Food influences every aspect of our lives and can be a powerful tool for activating or depressing our moods. But did you know that the type of food you eat can also influence your meditation practices?
What is the relationship between meditation and food?
When it comes to the relationship between the type of food we eat and meditation, the relationship is stronger than we might expect. In the case of meditation and astral projection, our body’s energy and mental clarity are of utmost importance. Therefore, the food you eat can significantly affect and impact your practices.
Remember that some foods high in saturated fats or sugars may give you quick energy at first, but after a short period of time, this energy dissipates and you can feel sluggish and tired, making it difficult to concentrate. In contrast, a balanced and nutritious diet can keep you energised for longer and increase concentration, making it easier to enter a meditative state.
You can find more details on the relationship between diet and mental health in this podcast from Oxford University.
What Foods Should You Eat To Improve Your Meditation?
All those foods we know that tend to improve brain health are ideal and especially beneficial for your meditation and astral projection sessions. Foods rich in antioxidants, such as red fruits, dried berries or those fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins provide that extra energy to your sessions.
In addition, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are the stars of the show for promoting mental health and improving concentration. Foods such as fish and nuts are our favourite foods to include in your diet to improve your meditation sessions exponentially.
Foods to Avoid
Just as some foods and foods can help you improve your meditation practices, there are also foods that can complicate or even hinder your sessions. Normally, foods rich in sugar, especially those containing refined sugar, generate a very high energy peak in our bodies, but with a rapid decline, making it difficult to concentrate and increasing fatigue.
On days when you are going to practice meditation, try to avoid caffeine-containing drinks as their stimulating effect can make it more difficult to enter a state of deep relaxation.
Creating an Eating Plan to Enhance Meditation
If you seek to improve your meditation and astral projection sessions, an excellent first step is to set up a diet or eating plan that will help you improve your sessions and practices. Start by incorporating more foods that are beneficial for concentration and mental health and stay hydrated at all times, as dehydration can negatively affect concentration.
It is essential to avoid large, heavy meals before meditation practices. Instead, opt for something light or a handful of nuts, as these provide the benefits listed earlier.
Through food and mindful eating, you will not only enhance your meditation practice, but you will enhance many aspects of your meditation practice, as what you eat fundamentally affects all areas of your life, your health and your overall well-being.
For more information on how food may affect your mental health, see this article published in The New York Times.
Being Mindful with Food to Enhance Meditation
When we are in the meditation process, we often pay attention either to our breathing or to the various physical sensations our body transmits to us. Some of these sensations are intrinsically related to the effects of food on our bodies. We can identify these sensations that food transmits to our body and recognise which foods make us feel this way. You can feel tired when you eat ultra-processed foods and full of energy when you eat healthy, balanced meals.
Being aware of these physical effects of food on our body is a form of mindful meditation with the body that will help us to be healthy and improve our meditation practices.
Food and Its Influence on Different Meditation Techniques
Just as there are many types of foods, there are also many styles of meditation that can be enhanced or affected by the foods we eat. For example, meditation styles such as transcendental meditation may benefit from a lighter diet, whereas other styles like Kundalini may require a more specific diet to maximise their effects. In conclusion, as you have seen, food has a great impact on all aspects of our lives, but especially on our meditation sessions.
Remember that fresh foods, fruits and vegetables with lots of vitamins, antioxidants or those that naturally contain omega-3 fatty acids will help you to improve your concentration and meditation practices.