Have you ever noticed how the food you consume influences your yoga practice? Some foods obviously create more internal turmoil than others—consider bloating or indigestion. But it’s also interesting to see how some foods quietly impact your head and temperament. Ayurveda, yoga’s sister philosophy, provides us with a profound awareness of how various foods affect not only our physical well-being but also our mental acuity and even spiritual resilience.
In Ayurveda, Sattva signifies purity, equilibrium, and spiritual excellence—manifesting as wisdom, awareness, virtue, and joy. Sattvic foods nourish the body and mind, promoting tranquility, lucidity, and compassion.
These foods are soothing, nourishing, and promote a calm, steady mind while enhancing intelligence and empathy. A sattvic diet is always vegetarian, not consuming anything from animals that have been injured. The food must be naturally grown, chemical-free, with no preservatives, artificial additives, or taste enhancers.
A sattvic diet will consist of:
Fresh, organic fruits and vegetables
Whole grains and nuts
Dairy such as milk and ghee
Beans and lentils
Plant oils
Mild sweet foods (natural sugars), honey, molasses
Spices such as cinnamon, basil, coriander, ginger, and turmeric
However, it’s not just the ingredients—the energy in your kitchen is also important. A peaceful, positive energy while cooking benefits the quality of food. Cooking with mindfulness, care, and love puts good energy into the food, and you receive this when you eat it. Even small things—how you cut veggies, grind spices, or combine ingredients—count.
A sattvic diet is meant to purify the mind. If you visit an Ayurvedic practitioner, they may recommend changes based on your dosha or imbalance. Ayurveda compares sattvic food to:
Rajasic (spicy, salty, sour foods)
Tamasic (stale, oily, heavy, or processed foods)
These other diets may be recommended for individual imbalances, but Ayurveda tends to recommend a sattvic diet for those who are already healthy and in balance.
Have you ever followed a sattvic diet? Did it benefit you? What did you have to do differently from your normal eating routine?