We often think that Western culture is more advanced because it offers ‘proof’ of its correctness while one thinks that Hinduism is connected to the ‘superstition’. But Hinduism, is actually completely connected to the science & it has innumerable proofs which many doesn’t know & that is why they think that Hinduism is connected to the superstition. Hinduism is more ancient & it is the most precious. For years we've seen our parents & grandparents follow certain tradition while having their meals. There are people who are very particular about praying before they start their meal & then there are people who are very particular about the sitting on the floor while having their meals. This is a practice most of the Hindus follow even today & there are scientific reasons behind this. Moreover, it's not just Hindus, even Japanese people believe in having their meals by sitting on the floor. The benefits of sitting on the floor while eating have its roots both in Yoga & Ayurveda.
This tradition is not just about sitting on floor & eating, it is regarding sitting in the “सुखासन” i.e. easily sitting position & then eating. Easily sitting position (सुखासन) with crossed legs is the position we normally use for Yogasanas. Sitting in this position while eating, helps in improving digestion as the circulatory system can focus solely upon digestion & not on the legs dangling from a chair or supporting the legs while standing.
Doing some sort of physical activity is advised by doctors, but when it’s time to eat, the best thing to do is to sit on the floor. This also involves exercise when one sit down & get up. This posture is good enough to stay healthy & fit. One should sit for eating in this easily sitting posture (सुखासन). Easily sitting posture (सुखासन) activates the subtle-gases & their flow activates in an unobstructed manner. Similarly, the three qualities or stranded (त्रिगुणा) in the body also gets stabilized to some extent. Therefore, the Purity (सात्त्विकः) absorbed by the individual from the food easily gets into the body &, the physical & vital bodies get supply of adequate amount of energy.
Scientific reasons of sitting on the floor & eating –
- The easily sitting posture (सुखासन) being a meditative pose, it has calming effects on mind & body.
- The easily sitting posture (सुखासन), applies pressure to the lower spine which encourages relaxation.
- It also slows down the breathing, decreases muscular tensions & decreases blood pressure.
- When one sit on the floor to eat, one place the plate in front which makes one to bend forward & backward to eat from the plate & go back to the normal position. This constant forward-backward moment activates the abdomen muscles & leads to better release of the digestive juices (i.e. acids) thus, making it easy for the food to be digested properly.
- When one sit down on the floor, blood easily gets pumped to the heart & all other necessary digestive organs. Thus, it strengthens the heart, the muscles & improves blood circulation.
- It helps to control weight. One of the best exercises to lose weight is sitting & getting up. When one stand & eat, one doesn’t always keep a track of what is being consumed. Sitting & eating makes one aware of the food & also make one eat less, thereby preventing over-eating & binge-eating.
- It lubricates the knees & keeps the hip & ankle joint healthy.
- As one sit on the floor, the easily sitting posture (सुखासन) strengthens the lower back region of the body & reduces back pain. As it makes the pelvis & legs more flexible. This helps to strengthen the core muscles & also stretches the ankles. With flexibility comes better circulation, which betters the lubrication between the joints.
- Usually, Hindu families sit together on the floor to consume the meals. The family also discuss & share things with each other while consuming meals. Thus, it helps to strengthen the family bond.
- When one sit in the easily sitting posture (सुखासन), the muscles of the lower back, pelvis, around the stomach & those of the upper & lower abdomen are stretched thereby reducing pain & discomfort. This, in turn, makes the body more flexible & healthier.
- When one sit in the easily sitting posture (सुखासन), the back is straight, the spine is expanded & the shoulders are pushed back. A good posture helps to beat all the frequent pains & aches that are caused by bad posture. This improves the body posture.
- The easily sitting posture (सुखासन) also helps in reducing stress & anxiety.
- The easily sitting posture (सुखासन) reduces the chances of developing arthritis.
- When the one sits on the floor, the nerve performs better & transmits all signals effectively. Thus, the stomach & cerebrum get time to relate the signs of feeling full.
- Sitting on the floor & eating can help us live longer. People who sit in the easily sitting posture (सुखासन) & get up without any support tend to live longer. It takes considerable amount of flexibility & lower body strength to get up from that position.
- It keeps one connected to the roots of the ground. One gets the cosmic energies of the earth while sitting on the floor & eating, these cosmic energies enters the body & helps the body to get more positive energies thus, one feels bliss & improves the mood while eating.
- One gets more satisfaction while sitting on the floor & eating because when one sit on the floor, the vagus nerve quickly sends the signal to the brain & sends message that you are full & thus one feel more satisfied while sitting on the floor & eating.
- One can concentrate more while sitting on the floor & eating. This also helps in making food taste better.
Thus, there are numerous of scientific reasons connected to each & every rituals Hindus practice in their day to day life. It is advisable to sit in easily sitting posture (सुखासन) even when one is sitting on the chair & eating as this posture imparts so many benefits to the body while eating. Many foreigners have also started accepting our culture due to the clear scientific reasons connected to this. So, now it’s time to go back to our roots & we must start eating food while sitting on the floor because, the Hinduism is not just a culture to follow but it is the correct way of living.
आषाढः कृष्णपक्षे ३०, २०७६