Kundalini Yoga Technology

Each of us needs to find the right balance, the chemical combination of foods that best serves our metabolism and bodily needs.2

the Basics

So what is a healthy yogic diet? Well, for one thing, it’s not fanatic, or weird, or tasteless. It is a balanced combination of: 2

• fruits
• nuts
• vegetables
• grains
• legumes
• dairy products

And lots of water! Start and end your day with at least two glasses of water. Throughout the day try for sixteen – or at least twelve – total glasses. Keep in mind that drinking any liquid immediately after you take a bite of food dilutes the enzymes that are needed for proper digestion.2

Meat, fish, poultry, and eggs are not on the list. Yogis don’t eat them. You don’t need them. You can get all the proteins, vitamins, and minerals you need from other foods.2

Dairy products are on the list. When you practice Kundalini Yoga as Taught by Yogi Bhajan® with Breath of Fire, it tends to eliminate mucous. Mucous keeps the breathing passages lubricated and protects the membranes. Therefore, you want to replenish the system with a certain amount of mucous, which dairy products can stimulate. If you are allergic to cow products, then try nut, soy, or goat substitutes.2

a daily dose*

There are several foods that provide so much support to the body they should be consumed daily: turmeric, Yogi Tea, and the herb root trinity. Onions, garlic, and ginger, often called the herb root trinity, work together to cleanse the body and produce and maintain energy. The beneficial effect of each of them separately is amplified when they are cooked together.

Garlic

• Fights viruses and bacteria.
• Increases sexual energy that, with the practice of Kundalini Yoga, can be channeled upward for greater spiritual awareness.
• Eat raw, baked, steamed, or in capsule form.

Onion

• Universal healing food.
• Purifies and builds new blood.
• Recommended for colds, fever, laryngitis, and diarrhea.
• Increases mental clarity.
• Eat raw (preferred), juiced, or cooked.

Ginger Root

• Soothes and strengthens nerves by nourishing spinal fluid.
• Increases energy and vitality.
• Useful for menstruating women.
• Drink as a tea or juice or use it as a spice in main dishes.

Turmeric

• Good for the skin and mucous membranes.
• Good for female reproductive organs.
• Increases bone and joint flexibility.
• Sauté for curries, casseroles, soups, gravies, and sauces.
• Tumeric needs to be cooked before eating; you can cook it with a little water to make a paste for future recipes that stores in the fridge.
• See the Golden Milk recipe in Sacred Eats (internal link to Sacred Eats page).

Yogi Tea

• Black pepper purifies the blood.
• Cinnamon strengthens the bones.
• Cardamom supports the colon.
• Cloves build the nervous system.
• Ginger, with all its benefits, is an optional addition.
• Black tea (tiny amount) holds it all together.
• Milk protects the colon.
• You can make Yogi Tea from scratch (see the recipe in (internal link to Sacred Eats page)) or buy in bulk or commercially packaged.
  

For more delicious, yogic vegetarian recipes, explore the Sacred Eats section. Also look for inspired cookbooks in the Resources section.

what about protein?

Proteins are highly complex molecules made up of building blocks of smaller molecules called amino acids. What our body needs is the amino acids so we can build and maintain our tissues. All living things contain amino acids and thus all are potential sources for them. It’s just that different organisms contain different proteins and, therefore, a different combination of building blocks.13

We can either get a lot of the amino acids in one package (e.g., eggs or meat) or from several sources (e.g., beans and rice, nut butter and whole-grain bread). It’s the same as having a hundred dollars in your pocket: your wallet could be thick with a hundred one-dollar bills or skinny with a single hundred-dollar bill (or, of course, many other combinations). What matters is that you’ve got money to burn or, in the case of amino acids, proteins to build.13

Furthermore, the body does not require a great deal of protein. The World Health Organization has determined that the average adult requires 35 – 40 grams of protein per day. The average Western diet includes 120 grams per day! Simple dairy products and a wide variety of vegetables, especially greens, and legumes will produce ample protein. Yogic dietary theory recommends a smaller daily intake of protein, and that the protein source be more easily digested than meat.1

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* Summarized from Khalsa, Shakti Parwha Kaur. Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power. New York: Berkeley Publishing Group, 1996.