Living the life of a Yogi

“Many people have the idea that a Yogi is a starved and haggard man, a skin and bone specimen.

They are mistaken. A Yogi takes great care of his body”

Devi, 1953:55

I don’t remember exactly at which point of my Yoga teacher training I become aware of Indra Devi but I have a very clear memory of the effects her books had on me. As I read through her original 1950s texts, with their yellowed pages which contained surprisingly contemporary, down-to-earth and accessible advice, I remember wondering how we could still be getting it so wrong when 60 years earlier we already knew so much about what was beneficial and detrimental to our health.

Born Eugenie Peterson in Riga, Latvia, in 1899, Indra Devi was admitted by the legendary guru and Yoga teacher Sri Krishnamacharya into his school in India in 1937. This made her not only his first woman student but also the first ever Western person to join an Indian ashram. Because of this, she became known as “The First Lady of Yoga”. She was encouraged to teach by Sri Krishnamacharya and her contribution was invaluable in the global diffusion of Yoga until her death in 2002. Indra Devi is also known for her “celebrity” students. She taught Hollywood film stars, who found Yoga beneficial to their work. Some of her pupils included Miss Swanson, Robert Ryan, Greta Garbo, Jennifer Jones and the violinist Yehudi Menuhin.

Does Yoga affect what we eat?

When Indra Devi started her training in India with Sri Krishnamacharya, her teacher imposed on her certain rules, which included changes to her eating habits. As she was already a vegetarian and teetotaller, the biggest change she had to make was to give up her much loved coffee. For most people in the western world, taking up Yoga doesn’t mean making any major lifestyle changes. In fact, Indra Devi herself reminds us in her writings that someone taking up Yoga doesn’t necessarily need to follow a special diet. Despite this, it has been noted that some people start to prefer healthier and more natural food options as they progress in their Yoga journey. If the old saying “you are what you eat” is to be believed, one’s food preferences should indeed change according to one’s level of physical and mental purity.

Some research has found evidence of this. For example, Yoga, as a meditation-based practice, has been seen to encourage more presence and awareness in everyday activities including eating and making food choices. Regular Yoga practitioners have also been found less likely to engage in disordered eating behaviour. During my Yoga teacher back in 2011, I became curious to understand the possible connection between Yoga and healthier food choices. Therefore, I decided to carry out an informal piece of research amongst my students and Yoga teacher colleagues. I devised a short questionnaire asking about eating habits in order to compare possible differences in food choices before and after the start of a regular Yoga practice. I had noticed a change in my eating habits since my Yoga practice had started taking a more stable and frequent presence in my routine and was keen to see if others had experienced a similar shift.

From the replies I received, it transpired that everyone who completed my questionnaire had a strong preference for healthy and fresh food (this didn’t always mean a vegetarian diet). Another interesting point was that all the teachers who replied showed a considerable change in eating habits (moving to an almost or a completely vegetarian diet) since their Yoga practice began. Interestingly, one of the students also commented that although they ate meat, they never fancied it after a Yoga practice. Despite not being representative of the wider Yogic population, the results of my informal research aligned with the previously mentioned studies and pointed to the fact that Yoga may indeed influence food choices.

“The foods that increase life, purity, strength, health, joy and cheerfulness,

which are savoury and smell good, substantial and agreeable,

are dear to the sattvic people”

Bhagavad Gita, chapter 17, verse 8

A Yogic diet is normally understood to be vegetarian and characterised by plenty of sattvic foods. In Ayurveda, a traditional Hindu system of medicine, sattvic foods are pure, wholesome, without preservatives and artificial flavourings. These foods sooth and nourish the body, promote physical health, calm the mind and sharpen the intellect. Examples of these foods are fresh fruit and vegetables, pure fruit juices, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fresh herbs, organic dairy products and herbal teas. A sattvic diet is understood to be easily digestible and increase one’s vitality and energy.

