Ekadashi - Meaning, Importance & What can you eat

Yoga Netri shares about the significance of Ekadashi, and how not eating food on certain days can bring health and vibrance to the body, and create the right situation for a human being to turn inwards.

 

What is Ekadashi?

Ekadashi means the 11th day after the full moon and the 11th day after the new moon. The human physiology goes through a cycle called a mandala, approximately every 40 to 48 days. In this cycle, three specific days, which may be different from person to person and need not come with equal spacing, will arise when the body does not demand food. If you identify those days in your life and not give the body food – because it is not asking – a lot of your health issues will be handled by that simple pattern.

Importance of Ekadashi

This cycle in the system is something that most people can identify if they take away the nonsense of “so many calories, so much protein and so much mineral should be eaten.” If they listen to the body, these three days can be easily identified by most human beings. So it was told that three times in those 48 days, you should not eat. This was said because somebody observed his own system and from that, he expressed this. But then people did not have the awareness so they fixed the Ekadashi for not eating. If you look, there are three Ekadashis in 48 days. It goes well.

 

Ekadashi Fasting

The reason is that the planet itself is in a certain state on that day, so if we keep our body light and available, our awareness will turn inward. The possibility of opening the door within is more on that day. If you have a full stomach, and you are unaware and dull, you will not notice it. So to stay alert and also to purify the body, you go without food on that day – you ate dinner the previous day and the next thing you eat is dinner on Ekadashi.

 

Ekadashi Food Recipes

If you are unable to go without food – because your activity levels are such and you do not have the sadhana to support you – you can go on phalahara or fruit diet, which is light on the stomach so that your inner doors will open. Forceful denial of food is not the point. The point is to make everything into a conscious process. We do not want to compulsively eat like this, we choose.

If you’re unable to fast the entire day, here are a few recipes that can serve as a light morning meal. Also, check out the article on how amla or Indian gooseberry is helpful while fasting. Further down are a few items that can make up your post-fast dinner.

Breakfast

Ash gourd Juice

Serves 3

Ingredients:

 List

• Ash gourd, 4-5 inch sized – 1
• Lemon juice – 6 tsp
• Black pepper powder – 3 tsp
• Salt – 3 tsp

 Method:

 

 List

• Cut ash gourd, remove skin and seeds.
• Blend to a smooth puree
• Strain
• Add lemon juice, black pepper powder, and salt

 

Multi-grain Health Mix

Serves 3

Ingredients:

 List

• Multi-grain health mix – 6 tbsp
• Jaggery/Brown sugar – 6 tbsp
• Water – 3 cups + ½ cup

 Method:

 List

Brown Rice Kanji

Serves 3

Ingredients:

 List

 

• Brown rice – 1 cup
• Green gram/Moong dal (with the skin on) – 1/3 cup
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Water – 3.5 cups

Method:

 List

 

• Mix all the ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook until the brown rice is soft and turned to a porridge consistency. Add more water if you need a lighter kanji.

Black Chana Sundal

Serves 3

Ingredients:

 List

• Black chana, soaked overnight – 2 cups
• Tempering (Tadka/Thalimpu/Thalidha Ulundhu) – 4 tsp
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Water – 4 cups of water
• Grated coconut, fresh – 3 tbsp

 Method:

 List

• Pressure cook black chana, salt, and water until the chana is cooked.
• Add the tempering and freshly grated coconut to the cooked chana.

Beans-Carrot-Cabbage Poriyal

Serves 3

Ingredients:

Method:

 List

• Cook the vegetables.
• Add the tempering and fresh grated coconut to the cooked vegetables.

Fresh Papaya

3 medium-sized pieces

Toor Dal Chutney

If you’d like to add a little flavor to your meal, try this chutney recipe that serves 3.

Ingredients:

Method: