A yogi must have purity of mind, a real thirst for experiential knowledge and perseverance. – Swami Sivananda
Beneficial Foods for the Yogi
Barley, wheat, ghee, milk, almonds promote longevity and increase power and strength. Barley is a fine article of diet for a Yogi and Sadhaka. It is cooling too.
Sri Swami Narayan, the author of ‘Ek Santka Anubhav’, who wears a Kaupin of gunny bag, lives on bread, made up of barley. He recommends barley bread to his disciples. It is said that Emperor Akbar lived upon barley.
You can take wheat, rice, barley, milk, bread, cows milk, ghee, sugar, butter, sugar-candy, honey, dried ginger, green pulse, Moongdal, Panchashaka vegetables, Peypudalai, potatoes, raisins, dates, light Khichdi of green dal. Khichdi is a light food and can be agreeably taken. You may take jackfruit, cucumber, brinjal, plantain-stem, Lauki Parval and Bhindi (lady’s finger).
Consumption of food should be reduced in proportion to the increase in Kumbhaka. Do not reduce the quantity of food too quickly in the beginning of your practice. You must use your commonsense, all throughout the Sadhana. Toor-ki-dal can be taken.
The Pancha-Shaka belongs to the species of spinach. They are excellent vegetables – the thick succulent young leaves are steamed and then seasoned or fried with ghee. They are five in number, viz., Seendil, Chakravarthi, Ponnangani, Chirukeerai and Valloicharnai keerai.
When the Pingala or Suryanadi runs in the right nostril, eat food. Suryanadi produces heat. It will digest the food well.
Non-Beneficial Foods for the Yogi
Highly seasoned dishes, hot curries, chutnies, meat, fishes, chillies, sour articles, tamarind, mustard, all kinds of oil, asafoetida, salt, garlic, onions, urad-ki-dal (black gram), all bitter things, dry foods, black sugar, vinegar, alcohol, sour curd, stale foods, acids, astringents, pungent stuff, roasted things, heavy vegetables, over-ripe or unripe fruits, pumpkins – all are foods to be avoided.
Meat can make man a scientist, but rarely a Philosopher, Yogi or a Tattva Jnani. Onions and garlic are worse than meat.
All food stuffs contain a small quantity of salt. So, even if you do not add salt separately, the system will derive the necessary quantity of salt from other food stuffs. The giving up of salt will not produce deficiency of hydrochloric acid and dyspepsia as allopathic doctors imagine. Salt excites passion. No ill-effects are produced by the giving up of salt. Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Yogananda had given up salt for over thirteen years. Giving up salt helps you in controlling the tongue and thereby the mind and in developing willpower. You will have good health.
Actions Not Recommended for the Yogi
Too much fasting or eating only once every day are not recommended for a Yogi and Pranayama practitioner.
Sitting before fire, company of women and worldly minded people, Yatra, long walks, carrying heavy burdens, cold bath in the early morning, harsh words, speaking untruths, dishonest practices, theft, killing of animals are not recommended. Himsa of any kind either in thought, word or deed; hatred and enmity towards any person, fighting, quarrelling, pride, double dealing, back biting, tale bearing, crookedness, talking of other than those of Atman and Moksha, cruelty towards animals and humans is not recommended for a Yogi and Pranayama practitioner.
From the book, The Science of Pranayama by Swami Sivananda