“Food, eaten in moderation, at the right time and in the right environment,
is of prime importance to achieving and maintaining a healthy body.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“Slow and regulated breathing using special techniques
to lengthen the inhale and exhale processes
are also helpful techniques to quieten the disturbed mind
and reduce the unpleasant consequences of this state.
Along with these breathing techniques examination of food habits
and changing them to suit is also a must.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 34

“Among the disciplines to be applied are:
– Using appropriate breathing technique when moving the body in Āsana practice.
– Eliminating unnecessary travel.
– Regulating the intake of food.
Without these disciplines, the practice of Āsana, Prāṇāyāma and Vairāgya will not be effective.”
–  T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 34

“For curing an illness,
Prāṇāyāma practice of at least 24 breaths
should be done several times each day
– ideally eight times.
All other unnecessary physical activities should be curtailed.
Food should be limited to liquids – primarily milk
and hot, dry foods avoided.
Breathing practice should be done without the aid of any tools or instruments.”
–  T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 34

“The whole system functions on the strength of mind.
Mind is affected by what we eat.
‘Our mind is like our food‘.
Tapas is to discipline our eating habits.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 1

“Apart from right food, other activities like travel to holy places,
giving away gifts to the needy are also part of Tapas.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 1

“Tapas
– Good, limited food
– The ability to listen
– Sharpening the senses
– Building resistance to Dvandva”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 43

“Tapas is Proper Diet, Mantra Chanting and Self-Inquiry.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Six verse 46

“Food will either sustain the body or eat it.”
– Śrī T Krishnamacharya

“As is the food in front of you,
so is the mind behind you.”
– TKV Desikachar 1979

“He has very clear ideas on the Ṣat Kriyā and the Mudrā.
He believes that if a person does Āsana properly, with breathing,
and has certain restraints regarding food, there is no need for these Kriyā.”
– TKV Desikachar from lectures on ‘The Yoga of T Krishnamacharya’,
given at Zinal, Switzerland 1981.

“The request for learning must come from the aspirant.
Only then can be the process be step by step.
First one question which is understood, then the next.
For example Annam is Brahma,
then Prāṇa is Brahma.
This was the traditional approach by the aspirant.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“One important thing is food.
Different combinations have different effects on the body.
When we work with Āsana and Prāṇāyāma we need to consider which foods to take.
Your mind is according to your food.
The type of food you take influences your mind.
The subject is vast.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“Patañjali has proposed 3 approaches to verify the indications.
Tapas – Process of action
Food, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma.
You will be doing something that you will not be habitually doing.
For example one day no salt, cigarettes, Prāṇāyāma.
Tapas is from the root to create thirst.
It means to deprive.
It will tell us about ourselves.
It will reveal our Saṃskāra and Pariṇāma or changes in ourselves.
From this Tapas we will start to get an indication of our individual nature.
For example active or lazy.
Tapas indicates the the beginning of the Bheda, through the Bhāva.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“Svabhāva (innate disposition) – Nature of a person.
For example tendency to put on weight, liver problem,
muscular pains for no reason, changes in temperature.
This is why Āyurveda divides humans into 3 types.
Approximately Pitta–Sattva, Kapha–Tamas, Vāta–Rajas Guṇa.
We not only look at the physical structure,
but also how food affects the individual.
Heavy in the morning, etc.
For example different children in the family affected by the same food differently.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“In Āyurveda, it gives certain behaviour by which we can stay well.
If a person follows the following he will freer of sickness.
Regularly, systematically he eats, rests and exercises adequately.
Both in amount and quality.
Food or Āhāra, along with Vihāra – recreation, rest, exercise, other activities.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

Question to TKV Desikachar:
“What is the relationship between diet and health?”
TKV Desikachar Response:
“It is a big subject. Our system has to be nourished. Food or Annam is needed. There is the Annamaya, we have a body which has to be nourished. The food we need and eat is Annam.
“Annam is that which will nourish you or that which will eat you.”
This Annam is a very interesting Saṃskṛta word. Annam is that which will nourish you or that which will eat you. The Annam or food must nourish me, it should not consume me. For this reason there is given so much importance to Annam that nourishes and Annam that will consume.
– TKV Desikachar from an interview in the Journal Viniyoga Italia on Yoga and Well Being.

“Your mind is a product of your food, memory is linked to food.
My stability, my confidence is linked to food.
All these facts are mentioned in the texts.
For these reasons I said that food is very important and becomes me.
Not just the muscles, but the whole me, the whole personality.”
– TKV Desikachar from an interview in the Journal Viniyoga Italia on Yoga and Well Being.

“You should only take that food which you would offer to the person you revere most.”
– Notes from my studies of the Dhyānamālika verse 11 with TKV Desikachar in Chennai 23rd December 2000

“Question: What were his favourite foods?
Response: You might be surprised that he relished good food. He was from Andhra and so, relished food that was hot and spicy. He was very fond of sweets and would eat them in great quantities. With all this he would always have ghee. Ghee formed a very important part of his diet and whatever the food, it would be accompanied with large quantities of ghee. Of course, he was also doing Āsana for three to four hours daily in addition to his Prāṇāyāma. His practice was extremely rigorous and that may account for his being able to handle these large quantities of spicy and sweet foods.”
– TKV Desikachar answering questions on T Krishnamacharya

“Our relationship with
Food can be too much,
too little, or wrong.
The same could also be
said for Āsana Practice.”
– 108 Postural Practice Pointers

“Our relationship with Food can be too little, too much, or wrong.
According to Āyurveda, even the best food eaten in the wrong amount,
or at the wrong time, or with the wrong attitude
will fail to nourish and even disturb the system.
The same could also be said for Yoga Practice”
– 108 Study Path Pointers

Links to Related Posts:

• Āyurveda & Yoga – Dravya and Rasa, Substance and Taste within Food – Part 9 of 12
• Compendium of Quotes from TKV Desikachar on the Yoga of T Krishnamacharya……
• Pañca Maya – The five aspects of Being Human…
• Sound – A Means Beyond Āsana and Prāṇāyāma……
• TKV Desikachar talks on Śraddhā in the light of the Yoga Sūtra……