I understand why many yogis don't eat animal flesh, but I am not sure why they also advocate not eating onions or garlic. Can anyone explain this? This question was asked on our facebook page and received several answers - do you have any other advice? Victoria: I would like to ask also: why some yogis don´t eat animal flesh but practise over an animal skin ?? Zak: These items are regarded as Rajasic foods, hence not recommended. I personally enjoy them in moderation. Ivy: “Garlic and onions are both rajasic and tamasic, and are forbidden to yogis because they root the consciousness more firmly in the body”, says well-known authority on Ayurveda...They don’t dispute the possible physical benefits of using these vegetables as medicine on occasion; rather they base their choice on the negative mental and spiritual effects of eating them. See http://www.abhidhyan.org/texts/Tantrik_vegetarianism.htm for more interesting information. Darrell: They think it makes your sexual appetite increase. Manoj: The link which Ivy Nav has suggested is not opening. Natasha: i personally eat everything except Beef . but in moderation only . Ivy: sorry guys..i dunno what happen to that link...Try this site pls..http://antimelodifestivalen.webblogg.se/m_052007.html Raj: ..actually while taking out onions and garlics from earth many small organisms gt hurt or killed lyk earthworm,snails etc...so they consider them as unpure or very near 2 non veg stuffs.. Greig: Onions and garlic are supposed to stimulate sexual desires Guru Bala: Onions and garlics are stimulant of sexual desires, we have to be satvic in mind and in body ! Lucy: Scientifically they thin the blood which has the effects as pointed before and also inhibits mental stability on a deep subtle level because the blood flows faster leading to flickering in the mind. You are what you eat. This is why control... of eating habits not only through the mouth, but through the eyes, ears, speech and thoughts is essential for being successful on the path of yoga. om Swami Saradananda: OM - onioions and garlic are "rajasic" - which means that the make the mind jumpy, restless - and make meditation even more difficult. Sita Chaitanya: Onions and garlic are first rajasic and then tamasic. They clog the nadis and make it difficult to do a yoga practice. You can test this yourself. Don't eat any for 2 weeks, this includes in prepared foods. Then go eat a bunch of them and see how you feel the next day. James: Ah it's all in the mind...we train ourselves to disregard distraction of all sorts, if eating just sattvic foods is difficult are we not unhappy? Yoga requires discipline and balance but we will never remove all distraction, we can only w...ork to disregard it and focus on the infinite. We cannot all perform padmasana, similarly we cannot all lead a perfectly 'pure' life. If a human has only onions to eat does this make him/her spiritually deprived or philosophically un evolved? Unable to commune with the infinite? If a human is happy then they are more able to avoid distraction and if onions make you happy..... Lucy: vrittipanchtaya klishta aklishtah......the path of yoga takes you beyond the painful and the non-painful. Patanjali told that modifications of the mind are painful or non-painful.....never happy... it is a natural side-effect of successful practise to gravitate towards living a pure life. You cannot fulfill desires only you can redirect that energy towards the Supreme.... James: If not happy then content...unperterbable. Desire is as irrelevant as onions, they are there, they are not there. True purity is a state of bliss, who is not happy with bliss? Where from does the smile of Buddha come? Lucy: anand....a stage of samprajnata samadhi, satchidanand etc..om

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