Sattva
When all aspects of our being are balanced, we are able to express our unique talents in a way that creates happiness, harmony, and love for ourselves and all those around us. In Ayurveda, the impulse to evolve and experience greater well-being is called sattva, a Sanskrit term that means “purity” or a clear state of mind.
The concept of sattva helps explain why some people have a natural tendency to make choices that support life and healing, while others repeatedly act on unhealthy desires such as smoking, overeating, and the myriad addictions to work, alcohol, gambling, the Internet, and so on – even though they know these habits are self-destructive.
Ayurveda states that the primary cause of these negative tendencies is the depletion of sattva, a disturbance of the mind’s innate clarity. Just as incompletely digested food gets stored as toxic residue or ama in the body, so the mind can become burdened by the accumulation of emotional and mental ama – the toxic residue of all of the experiences, feelings, and emotions we’ve been unable to digest.
In this state of imbalance, we become disconnected from our natural instinct for health. Instead of choosing that which nurtures and heals, we feel drawn to behaviors and choices that actually create even more disharmony and dis-ease.
Cultivating Sattva
To increase sattva, it is essential to know your mind-body type or dosha. Each dosha expresses balance and imbalance in a unique way, and one the important goals of Ayurveda is being able to tune into your self and become aware of the signs that you are getting out of balance so that you can take action to restore equilibrium.
Keep in mind that “balancing the doshas” doesn’t mean trying to get equal amounts of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. You can’t change the ratio of the doshas you were born with; what you can do is find the balance that is right for each dosha in you. Learn more about doshas here.
Sattvic Healing Foods
Ayurveda teaches that the best diet is one that keeps our mind clear and promotes the experience of bliss and higher consciousness. An excellent, balanced diet allows our body to digest food completely and extract a subtle substance known as ojas or “the vital nectar of life.” Ojas is the essential life energy that enables our cells to “feel happy” . . . to experience the cellular equivalence of bliss.
Ojas is an ancient concept that has been verified by modern scientific study. We now know that a single meal can radically change the brain’s biochemistry. As food is digested in the intestinal tract, molecules in the brain that regulate feelings of well-being (such as serotonin), increase or decrease in response. Scientists are now investigating the exciting possibility of a “food pharmacy” that could help to heal depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders.
In Ayurveda, pure foods that the body can easily convert into ojas are referred to as Sattvic – a Sanskrit term that means “imbued with goodness.” The foods considered most Sattvic are:
• Milk
• Rice
• Ghee (clarified butter)
• Sesame, almonds
• Fruits & fruit juices
• Sweet taste in general
Some Ayurvedic texts also include wheat, mung beans, coconut, dates, and honey on this list. You do not need to eat these foods exclusively; just include them in your diet on a regular basis. On a more general level, a Sattvic diet focuses on:
• Light, soothing food that is easily digested
• Fresh produce (organic is ideal)
• Spring water
• A balance of the six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent)
• Moderate portions
Following these guidelines will help you create a diet that nurtures both your physical and emotional well-being.
If you’d like to learn more about the practical healing wisdom of Ayurveda, join us at Perfect Health. This transformational five-day program is offered almost every week at The Chopra Center for Wellbeing. You will be nurtured and pampered with daily Ayurvedic massage treatments, learn Primordial Sound Meditation and the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga, dine on delicious Ayurvedic lunches, and transform at the cellular level. To learn more, please call toll-free at 888.736.6895 or ask your question here.
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