Yoga and Umami

History of Yoga
Health benefits of Yoga
Diet is love for life – Yoga and diet.
Yoga and Umami

There are currently an estimated 300 million practitioners of yoga worldwide.

Based on breathing and meditation, it is a form of exercise that uses the whole body in postures to keep the body and mind healthy.

The word ‘yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit verb ‘Yuj’, meaning ‘to yoke a cow or horse to a wheel’, and means ‘to connect or tie’ or ‘harmony’.

History of Yoga

Yoga at that time, which is said to have originated in the Indus civilisation, was a type of static practice centred on meditation and sitting and was also incorporated into pre-Buddhist Indian Buddhism.

The yoga practised today has its roots in Hatha Yoga, which emerged in the 12th and 13th centuries and is a dynamic form of yoga based on physiological and physical cultivation. And even today, new genres of yoga are being created one after another.

Health benefits of Yoga

Although yoga was not considered as beneficial as traditional exercise, research has shown in recent years that it has a variety of benefits.

As well as improving physical health, such as strengthening muscles, improving balance, regulating blood sugar levels, improving blood circulation, and improving cognition, the ripple effects of yoga are significant, including improved breathing and relaxation through introspection. In addition, they will have a positive impact on lifestyles, such as improved sleep, restructured relationships and mindfulness.

Diet is love for life – Yoga and diet.

In yoga, which aims to control the mind and believes that the mind and body are always connected, eating is also considered a part of yoga practice.

Ayurveda, the traditional Indian biomedicine that has developed alongside yoga, also believes that food affects not only the body but also the nature of the mind and that the best doctors can cure unwellness through food. This is also common with the Chinese medicine concept of “medicine and food as the same source*”.

The diet in yoga is the same as in Zen in that it is a diet for meditation, and the Hatha Yoga scriptures also teach “moderation in eating”.

“Meals seasoned with butter and sweetness, leaving a quarter of the stomach empty, eating only from the love of life, this is called moderation. (Hatha Yoga Pradipika 1:58).”

It states that for us, who are given life, eating is an act of love for our bodies and gratitude for the life of the table.

In ashrams, which are yoga retreats, life in general and the act of eating are also practices, and the prohibition of conversation during meals is similar to Zen.

The best diet for a yoga practitioner engaged in the practice of calming the mind is a diet that keeps the mind and body clean and controllable, i.e. one that does not interfere with the practice of yoga.

The number of meals should be limited to twice a day, and food that is easily digestible and sufficient in small quantities is considered appropriate. Foods that are light in taste, low in oil, fresh and non-stimulating are preferred.

It is about savouring slowly rather than seeking stimulation and being grateful for what you have. There are similarities between yoga and umami, such as being gentle, safe and holistic.

High amounts of salt, sugar and fat can provide euphoria and accelerate anxiety.

Consuming a physically healthy diet that draws out umami and internalises it through meditation and yoga can help reduce stress, relieve fatigue, boost immunity, and satisfy you.

Instead of reaching for the chocolate when you feel anxious, yoga helps you to deal with anxiety properly.

You don’t have to do it every day, but you can work on it during a relaxing weekend, for example.