A new learning lounge in SoBo uses the wisdom of the Gita to help you cope with a stressful lifestyle, parenting problems and tells you how spicy curry leads to worry and hurry
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"Did you know that the consciousness of the person who's cooking the meal impacts the mood of the one eating it?" asks Namita Purohit as we settle in for an introductory session on Food, Mood, Karma, Health, Relationships And You at The Gita Lounge, a new learning centre accommodating 35 guests on Bhulabhai Desai Road.
When we take a moment to digest this, the 36-year-old electronic engineer-turned-counsellor, who turned to Ayurveda after health troubles last year, narrates, "Once, a saint was offered a meal cooked by a disciple. While consuming it, he suddenly began humming a Bollywood song, without having watched TV in the longest time. It turned out the disciple was actually singing songs while cooking. There is an energy transfer that happens when you are cooking, which passes on to the person having it too."
Namita Purohit at The Gita Lounge. Pics/Suresh Karkera
Lounge and learn
Located in the heart of SoBo, the lounge is an initiative by The Nagreeka Foundation, a charitable trust by the city-based Patwari family, who roped in Nityanand Charan Das to curate a mix of classes, incorporating the essence of the Gita. "There is a misconception that the Bhagavad Gita means chanting. The scripture offers answers to most of our 21st century problems. For instance, while personality development courses across the world only define the personality, Gita tells you why you have a particular kind of personality. The idea is to share this knowledge with Mumbaikars, and help them build a connection with others and themselves," says Das, currently residing as a monk at ISKCON temple in Chowpatty.
While Purohit will conduct a three-session course starting from April 10, several other instructors have been roped in to offer a series on parenting principles, Indian Classical music demos highlighting effects of sounds, a six-session course on Bhagavad Gita for the journey of self-discovery, and a weekend summer camp for kids. "Many instructors will use AV presentations, and most of the fees will be returned to guests in the form of books or prasad," adds Das.
Nityanand Charan Das
Hurry, worry, curry
In the one-hour session with Purohit, we learn that eating before sunset is not just a 'Jain thing' but recommended universally since sun's energy helps digest food, and that the balance of the six tastes - sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent - are essential to a meal, according to Ayurveda. She also tells us that the cooking fire makes a difference to the properties of the food ("the best is cow dung fire and worst is microwave"), and explains the term, 'Hurry, Worry, Curry'. "Your body is connected to your mind and the type of food you eat affects your mood. Extremely hot and spicy food leaves you in a constant state of worry."
When we ask how we can follow that lifestyle with a hectic pace of work, she replies, "Start with small changes. Once you see the value it adds to your life, it will inspire you to continue. For instance, I started by grinding my own flour, since the packaged varieties don't use bran, which has all the essential oils."
She also shares that the sequence in which food is served at South Indian temple feasts is related to our digestive system, where sweet items, including grains, are served first as palate cleansers. Traditional pairings like kheer-puri or baati with ghee also have similar significance. Before we leave, she clarifies, "I'm not here to dictate choices or pass judgment but only spread information and use studies to back my content. Its application is upto you."
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