By Milda Urban, Summersalt Yoga founder

The right nutrition is one of the key elements to keep your yoga exercise and experience complete and the most fulfilling. Learn more about yoga nutrition philosophy and principles.

The first and main principle of yoga is moderation. Secondly, it’s the right choice of your produce and food products. Yogis tell us that we are what we eat and that the food is important not to our physical, but also to our mental state and health.

A light body is a key to the demanding yoga poses and the mind that has gotten positive energy allows concentration for meditation.

When you eat the food full of energy, the food that is not polluted, you are able to positively impact your physical and mental state and reach the harmony.

The food of the yogis is quite simple – it includes a lot of legumes, fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, whole grains. All of the dishes are as natural and as less processed as possible (that means not tinned, not fermented, not fried etc.).

The yogis most often practice vegetarianism basing it not only on the ethical grounds but also stating that the meat is very often toxic, inflicts poisoning, doesn’t have enough important vitamins, minerals and has too much protein. Many yogis state that meat consumption is unnatural and our body (teeth, intestines) are not suited for humans to be carnivores.

The vegetarian diet, according to yogis, if balanced right, is healthy and vegetarians are less prone to get heart, blood-vessel, and kidney diseases as well as are less likely to get overweight. For those who worry that it’s impossible to get enough protein without meat, most of the yogis will suggest getting them in other products – nuts, legumes (including soya), and dairy. Other produce that often finds a way on the yogis’ table is sour bread, rice with legumes (beans, peas, lentils) as well as various seeds, soy products (e.g. tofu) or dairy.

Philosophy of yoga nutrition

According to the yoga philosophy, the food is divided into three categories based on the energy it gives (gunas): sattva, rajas and tamas.

Sattva symbolises purity, cleanliness and clarity. The foods that belong to this category are the most suitable for those practising yoga. It is said that sattva food feeds the body, gives it energy and at the same time calms the mind and helps to reach harmony.

This food group includes grains, fresh vegetables and legumes, fruit, whole-meal baked goods, dairy, nuts, honey, herbal tea.

Rajas symbolise passion, action and anxiety. This food group is the opposite of the sattva – it brings the body and mind out of the balance, it tires the mind even if it feeds the body.

This food group includes various hot spices, coffee, tea, salt, chocolate, onions, garlic, and the food that is to hot, too spicy, too salty or too bitter.

Tamas is the energy that symbolises laziness, fear and ignorance. Foods from this group suite neither the body nor the mind, they suppress the energy, mind and the ability to think, they encourage greed, jealousy and inflict various diseases and illness.

This food group includes meat, alcohol, fermented, fried in fat, chemically affected food, over-ripened fruit.

Find more great recipes in our FREE Vegetarian Cookbook. GET YOUR COPY HERE.

If you want to learn more about Ayurveda, these books are a great way to start!

The post Yoga nutrition: natural, easy, moderate appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

180 g various seeds (you can use the seed blend from the toppings recipe, do not toast)
180 g whole wheat flour (you can also try rye!)
50 g butter (or vegan substitute)
1 tsp salt
Various seasonings (pepper, coriander, rosemary – choose your favorites)
30 ml water

Melt the butter, add the water to it, then blend in your seeds and seasonings.

Mix well and spread onto a lined baking tray. Be patient and do not rush the process as otherwise, the dough will crack!

Cut into desired shapes. Bake in a 150-degree oven for an hour.

Find more great vegetarian recipes in our FREE Vegetarian Cookbook! GET YOUR COPY HERE

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Why buy stale and overpriced bars at the store when you can make these divine flapjacks at home with minimum effort?

2 cups of muesli (use the one with nuts and dried fruit or add your own)
½ cup honey
½ cup peanut butter
Few spoons of coconut flakes (optional)

Put the honey and peanut butter into a pot, place it on a small fire and get everything well blended (keep stirring).

Pour the mixture onto the muesli. Mix very well. The mixture has to be sticky, so if you think it isn’t sticky enough melt a little bit more of honey and peanut butter.

Place the mixture onto a plastic wrap. Spread and shape a bar about 1,5 cm thick. Place a large cutting board and then some heavy items (like full jars, cans) on top. Leave for about an hour. Carefully move into the fridge and leave for a few hours or overnight. Cut into bars.

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Say bruschetta and I’m there! When I discovered the combination of butternut squash and fresh cheese I was so happy to be able to move on for the classic tomato-mozzarella combo. It is definitely an autumn-inspired dish, but who says you can’t make it all year round?

1 medium-sized butternut squash
8-10 slices of bread (I use bakery bread like ciabatta, you can use older bread)
100 g fresh cottage cheese
A handful of microgreens
Salt, pepper, sage
Olive oil

Peel and cut the squash into small cubes. Spread on a baking tray (lined out with baking paper), sprinkle with salt, pepper, sage, lightly coat with olive oil and put into a preheated 180-degree oven. Bake for about 20 minutes. Take out and cover with foil.