In addition to the choice of food, during her training in India, Indra Devi was also given other advice about how and when to take the food to maximise nutritional absorption and not to overload the body unnecessarily. These sound still very relevant and intuitive today:

• A light breakfast is preferable, as the body doesn’t need a lot of energy after the night’s rest. A heavy breakfast will draw blood from the head to the stomach and this will impair concentration.

• The last meal should be eaten before sunset, after which it is advisable to only drink water or juices.

• Each mouthful should be thoroughly chewed so that it gradually disappears rather than being swallowed. In fact, during slow chewing Prana (life energy) is believed to be absorbed by the nerves of the tongue.

• Water should be taken half-hour before or after a meal so that it doesn’t disturb the process of digestion by diluting the gastric juices. Water should never be too cold as this can prevent the flow of digestive juices to the stomach (Ayurveda believes that ice cold foods and drinks extinguish Agni, the digestive fire).

• In order to digest properly, the body also requires a sufficient amount of oxygen. A regular Pranayama (breath control) practice is recommended.

• One’s mental attitude when eating a meal is also an important point to consider. Food should be taken in good company and in pleasant surroundings and if taken in a state of anger or upset it can become toxic to the body. Mealtime should be harmonious and positive: “bless your food and enjoy it” (Devi, 1953:53-64).

 “In every situation, we should adopt a considered attitude.

That is the meaning of Ahimsa”

T.K.V.Desikachar

With the above in mind, I’m not writing this to encourage the reader to adopt a vegetarian diet or change their eating habits in any way. We always have a choice and any imposition on our will, as well meaning as it may be, would go against the Yogic ethical principle (Yamas) of Ahimsa (non-violence). In fact, Ahimsa refers to acting with thoughtful consideration and without causing harm both towards ourselves and other beings. As a Coach and Yoga teacher, my work is also influenced by the value of autonomy. I encourage my clients and students to make informed choices. This means finding out facts and evidence from reputable sources and considering those against what people feel is best for their optimal health and wellbeing.

I’m a great believer that there isn’t one size that fits all when it comes to diet, exercise and other lifestyle choices. As with everything else in life, I believe moderation and common sense are essential. Indra Devi demonstrated exactly this point when talking with a friend about her new eating habits adopted as part of her training in India: “-But if you were to suddenly crave for beefsteak, what would you do?- he insisted. -Eat one- I replied to his surprise.” (Devi, 1953:58).

Disclaimer: The author assumes no responsibility for the topicality, correctness, completeness or quality of information provided. This article is not intended as medical advice. Readers should consult their medical professional before making any changes to their lifestyle, including but not limited to diet and physical activity and exercise.

© 2022 Lucia Micheluzzi © 2022 Healing Movement - all rights reserved

References:

Desikachar, T.K.V., (1995) 'The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice, , Rochester, U.S.A., Inner Traditions International.

Devi, I. (1953) 'Forever Young, Forever Healthy', London, Morrison and Gibb Ltd.

Devi, I. (1959) 'Yoga For You', London, Thorsons Publishers Ltd.

Klein, J. and Cook-Cottone, C. (2013) ‘A systematic review of yoga for the treatment of eating disorders’, International journal of yoga therapy, 23, pp. 41–50.

McIver, S., O’Halloran, P. and McGartland, M. (2009) ‘Yoga as a treatment for binge eating disorder: A preliminary study’, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 17(4), pp. 196–202. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2009.05.002.

Martin, D (2002) ‘Indra Devi, 102, Dies; Taught Yoga to Stars and Leaders’, New York Times, 30 April, available at www.nytimes.com/2002/04/30/world/indra-devi-102-dies-taught-yoga-to-stars-and-leaders.html

Smith, H. (2007) ‘Peek Into The Life Of Indra Devi, An Inspirational Global Yogi’, Yoga Journal bog, 28 August, available at www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/philosophy/indra-devi/

Svoboda, R. (2004) ‘Ayurveda, Life, Health and Longevity’, Albuquerque, The Ayurvedic Press.

Swami Saradananda, (2007) ‘Teach Yourself Yoga’, London, Hodder Headline.