Food and diet play an essential role in the life of all spiritual seekers.

Yogic cooking, also known as Vedic cooking, reveals to us how we can transform the act of cooking into a divine ritual, the secrets and alchemical yogic practice of transforming food into medicine, and how to prepare food as a sacred service— an offering of love and healing to ourselves, our loved ones and the world.

In this article, you’ll discover the essence of Vedic cooking, 3 essential practices of Vedic cooking, plus sacred mantras and everyday rituals to transform your kitchen into a temple and your food into nectar for greater health, vitality and spiritual remembrance.

“Food is not only essential for survival.
It is part of the sacred awakening of consciousness.”

– Amma Sri Karunamayi

THE ESSENCE OF VEDIC COOKING

The ancient texts reveal to us that not only is what we eat, but how we eat important. And not only how we eat, but how we prepare the food essential in nourishing our bodies, minds and spirits.

Vedic cooking is a spiritual approach to cooking that views both food and cooking as a medium for sacred transformation— a way to elevate both health and consciousness. Cooking is seen as a humble and selfless service— a contribution to the peace and healing of ourselves, our loved ones and the world.

Food is medicine and diet is a pathway to balance, vitality and longevity— essential for a yogi to pursue their spiritual practices for the noble purpose of spiritual realization.

3 ESSENTIALS TO VEDIC COOKING

To prepare food in a sacred way, we need three things— clean kitchen, clean hands, clean mind.

1. CLEAN KITCHEN

Yogis transform their kitchen into a temple— a sacred space to nourish the divine within us, and in those we love.

It should be well organized, uncluttered, free from dirt and distractions.

Our cookware, utensils, dishes, dishcloths also must be absolutely clean and reserved for Sattvic, vegetarian service.

You may wish to dedicate a space in your kitchen for a small altar to transform your cooking into a meditative practice or devotional offering of love and nourishment. Here you can include an image or statue (murthi) representing your own unique understanding of the divine, light a candle or oil lamp, and perhaps offer some incense to your altar to sanctify the space and nourish love before you cook.

“Cooking is a spiritual practice.”

– Amma Sri Karunamayi

2. CLEAN HANDS

Our hands represent our actions or karma. We wash our hands thoroughly, tie back our hair when we enter the kitchen to handle food. Ideally, we are freshly bathed in clean clothing.

Clean hands isn’t just referring to physical hygiene— but mental and energetic hygiene also.

Vedic cooking inspires us to set aside all other worldly actions, preoccupations, and distractions for the time being, and dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to the present act of cooking.

If we are interrupted during food preparation, we rewash our hands and reset our attention before continuing.

3. CLEAN MIND

A clean mind refers to our sacred intention and full, one-pointed awareness. Our hearts and minds should remain fully focused.

One of the main features of Vedic cooking, is the understanding that thoughts are energy, and energy is not separate from matter— therefore thought-forms energetically influence the foods we eat.

Most of our food is exposed to many different conditions before we receive it and impurities can enter the process of cultivation, transport, sale or even cooking, when our minds are distracted, disturbed or busy.

TRY THIS: Repeating a mantra (specific configurations of positive sound vibrations from the ancient Sanskrit language,) while cooking or listening to pure Sanskrit chanting creates a supportive atmosphere, purifies and neutralizes any unfavourable energetic elements in the food, blesses the food, and tunes the mind and heart and awakening great love and gratitude which infuse and inform our cooking.

VEDIC MANTRAS TO BLESS OUR FOOD, OUR WORLD & OURSELVES

Many cultures around the world have some form of gratitude or reverence for food— from prayer, ritual, offerings, to the simple expression of “thank-you” and beyond, there’s no doubt why gratitude and food go together.

Yogis too have their own way to bless and give thanks to the food, the elements of nature which conspired to grow that food, the hands which prepared it and the body to assimilate it.

Chanting a mantra before your meal prepares the body to receive food, blesses your food with positive & healing energies, and transforms your food into a divine substance to nourish the body, mind & spirit.

VEDIC FOOD BLESSING RITUAL

Before your next meal, we invite you to try this simple but powerful ritual:

  1. Become present
  2. Take 3 deep breaths
  3. Express gratitude, pray, or chant mantra over your food
  4. Eat mindfully with love & gratitude

Any mantra you like that connects you to a feeling of love and devotion will do, however, the ancient texts recommend particular mantras to transmit the blessings of good health and peace into the food for the benefit of those who consume it.

Prayer of Gratitude & Blessings | Annapurna Mantra 3x

Om sri annapurnayai namaha
Om sri sada purnayai namaha

Powerful & Purifying | Sri Gayatri Mantra

Om bhur bhuvah suvah
tat savitur varenyambhargo devasya dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

By preparing food as a sacred service to ourselves and loved ones, transforming food into an offering of love, transforming our cooking into a spiritual practice and surrendering the fruits of our actions to the One Love that unites us all. This is the very essence of Vedic cooking— as love and nature intended.