Toast the bread: lightly brush each slice with olive oil and toast until nicely golden and crunchy.

Spread the cottage cheese on each slice, sprinkle with salt, top with micro greens and squash cubes. Serve right away.

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Spring Ayurveda.

According to Ayurveda, spring is the season of kapha dosha as it is the time of softness, warmth and moisture – the same qualities of kapha.  (direct meaning – “that which flourishes in water”). In addition to that, we experience kapha accumulation from the winter, hence the heaviness we might feel.

The goal here is to balance out the excess of kapha energy and avoid illnesses/discomfort that excess brings. You can do it by taking certain easy steps and adjustments during this wonderful time of year.

Adjusting the diet and lifestyle to bring more dryness, lightness and heat into our lives will support our spring rebirth and revitalisation process.

Spring diet

In springtime, you should focus on fresh fruit and vegetables, which will help during the spring “cleansing” process. Most people start naturally craving this type of foods.

DO

• Eat a lot of fresh (raw, steamed, cooked) vegetables, legumes, whole grains. When you eat warm foods they should be light and easy to digest. Enjoy cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bitter greens.
• Go for bitter, pungent, astringent tastes. Recommended flavour enhancers: ginger, pepper, chilli, garlic, onion, various herbs.
• This is a good time to go on a juice fast, pomegranate and apple juice are recommended.
• In order to balance out the mucus production, you should focus on the purification process – drink a lot of liquids, warm and hot, herbal teas, warm water with honey.

DON’T

• Do not overdo watery and heavy veggies like sweet potato, various squash, avocado or cucumber.
• Avoid heavy, oily, fried foods that you were used to during the cold months. Eat less meat, bread, seafood, nuts, sweets.
• Do not overeat sour and heavy fruits like bananas, figs, dates, oranges, melons.
• Minimize your dairy intake, especially in the morning (substitute with plant milk).
• Eggs, fish, tofu should be eaten in moderation.

Spring lifestyle

It is best to establish a regular morning routine and get up at the same time (earlier, if possible before 6 AM). The routine can be simple – shower, drinking warm water or herbal tea, exercise.

If possible, try to establish a routine for the entire day – that means regular times for work, exercise, meals.

Spring is a great time to be adventurous, playful, so try something new – whether it’s a new hobby or just something fun.

Wear bright and warm colours – don’t be afraid of reds, yellows, oranges in the early spring and blues, greens, whites, purples for later.

It is also great to start incorporating more physical activity to make you feel lighter, warmer and so to balance out the kapha. Challenge yourself with longer and more intensive workouts, but only those that give you pleasure.

It is recommended to do the exercises in the morning and outside when possible, but an evening workout will also bring benefits.

To bring more air and brightness Ayurveda teachings recommend to include pranayama in your practice – it helps to cleanse the body from impurities.

Finally, according to Spring Ayurveda (and us) simply enjoy life – spring is the most beautiful time of the year and we all need it after a long winter!

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By Vanessa Fleming, Summersalt Yoga teacher

No matter where you’re from, you have a shared cultural experience and tradition with every other culture in the world. It certainly comes in different variations, styles and means, but humans globally share a love. That love comes in the form of…

Food!

As we celebrate life in all forms, from beginning to end, and everything that’s in between, the piece that brings together is the love we share for our favorite cuisines.

Unfortunately, modern day life has devalued this favorite pastime. People regularly eat on the go, in front of a computer, or without engagement. That personal touch is a bit lost.

But here’s a time when we will be connecting back to that feeling – that lost art of eating for enjoyment.

Eating for enjoyment has a very yogic quality to it. When you take a bite, and you taste the food on your tongue, you feel its texture, its flavor, and its shape, you’re embracing its nourishment, its vitality, and healing quality. Can you think of anything that is instantly calming and satisfying as delicious morsels? I can not. Not only can good food instantly change your mood, but it stimulates your taste, smell, touch, and even visual senses.

In mindfulness meditation, “tasting your food” is an actual practice. When you practice mindfulness meditation of eating, your focus is on exactly what you’re eating, right there and then. You remove yourself from distractions – no TV, no computer, no mobile devices, no reading. You sit at a table, and you take a bite. Just one bite. As that bite enters your mouth, you put the utensils down and you put your hands in your lap. You continue this pattern until you have completed your meal. It’s an opportunity to have a depth of exploration with your meal, and allow you to focus your mind only on that nourishment. You carry that same mindfulness through each step as you clear your dishes away, wash them, and clean up after.

