Happy Diwali!
This is the day (and night) to devour sumptuous sweets followed by a long siesta!
The title is therefore very apt for the occasion! ☺
At the
outset, the title should be elucidated, as it can be easily misconstrued.
- The word “Enjoy” is used in the sense of “Enjoying Peace”, as opposed to indulging in gross pleasures!
- The qualifier “Good” for Food is to be interpreted as “Nourishing”, rather than “Tasty”.
- By “Deep Sleep” is meant the restful and refreshing nightly sleep that everybody requires to function normally the day after. (Not the kind of dull or lazy sleep that accompanies an unnaturally heavy meal.)
Now, what do
Food and Sleep have to do with being Spiritual? Everything! I will freely quote
both the Bhagavad Gita as well
as the Master Ramana Maharshi
throughout this article.
The Sixth
Chapter of the Gita has a couple of key verses on Diet and Sleep:
(6.16): Yoga is not for him who eats excessively or insufficiently, nor for him
who sleeps excessively or insufficiently, O Arjuna.
(6.17): [But] To him whose food and sleep
are moderate, whose action and recreation are regulated, Yoga exterminates
pain.
There is
obviously some weightage given to moderation in Diet and Sleep. The various
kinds of Diet are further elaborated in the Seventeenth Chapter:
(17.8): The foods that improve one’s life, vitality, health, joy, and are
wholesome and satisfying, consisting of healthy oils, are relished by the Saattvic (“Good”).
(17.9): The foods that are (severely) bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry
and burning, are relished by the Raajasic
(“Passionate”), causing discomfort and suffering.
(17.10): The foods that are rotting, insipid, decayed and waste, are relished by
the Taamasic (“Dark and Ignorant”).
The “Saattvic
Diet” touched upon in the above verses is understood to be Nutritious, Easily Digestible, Vegetarian Food, and refers to the
“Good Food” in the title [1]. An example of a Saattvic Diet is:
- Variety of Vegetables (Spinach, Green Beans, Broccoli, etc.) for Vitamins and Minerals.
- Lentils, Beans, Nuts (Walnuts, Hemp Seeds, etc.) for Protein.
- Cereals and Grains such as Rice, Wheat Bread, etc. for Carbohydrates.
- Coconut Oil, Sesame Oil, etc. for Oils and Fats.
- …
“Of
all the restrictive rules, that relating to the taking of saattvic food in
moderate quantities is the best; by observing this rule, the saattvic quality
of mind will increase, and that will be helpful to Self-enquiry.”
It is
possible that one is still unable to secure all the nutrients for individual
requirements from one’s meals alone, leaving “nutritional gaps” in the diet, which
needs to be covered by Nutritional Supplements.
According to
Ramana Maharshi, the Peace of Deep Sleep is akin to the Bliss of
Salvation (again quoting the book “Who am
I?”):
“As
all living beings desire to be happy always, without misery, as in the case of
everyone there is observed supreme love for one’s Self, and as happiness alone
is the cause for love, in order to gain that happiness which is one’s nature and which is experienced in the state
of deep sleep where there is no mind, one should know one’s Self.”
IMHO, the
most important nutritional supplements are those that aid in Deep Sleep, and
they are, in order of significance (from personal experience) [2, 3]:
Magnesium (200mg): ideally taken in the
Citrate form, 5-7 days a week.
Iron (25mg): ideally taken in the
Bisglycinate form, 2-3 times a week.
Vitamin D: can be obtained by about 15
minutes of daily activity in bright sunshine.
Vitamin B12: only sparsely available in
vegetarian diets, and hence is good to supplement.
(This one is cautiously recommended:) Calcium
(300mg): 1-2 days a week, or less. Calcium can both calm and excite the nerves
depending on the dosage, and should be used only sparingly!
These are
digestive supplements:
Probiotics
Oils (Flaxseed, Hempseed, Coconut, Algal,
etc.)
As always,
please consult with your doctor before taking the aforementioned supplements.
It should of
course be noted that the Enlightened Man remains unaffected by any kind of Diet
[4]:
D: “Are
there restrictions for the Realized Man in a similar manner?”
M: “He
is steady and not influenced by the food he takes.”
The final
goal transcends sleep as well [5]:
The
experiencers of the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep…are not the
Self. It is with the object of making this clear, namely that the Self is that
which is different from them and which is the witness of these states, that it
is called the fourth (turiya).
However,
since most of us are not yet at the final stage of Wisdom, but still under the
influence of Diet and Sleep, it is necessary for us to enjoy the bliss offered
by a Saattvic Diet and Deep Sleep, before performing our routine prayers.
Here’s wishing everyone
a Wonderful Diwali filled with (De)Lights!
References
- Vegetarian Diets have been approved by both the Canadian and American Dietetic Associations:Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, 2003 Summer;64(2):62-81.Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 103, Issue 6, June 2003, Pages 748–765.Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: vegetarian diets.“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”
-
Magnesium and Iron: The “Silver Bullet” Solutions to Better Baby Sleep?“Magnesium has been called "nature’s muscle relaxant"...For these reasons, healthy levels of magnesium have been linked to deep, undisturbed sleep...Low levels of iron have also been linked to sleep issues...All of this research suggests that having healthy levels of iron in the bloodstream contributes to deeper, more restorative sleep for both children and adults.”
-
5 Vitamins You Can’t Sleep Without: Supplements for sleep“#1 Iron, #2 Melatonin, #3 Magnesium, #4 Vitamin B12, #5 Vitamin D”
- “Talks with Ramana Maharshi”, # 22, 31st January 1935.
- “Spiritual Instruction” by Ramana Maharshi, Chapter 4, Question 8.
