How regenerative eating nourishes prana, people and planet
How we nourish ourselves affects our capacity to show up for life.
You may have heard of Ayurveda’s doshas in private yoga lessons or your group classes —they are the building blocks of prakriti, or our unique nature. They can tell us a lot about how to eat healthily. But what about our internal landscape on a subtler level? What about prana—the life force energy that flows through everything?
Food has prana. Our thoughts have prana. The soil has prana. Everything is made up of energy. Everything is connected.
Eating regeneratively is a practice of tuning in to these connections. It’s about nurturing relationships—with the earth, with our food, with ourselves. When we bring love and awareness to what we eat, how could our life energy not flourish?
Relationship with the earth
The problem is, most of us aren’t eating food grown in healthy soil. Centuries of industrial agriculture has depleted our lands, leaving them parched of nutrients vital to plant health… and therefore our health.
Regenerative farming seeks to reverse this damage, working with nature to replenish soil health, increase biodiversity, and support natural ecosystems. Food grown in living soil—which teems with microbes and rich organic matter—has been shown to contain higher quantities of key vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
Micronutrients matter. On a physical level, they keep our bodies functioning optimally and nourish every cell, tissue, and organ. On an energetic level, they influence the quality of our prana—or life force energy.
So perhaps food grown in depleted soil doesn’t just make us tired or come with fewer nutrients. Perhaps it also simply feels tired.
Research can only tell us so much. But if we approach food through a yogic lens, we can begin to see how fresh, seasonal foods with short shelf lives support vibrant energy. How highly processed foods full of added sugars, vegetable oils, and preservatives can leave us feeling sluggish or foggy.
It’s important to note that highly processed foods are often stripped of fibre and many of their original micronutrients. This impacts not just how good they make us feel, but how well our bodies can digest them. Instead of nourishing us, processed foods can actually leave us depleted and out of balance.
Eating with sattva
In Ayurveda, sattva is considered healing, nurturing, and joyful. Diets rich in fresh fruits and vegetables are often touted as the gold standard for health.
But what happens when our quest for purity becomes restrictive, judgmental, or unsustainable?
I used to beat myself up when I ordered pizza or ate a biscuit. But this is where regenerative eating became a practice of healing for me. It helped me move beyond shoulds and guilt trips, back to relationship.
When we prioritise how our food was grown, where it came from, and how it travels to our plates, we open our eyes to a deeper kind of nourishment—one that encourages us to show up for life with curiosity and kindness.
What looks like perfect sustainability will vary based on where you live. No matter how earnest your efforts, chances are there is always more you could do. Rather than letting this overwhelm you, try to bring curiosity and grace.
How can you eat seasonally right now? What’s one amendment you could make to shift towards more conscious consumption? Can you connect with a local farmer?
Simple shifts we can all make
Try to notice where you instinctively reach for judgement. Bring compassion instead. The world needs more awareness, not more guilty yogis avoiding bread.
Is there room for locally-grown conventionally grown food in a sustainable diet?
Asking questions and softening perfection is a huge part of this journey. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:
🌱Support regenerative farmers whenever possible. Seek out organic producers who go beyond organic to steward nutrient-dense soil.
🌱Buy local and seasonal as much as you can. Eat more root vegetables in the winter. Look for wildcrafted greens come spring.
🌱Cook at home more often. You’ll nourish yourSELF while reducing reliance on packaged foods.
🌱Fill half your plate with veggies. Try reaching for ingredients that are in season where you live.
🌱Eat more whole foods. Frozen veggies are great. Canned veggies? Not so much!
🌱Disconnect to reconnect. Take a minute before eating to notice the colours, smells, textures of your food. Who grew it? Who cooked it? How does it nourish you?
This doesn’t need to be all or nothing. Remember that shifting habits is a practice—a continuous journey, rather than a destination.
How food choices affect our energy levels and mindfulness practice
Connecting with the intelligence of our body is key here. Maybe you feel best eating a dairy-free vegan diet—and that’s wonderful! Maybe you need to eat chicken and rice every day and that’s okay too.
Listen closely. Your body (and the earth) will guide you if you pay attention.
Questions to explore could include, what do you feel energised by? What leaves you feeling heavy or congested? What’s one sustainable practice you can start today?
Reach out to Emily at Mount Martha Yoga if you’d like to learn more. If you are searching online for ‘yoga classes near me’, or ‘special event yoga Mount Martha’ Emily can help with both. She runs classes from her studio or can come to your venue.
