How Sattvic Food Can Help Improve Your Mood and Mental Clarity

How Sattvic Food Can Help Improve Your Mood and Mental Clarity 

by Yoga

While practicing yoga, you might have to come face-to-face with the term ‘Sattvic’ repeatedly. To a few, this is very elusive. However, this term is not just limited to the realm of yoga. Ayurveda is the sister science, which gave birth to the idea. In yoga, we all will be applying its principles. If you join the best yoga school in Rishikesh, Gurukul Yogashala, you will learn about the guna ‘Sattva’ and ahara ‘Sattvic’ as a part of the course modules. 

Pure and nourishing food is called ‘Sattvic’ and such foods are said to promote mental wellness, physical wellness, and spiritual wellness. Gurukul Yogashala takes proper care of the attendees at the school, by providing them with the best Sattvic ahara, which is important for all-around growth. 

Such foods are mainly vegetarian and vegan. Moreover, these foods do not have any artificial additives or preservatives. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and pulses are included in the Sattvic diet. 

Know About The Sattvic Diet 

The Sattvic diet is a part of an expansive and much healthier lifestyle, according to Ayurveda. This ancient lifestyle includes practices such as asana, meditation, and mindfulness. Food is also an important attribute. At Gurukul Yogashala, you will be encouraged to have only fresh and seasonal foods as a daily diet. Processed, refined, fermented, and non-vegetarian foods do not make it to the list. Stimulants are also excluded.

The Sattvic diet also stresses the way you should consume your food. Study all such nuances in more detail in the 200 hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh. For the unversed, the course also covers the other food types listed under Ayurveda, like Rajasic and Tamasic food. The former makes one restless and overactive, whereas the latter fills one with dark thoughts. Both do not align with the concept of yoga. 

According to Ayurveda, which is the science of life, one must eat according to the season and the time of the day. Take, for example, you should not eat fruits after noon. Moreover, you should always take time to taste and then chew your food. It is a part of mindfulness practices. Additionally, it is recommended not to eat your food in a hurry, as it may interfere with digestion. Certain foods should not be combined as per Ayurveda, like milk and melons. 

 When you have Sattvic food, the body can digest it fast. So, you can focus on activities of the higher order, like meditation, and connect with the universal cosmos. 

Here is a list of Sattvic foods that can enhance your yogic well-being. 

  • Fresh fruits and vegetables like apples, bananas, berries, mangoes, melons, kale, spinach, squash, and sweet potatoes. 
  • Whole grains like brown rice, wheat, bajra, oats, and quinoa. 
  • Lentils, mung dal, chickpeas, and beans are included in pulses and legumes. 
  • Almonds, cashews, walnuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds are included under nuts and seeds. These foods give a lot of energy while cutting down on the digestion time. 
  • Herbal teas and concoctions like chamomile, ginger, lemongrass, and jasmine are also therapeutic and can aid the body’s internal processes. 

Today, many of you may have turned vegan, eliminating animal produce from your diet. The same diet is also arranged for retreat participants and full-time students at Gurukul Yogashala if requested prior. It is believed to aid in your spiritual journey. You can join the yoga retreat in Rishikesh, and find a similar food culture being followed there, as well. 

Now, let us find out how Sattvic food can improve your mental well-being, apart from wellbeing on other planes. 

Advantages Of Sattvic Food For Mental Health

As a part of the best 200 hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, Gurukul Yogashala has not only curated the best Sattvic lifestyle within the campus but also made sure that each student or participant learns about its advantages to the core. 

The Sattvic diet is mainly a vegetarian diet, which stresses food that is light and digested easily. According to Ayurvedic tradition, the food is unadulterated, un-processed, and readily available in nature’s bounty. We have enlisted some of the benefits herein. 

  • The consumption of Sattvic food promotes overall health and vitality. The fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and herbal concoctions are very light on the stomach. They contain essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, which help the usual biological cycles that take place in the body to go on, uninterrupted. 

Here mental clarity also comes in. If you eat foods that are easy on the stomach, you will be spending less amount of energy on physiological processes such as digestion and excretion. They will happen more naturally. You will thus be able to develop more alertness of mind and can think better. When you concentrate less on the body processes, you can focus that energy on other higher pursuits. 

  • The consumption of Sattvic ahara helps one to meditate effortlessly and move towards a higher state of consciousness. If there are health issues, most of the inherent powers are focused on solving bodily issues. However, a light disease-free body can lead to higher thinking, through minimal effort. 
  • The link between food and your mood is a huge reality. Certain foods such as sugars and processed foods can lead to anxiety and hypertension. On the other hand, foods that are full of nutrients, reduce stress and overall tension. There is a gut-brain connection, which makes this arena all the more important. The gut is the second brain of the body, as it contains many neurons, just like the brain. The foods that you eat affect the gut bacteria. This, in turn, influences your mood and your behavior. 
  • You will be amazed to know that the food you eat directly affects the serotonin levels in the brain, too. Reduced levels of these hormones can lead to memory problems and anxiety. The food affects the dhatus, doshas, and the malas. The right balance of these elements inside the body can bring in mental clarity and tranquillity. 

You can get all the above benefits for your mind if you join a yoga teacher training in Rishikesh at a renowned school like Gurukul Yogashala. The program consists of the most comprehensive subject modules which cover all the above, and more. 

Final Words

You can experience the full benefits of the Sattvic diet at the best yoga school in Rishikesh. Gurukul Yogashala is one of the best schools that staunchly follow the Sattvic lifestyle in their ashram. Get the best guidance from the most learned teachers at the school. You will be thankful even after you graduate and leave the premises. The habit, once formed, will help you to maintain your health, no matter in which corner of the globe you stay. Reap the benefits of the Sattvic lifestyle, live healthy, and think better. 

