Tantrics address the issue of vitality in a very specific way. Not by following general rules or dogma, not by ignoring their bodys’ signals, but by increasing awareness and understanding the sources of vitality as well as what depletes us.
Diet and vitality are deeply connected, but it’s important to understand that each person has a unique metabolism, adapted to their particular structure. What is a source of vitality for one person, for another can be an amplifier of laziness. Therefore, the starting point for a Tantric who wants to improve vitality is to become more aware of their own body and the way it works. Since food is one of the main way we assimilate vitality, it’s especially important that our relationship to different foods and diets is brought under conscious scrutiny. How do you feel after eating certain types of food? How does your body respond to salads, to freshly cooked vegetarian or vegan dishes and on the other hand, how does your body respond to processed food or foods loaded with refined sugars?
Seek to gain as deep an awareness as possible. Feel, for example, what’s your inner state when you crave for different kind of foods. This will bring you a very valuable understanding of the deep needs hidden underneath the cravings. It will help you to move from emotional eating to conscious eating.
Tantrics are aware that certain products significantly affect our level of vitality, consciousness and capacity to progress on the spiritual path. Things such as meat, processed food, refined sugar and alcohol are consciously avoided because they mainly feed the instinctual aspects within us, since Tantrics seek to consciously use food as a support for the growth and expansion of consciousness.
Tantra sees the body is a temple, which should be worshipped and taken care of in the most delicate, conscious way.
Ayurveda, the ancient Hindu system of medicine, is often complementary to the yogic and meditation practices of the Tantrics. It prepares the body and the mind by bringing the different energetic components of the being into balance. This is done by addressing lifestyle choices such as food consumption (including the times suitable for eating), exercise, sleep hours, etc.
A good Ayurvedic practitioner will take into consideration your naturally given physical constitution and work out what foods and habits are beneficial for you. Ayurveda works with 3 body types, called “dosha”, that are based on different combinations of the 5 fundamental elements. There’s a lot of offline and online information on the doshas, and many online tests promise to help you discover your particular typology. However, these tests are not always very reliable. It’s much better to find a good Ayurvedic practitioner living in your area. They can establish your predominant dosha and offer methods that will bring harmony and vitality to your body and mind.
There are many other ways of increasing you vitality, besides diet. Think for example about your sleep hygiene. Going to bed daily at the same time, having no screen time before sleep, sleeping enough hours (meaning the particular amount that is perfect for you) are elements that Tantrics don’t ignore. Sleeping too little affects your vitality, while sleeping too much also makes you drowsy and sluggish.
We recommend the book “Balance your hormone balance your life” by Claudia Welch. Women can also read the “Woman Code” by Alisa Vitti. These books give very down to earth, straight forward guidelines for how to eat and sleep and have your lifestyle arranged in a way that gives you lot more energy. Usually energy drop-downs are very much related to your hormonal structure, therefore it’s important to know your Ayurvedic constitution and to take it into account.
Yoga and meditation are also proven methods for improving vitality, provided that they are practiced consciously and regularly. By quieting our minds we use far less energy. One of the more surprising effects that beginners on the Tantric path experience is that of becoming acutely aware of how much energy is wasted on useless thinking and uncontrolled emotions. Remember, for example, how exhausted you feel after going through a little emotional breakdown. Besides these general effects, Tantra uses specific asanas (yoga poses) that awaken vitality, and we invite you to discover these by joining our Tantra Course.