If you’re a practicing yogi, or even if you just like to do a few asanas in the morning, there’s no doubt that breakfast is hugely important. Breakfast is the first meal of the day, during which we prime our metabolism and introduce healthy foods (hopefully!) into our body after an extended period of eating nothing.
This article will describe some of the best ideas for developing a healthy yoga breakfast.
Yoga Breakfast Tips
Ayurveda means “the knowledge of life,” and is a holistic science of nutrition and lifestyle that originated in India. A wise practitioner of yoga would do well to take a few tips from Ayurveda before crafting their ideal yoga breakfast.
The most basic tip from Ayurveda would be to eat for your dosha, or your particular body type. Here are a few basic tips that you could integrate into your breakfast plan.
- Vata. The vata dosha is light and airy, and finds balance by eating warming, heavy foods such as ghee, cinnamon, and hot cereal.
- Kapha. The kapha dosha is heavy and slow, and generally benefits from foods that are light and fiery. This could include chili peppers, fresh fruits, and lightly cooked vegetables.
- Pitta. The pitta dosha is hot and fiery, and does best with cooling foods and spices such as cardamom, bitter foods, and fresh vegetables.
Now that you know a bit more about your dosha, you could use this knowledge to add spices or foods to the following to enhance the benefits of your breakfast.
Yoga Breakfast Ideas
These are some of the most popular foods that yogis like to eat in the morning.
An Agni-Stimulating Glass of Water
One of the best ways to boost your agni, or your digestive fire, is to drink a warm glass of water with lemon or warming spices in it. Ginger works well, as does chili or cinnamon.
Chyawanprash
An easy way to incorporate supportive herbs and nutrition into your ayurvedic breakfast is by taking Chyawanprash, an Ayurvedic jam, in milk, warm water, or spread on toast. This herbal blend was created nearly 5,000 years ago by the respected sage, Chywan, to improve the quality of life and increase longevity. The Sanskrit root word “prash” means to consume intentionally. Adding this jam to your morning ritual can help focus your mind and calm your nervous system, making it perfect to use before or after meditation. The act of drinking it can be a meditation in itself.
A Green Smoothie
Making a smoothie with vegetables and spices that pacify your dosha is a great way to pack a lot of nutrients into your morning routine.
Grilled Vegetables
Traditionally, yogis are vegetarian. Aim for light vegetables; heavy, starchy vegetables are harder to digest in the morning and could dampen your agni.
Hot Cereal
Oatmeal and other hot cereals are one of the best ways to provide sustenance in the morning without dampening your agni. Consider making oatmeal with lightly cooked fruit and spices that suit your dosha.
Toast
Toast with ghee or avocado can be a good way to start your day. Search for bread that’s made with sprouted grains. Avoid, at all costs, highly refined white bread or bread made from wheat rich in glyphosates (which includes most wheat-based bread sold in the US).
Keep in mind that a yoga breakfast should be healthy, but it should also be made in a way that promotes agni as opposed to dampening it. Drinking a warm beverage with chyawanprash and eating foods that support your dosha will help give you the best possible start to your day.
Reviewed by Dr. Jayant Lokhande, MD (Botanical Drugs), MBA (Biotechnology)
