to 3000 years B.C. (before Christ), under the philosophical concepts propounded in the Hindu traditions. This discipline used to be limited to a few individuals before and was transmitted exclusively from teacher to student almost until the mid-19th century. Later the general population also learned the various yoga techniques owing to the systemic benefits and became popular even in Western countries. In the current global scenario, lifestyle diseases and stress-generated disorders, are further aggravated by factors such as high obesity rates in individuals, low or sedentary lifestyles with limited physical activity, poor dietary intake, or binge eating disorder, yoga would prove beneficial to counteract these factors.
A critical period for the inculcation of healthy eating habits is always young adulthood because it is the dynamic phase of life in which overweight or obesity rates impact an individual based on their lifestyle and fitness. An increase in daily physical activity, along with limited consumption of fast food or junk food consumption would be preventive of several lifestyle diseases in both men and women in the younger age groups. Yoga similarly is one of the healthier forms of physical activity that also combines breathing, meditation, and mindful awareness about the individual's body which would prove useful according to lifestyle experts and researchers in today's world.
What Are the Benefits of Yoga for Systemic Health?
Currently, almost 30 million adults in the United States regularly practice yoga techniques which have increasingly become popular in most countries around the world.
Research studies suggest that apart from an overall positive impact on health, yoga would also help in the following:
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Lifestyle positive changes.
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Prevention of disordered or binge eating.
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Increased physical fitness.
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Encouraging healthy eating habits (such as eating sattvic foods).
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Improved regular REM (rapid eye movement) or deep sleep.
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Prevention of mood disorders and stress-generated thinking patterns.
The traditional yoga methods focus upon the awareness not only of the body but also of the mind that generates in the practitioner a positive body image and mental health more holistically in comparison to other weight management interventions that focus only on losing weight for physical fitness or aesthetic body looks. Research also suggests that the frequency of yoga practice regularly is associated with lower weight gain with time especially among younger adults. Surveys around the world show that young adults who practice yoga regularly have greater systemic benefits observed in a short period compared to the same age groups who were overweight and did not practice any form of regular physical activity or exercise.
What Is the Philosophy of Yogic Classification of Foods?
Healthy eating is considered a fundamental benefit inculcated by the regular practice of yoga as per recent research that helps attain harmonic body or mind balance in the individual. The rationale behind this concept is that there are intimate or subconscious connections between the daily diet and the mind.
According to yoga philosophy, any food is classified under three categories that exert a specific influence over the body-mind complex. These include:
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Sattvic Foods: The Sattvic diet comprises pure and balancing foods that can increase bodily energy, stabilize the metabolism, and produce happiness and mental calmness. These foods would also enhance longevity and sustain health. All foods included in this diet are those obtained from nature that are fresh, juicy, and nutritious, like fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouted grains, root tubers, nuts, curd, cow milk, and honey. Sattvic foods also include common consumable functional foods like soy milk which contain essential flavonoids, tomatoes that contain lycopene, herbal teas rich in polyphenol compounds, and red amaranth which is known for its bioactive peptide activity.
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Rajasic Foods: The Rajasic diet is usually considered the over-stimulating sort that would produce feelings of jealousy, anger, and selfishness. But they may also increase one's level of excitement, and confidence and also associated with an increase in intelligence. The foods in this diet comprise those foods that taste bitter, tart, salty, spicy, hot, and dry. Fried foods, foods with added or white sugar, and radishes are all common examples of Rajasic foods.
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Tamasic Foods: The Tamasic diet is believed to weaken the immune system and make an individual dull and sleepy. Regular consumption of Tamasic foods may promote pessimistic attitudes, weakness in the body, laziness, and doubtful mindset, according to yoga philosophy. The foods in this diet category include highly sugary foods, meats, highly salty or spicy foods, stale and undercooked foods, alcohol or liquor, chilies, certain medications, and stimulants.
How Does the Nutritional Research in Yoga Help in Relieving Eating Disorders?
Nutrition research specialists agree with some of the influences exerted by the yoga philosophy of foods. However, more research is needed to explore the effects of common foods consumed.
Various evidence by clinical research also suggests that the practice of spiritual disciplines involving the mind-body, such as yoga is one of the several methods that would improve the mind-body harmony and also be beneficial to treat eating disorders in people suffering from cognitive and behavioral issues.
Yoga would be an interpersonal therapy with the motive of positive behavioral changes that would be induced post-regular practice sessions, for example in people suffering from anorexia nervosa (psychiatric disorder in which a person obsesses over weight gain and their eating habits), bulimia nervosa (eating disorder, such as binging and then finding ways to reduce weight) or unidentified eating disorders.
Individuals suffering from anxiety and depression are also common neuropsychiatric conditions that would be relieved through yoga practice according to Ayurvedic physicians and some health-care providers.
Conclusion
Yoga is thus an ancient practice of physical activity and mental calm that is known to have numerous systemic health benefits that also provide the individual with healthy dietary patterns and awareness about daily nutrition. Therefore, an individual can include yoga as an adjunct treatment strategy in their standard multidisciplinary care to prevent eating disorders, and other health and mind-related issues, and live an improved quality of life.