It’s no coincidence that yoga and eating go hand in hand this way. When you’re on your mat, you are without the distractions of the outside world, and only dealing with what is happening within your body and your mind right in that moment. From the time you roll out your mat, to the end when you collect your things and walk back into the regular world, you carry that careful attention to detail throughout the practice.

What happens when you take the moment to feel every movement, every shape, every breath, every release? Can you feel an immediate satisfaction? Can you begin to see the relationship developing between yoga and food?

These connections start to integrate deeply into our emotional responses. The whole reason why food is such a big part of the culture is all boiled down to one thing – love. Love of life, of your family, your friends, your surroundings, your home…all of that can be triggered through the fragrance of food.

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By Milda Urban, Summersalt Yoga founder

Thai cooking! Do I have your attention yet? Those who follow us on social media may have noticed that our retreat team is spending some time in Southeast Asia. And we’re not just traveling or escaping winter, we’re also trying to get new ideas, inspiration and training for our own retreat and you – our lovely yogis.

Vanessa (our yoga teacher) is doing her Thai massage course in Chiang Mai and I (Milda – chef of the kitchen) took a Thai vegetarian cooking class as I’ve been dying to learn a few new tricks and add some new recipes to our retreat menu. Boy, was I right to take the class!

Even if it’s called vegetarian – all the recipes were actually vegan – which made it all even better!

Starting with a local market visit just across the street I got a chance to learn a little bit more about the Thai produce. Various herbs (local basic, kaffir, the special Thai ginger, coriander…), veggies (Thai aubergine for example looks completely different than the one in Europe), various types of tofu, delicious mangoes…

Don’t forget all the local grandmas selling all that stuff or cooking on the spot – if you’re willing you can just grab your fully cooked lunch here. It all looked and felt so alive and was just calling to be bought and eaten.

After the tour I got to the kitchen where my teacher Diana explained the most important elements of Thai cooking (you’ll have to take a class to find out what those are  ) and then… I finally got a knife and started chopping!

In a few hours I made what felt like a hundred dishes – green, red, massaman Thai curries (I personally am completely obsessed with the Thai curries…) , fresh rolls, dips, salads, sticky rice… And it all worked out perfectly! I am not bragging here – just pointing out that Thai cooking can really be so easy and quick and if you’re a fan you can very simply incorporate a few dishes in your meals.

Guys, the class has awaken my inner menu generator and I already know which of the dishes I will be offering to our guests and which ideas I can implement or adapt to our kitchen.

Bon apetit and namaste!

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By Cynthia Mitchell

Why not choose a plant-based diet? My diet for the past 13 years has been plant-based, and over the years I have been faced with many comments from friends and family such as…. “I could never do that.” “What do you eat?” “How do you get enough protein?” “So you eat chicken right?” “Are you hungry all the time?”

To answer these mysteries…. I eat food, just like you, minus the animal. Chicken is not a plant, so No, I do not eat chicken. I get all the protein necessary for human existence from plants like spinach, lentils, edamame, quinoa, nuts, beans, avocado…. the list goes on and on.

No, I am not hungry all the time, I am fully satisfied and not lethargic. And you can do it if you WANT to. That last one is the real challenge. WANTING to is the real reason why so many people do not choose a plant-based diet. We have to WANT to. We have to WANT to take care of our bodies. We have to eat like we give a damn about ourselves. Most of us live our lives as if we have another body stored away in the back of our closet that we can just jump into when this body becomes unhealthy. But in reality, we do not. We have ONE body. ONE life. ONE opportunity to feel good in the body we live in.

Let’s face it, our health industry pays no attention to the food industry and the majority of our food industry pays no attention to health. Your health is in your hands.

So let’s briefly look at some of the benefits of choosing a plant-based diet.

Less cholesterol from meat = balanced blood pressure = less pressure in the arteries in your heart = less risk of heart attack.

More fiber from plants = better digestion = happy waistline and tummy. Less saturated fats from meat = less clogged pores = better complexion.

Hormones injected in mass-produced animals = a higher risk of hormone cancers like colon and breast cancer.

And those are only a few benefits of a plant-based diet. I encourage you to do your own research on those facts in more depth.

We have all been told before, read in a magazine, or seen on a billboard why we should eat less meat and more plants. In today’s society, it is impossible to claim negligence with media and technology. There is no excuse other than not WANTING to. So why don’t we WANT to? Have you ever asked yourself? Every time you put food in your mouth you get the opportunity to nourish your body or damage your body.

When your body is hungry it wants nutrients, not calories. Nutrients that can be found in plants. Plants that are grown in nutrient-rich soil from the earth.

Eating well is a form of self-respect. Respecting your body. You know – the only one you have for the next 40-60 years? So why not choose a plant-based diet?

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