The Life-Changing Program at the Best Yoga Retreat in Rishikesh

The Life-Changing Program at the Best Yoga Retreat in Rishikesh

by Yoga

Today most people live rather stressful lives. Some are chasing work deadlines, whereas others are running helter-skelter to complete their family duties. This takes the incumbent to a point when self-love or care takes a backseat. However, yoga has changed quite a lot. You must have seen at least one advertisement for a yoga retreat in Rishikesh in the newspapers, or online. And those who are not quite acquainted with this term can feel a bit confused. And why not? Yoga courses and such retreat programs are promoted so much today. 

Let us find out what a retreat program in yoga can do for you if you just want to take up yoga as a hobby or a relaxation activity. Gurukul Yogashala has something for each one of you. 

What Does The Yoga Retreat Course Offer You?

Yoga retreats are basically short-term yoga classes, which is more experiential in nature. In the yoga retreat course in Rishikesh, you will learn about realistic holistic practices, which you can go back and do at home. It can be a 3-day retreat to start with, which can expand to a 21-day one. And, the classes can go up till the evening. Retreat courses offer a very immersive and transformative experience. While normal courses are more in-depth, retreat classes mainly cover the topics from the point of view of self-practice and enhancement. 

The yoga retreat classes in India are often designed with a goal in mind. It can be either increasing strength, flexibility, stamina, development of a solid foundation, or something else. Yoga retreats are organized in beautiful scenic places, as the environment has to be unadulterated for internal growth and awareness. Most people, like you visit retreats, for relaxation and to declutter their minds. Moreover, in natural surroundings, consisting of hills, rivers, beaches, and waterfalls, you can connect with Mother Earth. The gurgling sounds of the streams and the thunder in the sky have a huge role to play here. 

Additionally, the few days that you spend at the yoga retreat in India, you will be living a sattvic lifestyle. It involves living with just the basic necessities and food. Most yoga schools in Rishikesh offer three sattvic meals a day that comprises fruits and vegetables in their raw form. The whole grains and pulses are lightly cooked and very few herbal condiments and spices are added. You will be required to sleep by 10 pm, as the day starts quite early the next day. 

You will be focussing more on the physical poses, meditation, Pranayama techniques, Shatkarma, Sound healing, and emotional healing, rather than the broader yogic principles, at the best school of yoga in India, Gurukul Yogashala. However, whatever you learn in a few days of the retreat, can have a life changing impact, if you follow the same schedule after you go back home. Apart from engaging in transformative activities under yoga, you will be engaging in cultural and adventure activities as well.

Rishikesh is a hot spot for many adventure sports, like bungee jumping, white water rafting, and trekking. So, you get to work out not just your body, but all your senses, through the commitment-free yoga in Rishikesh retreat. Gurukul Yogashala is among the best yoga retreats in Rishikesh today, offering a whole gamut of benefits through such nicely curated programs. Among the various retreat programs, the 7 days yoga retreat in Rishikesh is quite common, so you can give it a try on a week-long holiday. 

How Does The Retreat Program Transform An Individual?

  • If you suffer from any chronic disease, then the 21 days yoga retreat in Rishikesh may be the best one for you. You can balance yourself with yoga, pranayama, and meditation which aligns the body, mind, and spirit on one plane. There will be Shatkarma kriyas for healing like Basti, Neti, and Nasya, to name a few. The best experts will guide you through the programs. You will also be put on a wholesome and nourishing diet, which is easy on the digestive system. Many participants have reported getting relief from back pain, Arthritis, insomnia, and digestive issues after attending the retreats. So, you basically get to heal yourself naturally. 
  • There will be people among you, who are obese and want to lose weight badly. Having tried everything under the sun, yoga may be your last resort. The highly trained experts in yoga and Ayurveda can give you the best treatment for unwanted body fat. You get access to asanas, body rejuvenation massages and kriyas, that have a huge role to play in your physical transformation, depending on the retreat you choose. And, with that comes a whole lot of other benefits, like confidence and success. Some of the most popular asanas that help to reduce weight are Dhanurasana, Trikonasana, Navasana, and Veerabhadrasana, to name a few. 
  • Meditation sessions can bring about a life-transforming experience for everyone. At Gurukul Yogashala, you can experience such retreat programs, in which meditation is an important inclusion. You will be able to explore the silence within, through the meditation classes at the school. There will be guided meditation, mantra meditation, chakra meditation, and mindful meditation, to name a few. Meditation offers a whole gamut of benefits like lowering your stress, unwinding, and alleviating sleeplessness problems. Anyone suffering from mental issues like depression and PTSD can also participate and experience steady recuperation. 

There is a yoga retreat for beginners as well. So, if you have never done yoga before, do not fret. Enroll for a yoga program at Gurukul Yogashala, and see how you fall in love with this ancient healing science. No matter what your physical constitution or your background is, you can join a retreat session at any time, at different locations. 

Retreat courses are conducted for the entire year in Rishikesh, so you can go for one as per your work schedule. Plan one during the vacations, when kids are at home. Kid yoga retreats are also happening these days. 

Finally…

You can get through an affordable yoga retreat in Rishikesh, at almost a quarter of the price, offered elsewhere. Once you have learned how to go about the daily yoga sessions, you can practice at home. There are numerous benefits in the practitioner, as per research. You will learn how to be more present and can work on improving your future. This ancient science is extremely powerful and can give you a huge impetus in your life and career. Gurukul Yogashala has curated the best and varied retreat courses for all age groups and interests. So, join one today, take a step back, and propel forward with full force, thereafter.