<div>Tere is a lot of wisdom and scientific reason behind the traditional practise of sitting on the floor to partake food. The usual posture for this being the cross – legged one, is also called sukhasana in yoga. As the name suggests, in this posture the body is in a state of ‘sukha’ or ease. This state of mind is very essential before eating as a state of comfort and ease is vital to not only eat the food but also to assimilate it.<br /><br />n When one sits in this style on the floor, the lower part of the body is close to the ground. This reduces the pressure on the heart to pump blood to the upper segments, thereby improving circulation to the abdominal region.<br /><br />n Additionally, when we sit cross legged, the muscles of stomach and other organs involved in digestion are exercised and so these organs are squeezed enough to secrete the required digestive juices. This is further aided by the back and forth movement of the body to pick food and place it in the mouth.<br /><br />n It is found that the mind registers satiety (a feeling of fullness) only after 20 minutes of eating, which is the duty of the vagus nerve to take the signals to the brain. The process of bending forward and eating slows down the process of eating which gives enough time for the brain to understand the signals from the vagus nerve. This also takes care of preventing overeating.<br /><br />n The posture of sukhasana also helps in focussing on food served in front of you as in this posture the mind is relaxed, and with no movement in the lower limbs, the brain is ready and tuned to receive signals from the five sense organs – an important aspect of mindful eating. <br /><br />n This position also strengthens the pelvic regions and aids in better absorption of the nutrients. <br /><br />Along with India some Asian countries like Japan too have the tradition of sitting on the floor to eat for health benefits.</div>
<div>Tere is a lot of wisdom and scientific reason behind the traditional practise of sitting on the floor to partake food. The usual posture for this being the cross – legged one, is also called sukhasana in yoga. As the name suggests, in this posture the body is in a state of ‘sukha’ or ease. This state of mind is very essential before eating as a state of comfort and ease is vital to not only eat the food but also to assimilate it.<br /><br />n When one sits in this style on the floor, the lower part of the body is close to the ground. This reduces the pressure on the heart to pump blood to the upper segments, thereby improving circulation to the abdominal region.<br /><br />n Additionally, when we sit cross legged, the muscles of stomach and other organs involved in digestion are exercised and so these organs are squeezed enough to secrete the required digestive juices. This is further aided by the back and forth movement of the body to pick food and place it in the mouth.<br /><br />n It is found that the mind registers satiety (a feeling of fullness) only after 20 minutes of eating, which is the duty of the vagus nerve to take the signals to the brain. The process of bending forward and eating slows down the process of eating which gives enough time for the brain to understand the signals from the vagus nerve. This also takes care of preventing overeating.<br /><br />n The posture of sukhasana also helps in focussing on food served in front of you as in this posture the mind is relaxed, and with no movement in the lower limbs, the brain is ready and tuned to receive signals from the five sense organs – an important aspect of mindful eating. <br /><br />n This position also strengthens the pelvic regions and aids in better absorption of the nutrients. <br /><br />Along with India some Asian countries like Japan too have the tradition of sitting on the floor to eat for health benefits.</div>
