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.Thus we need to be aware of the emotional impact of bad smells inour environment.Modern hygiene has mostly eliminated the noxioussmells of rotting waste in cities, but they have been replaced by those ofthe exhaust gases from traffic and factories.It is equally important torealize that bodily cleanliness affects our moods.Smells of our body andclothes may be rather subtle, but they are around all the time.Regularbathing and changing clothes is a logical practice.The use of smells to positively affect moods is very old, from the useof incense to the wearing of perfumes and the perfuming of fabrics.Inthe devotional practices of Bhakti Yoga, smells become a symbol for thedivine when scented objects such as flowers or incense are offered to thedeity.In modern aromatherapy the scents of essential oils are directly usedto enhance well-being.Bergamot, sage, cedar, rose, sandalwood, andlavender have calming and soothing effects.Juniper, peppermint, androsemary are more stimulating, a typical dopamine effect.As scents havevery personal emotional effects, we can all easily be our own aromatherapists.Beware, however, of synthetic perfumes that might haveadverse side effects, as smelling includes inhalation. 136 WORKING WITH OUR RASASBeyond the SensesVarious energetic effects on the body and mind are still regarded as irrel-evant by most scientists.Nevertheless, recent research shows many body-related energies that cannot be easily set aside: Electrical fields generatedby body organs, magnetic brain waves and other magnetic fields, lightand heat emissions by body cells and organs, structural coherence in thecrystallization of fluid molecules, molecular vibrations, and more.*It has, for example, been demonstrated that the recognition of a spe-cific hormone by a receptor depends on resonant vibratory interactionsbetween these molecules, comparable to the interactions of tuning forks.Another example lies in the importance of the depolarization and repo-larization of the cell membranes in interaction with neurotransmittersin synapses.And of course, nerves use electrical currents in communica-tion, which may logically be affected by electromagnetic energies, justlike any other electrical current.As long as science provides no conclusive information on this subject,we should be careful of contact with the many types of energy waves cre-ated by modern appliances, from cellular phones to high-tension powerlines.* Recommended reading: James L.Oschman, Energy Medicine (Edinburgh, U.K.: HarcourtPublishers Limited, 2000). 17Cooking EmotionsFoods feed both matter and mind.The Rasa DhatuThe seven dhatus are the principal constituents of the body, literally the"body tissues." They need nourishment and give form to the physicalbody.Rasa as plasma or "nutritive juice" is the most essential dhatu thatis derived from food, and all other dhatus are derived from it:" Rasa (plasma) derived from the essence of food." Rakta (blood) derived from the essence of Rasa." Mamsa (flesh) derived from the essence of Rakta." Medha (fat) derived from the essence of Mamsa." Asthi (bones) derived from the essence of Medha." Majja (marrow) derived from the essence of Asthi." Shukra (semen) derived from the essence of Majja.The plasma is the watery solution that carries the free chemicals inour blood, among which are the neurotransmitters and many substancesthat affect neurotransmitter activity.The science of Ayurveda regards137 138 WORKING WITH OUR RASASplasma as both the carrier of essential nourishment and the promoterof happiness.Tantrics call the dhatu Rasa "the Juice of Love." When itstarts "drying up," due to aging and also from living a less joyful life,our health starts to suffer and we need more moisture or juice in thebody to remain healthy and happy.Thus good food is essential for ourhappiness.Different food systems have different views on food balance.TheWestern food approach is mostly based on balancing proteins, fats,starches, vitamins, and minerals.The macrobiotic diet mostly balancesfemale and male energies in food as yin and yang.Ayurveda mostly bal-ances gunas, doshas, and tastes.All these food systems create a balance of some kind, though thequality of that balance may be different.Even within food systems dif-ferent kinds of balances can be created, serving different body types andlifestyles.Householders need more active energy so their food balancewill need to be more rajasic, while that of saints may be more sattvic.Balanced Ayurvedic FoodsAccording to Ayurveda, foods affect our emotions through the directeffect of taste (rasa), through the effect during digestion (virya), and theeffect after digestion (vipaka).As explained in chapter 2 the resultingdoshas and gunas stimulate the occurrence of particular Rasas.Under-standing the effect of foods on doshas and gunas offers a great help incooking foods that balance our Rasas.Ayurveda also categorizes foods according to six principal tastes andteaches that any meal should contain all tastes in proper proportion.Ifthey are not balanced, those who are eating the meal will remain chemi-cally dissatisfied.The resulting emotional desire for a particular tastetypically leads to overeating.Generally speaking, the sweet taste is themost needed; sour, pungent, and astringent tastes are needed in modera-tion; salty and bitter tastes are needed in small amounts only
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