Yama 9, Mitahara, Moderate appetite

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam all:

from http://veda.wikidot.com/yama-niyama

YAMA 9 — Mitahara, Moderate Appetite

"Be moderate in appetite, neither eating too much nor consuming meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs. Enjoy fresh, wholesome vegetarian foods that vitalize the body. Avoid junk food. Drink in moderation. Eat at regular times, only when hungry, at a moderate pace, never between meals, in a disturbed atmosphere or when upset. Follow a simple diet, avoiding rich or fancy fare."

There are two problems with this. One is money, and not being able to afford the best and healthy alternatives. Junk food is easy. Don't buy it. I confess we do eat a bit of it around here. The occasional ice cream. I am also a consumer of coffee, although it isn't mentioned here. Of courses various diets are often due to preconditioned programming and the older you are the tougher it is to change. I actually know a few Tamils now who will partake of brown rice on occasion. This is a change from just 20 years ago, and a good western influence, in direct contrast to most western influences.

I think that with all the yamas, it is how hard one tries.

Aum Namasivaya

[devotee]

Namaste EM,

Mitahara = Eating less

Actually, Most of us are victims of overeating. We must eat only what is required to keep our body fit. Eating more makes us prone to diseases and makes us unfit for yoga.

Mitahara is not only interpreted as "less eating" but also "eating right food only" as you have mentioned in your post. Among all the sense organs, two organs are very hard to conquer i.e. the tongue and the skin. However, it comes easy for some & very difficult for others. I have seen people mad after eating meat, spicy food, alcohol etc. etc. ... though they very well know that this habit is leading to a painful death ... but they have so weak will-power that they feel that they are helpless. Conquering tongue has been easy for me by God's grace.

OM

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Devotee:

So true. Obesity may already be the world's number one health problem. Take a look at the chart here: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/he...health-obesity

For most people, health takes a crisis in order for habits to change. Even then it often doesn't. I know two stroke victims that haven't altered their lifestyle one iota. I was personally worried about weight gain, but fortunatly in my retirement it was mostly due to bulking up from a lot more physical labour type work. Fat turning to muscle from moving loads of topsoil with a wheelbarrow. I gained about 30 pounds, but I've always had the will to diet if need be. Choices are the real problem. High sugar, high carbo, and no exercise. What did you expect?

I recalled how disgusting some of my former staff parties were when there was food. It seemed like a pig-out contest. I ended up sneaking off just so I didn't have to watch pigs at a trough. We'd go out for lunch at the end of the school year, and I'd order a chef's salad or something, and get stared at as if I was the one that was 'out to lunch'.

Aum Namasivaya

[Ramakrishna]

Namaste,

This is one yama that I am on top of, for the most part. My family and I have become much more conscious of what we are eating over the past several years, not that there was ever a problem or anything. My biggest weakness that remains is drinking sodas like Coke and Pepsi. I used to drink it pretty much everyday, but I've cut back to two or three times a week. I plan on cutting back even more than that and eventually eliminate it from my diet. But besides that, I eat moderately and a vegetarian diet.

It is amazing how big of a problem obesity is in my country, the United States. There have actually been a good amount of studies and literature about it, but it seems like the people just keep on eating. I read a book a couple of years ago called "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. It centers around the following piece of advice: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." If only more people would follow that advice.

Jai Sri Krishna

[atanu]

Namaste All

On several occassions, Shri Ramana on being asked as to what was most helpful for pracising yoga successfully, replied: Mitahara.

Especially, the Hindu understanding is that the essence of food becomes the mind, the medium part becomes blood and the gross becomes the body. Considering this, the importance of Mitahara cannot be over emphasized.

Om Namah Shivaya

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Does one eat to live or live to eat?

That said, yudhiṣṭhira asks a question to bhīṣma-ji - common people consider fasting as tapas. Is fasting however really so or is tapas something different?
bhīṣma-ji offers the following: people do regard fasts measured in months or fortnights (14 days) or days as tapas. Yet in the opinion of the good such is not tapas.
On the other hand fast is an impediment to the acquisition of knowledge of the Self. The renunciation of acts and humility ( as measured in the worship of all creatures and consideration for them all i.e. non-injury) constitute the highest tapas.


Note bhīṣma-ji talks in days & weeks ... Hence his information does not violate the recommendation of ekadaśa's ( 1 + 10 or the 11th tithi) vrata¹ of fasting for the day.


Yet, let me ask our HDF friends - why do you think bhīṣma-ji suggests that long fasts are an an impediment to the acquisition of knowledge of the Self?

praṇām

1. vrata - rule, will , command , law , ordinance ,