Ananda Marga’s approach to diet and daily living is all about harmonizing body, mind and spirit—kind of like tuning an instrument before a concert. Followers stick to a lacto-vegetarian menu: no meat, fish or eggs. Dairy is welcome, but stimulants such as coffee, tea, alcohol and tobacco are off the table. Garlic and onions, thought to stir up turbulence in the mind, also get the cold shoulder. Meals become an act of meditation, eaten mindfully to nourish both cells and consciousness.

Come sunrise, there’s a rhythm to the day that feels almost musical. Morning and evening Sit­to­shima meditations (first framed by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti back in the 1950s) take center stage—half an hour of mantra and mudra twice a day, followed by 20 minutes of silent contemplation. Dynamic Meditation, introduced globally by Ananda Marga in the ’70s, has grown in popularity with today’s stress-soaked lifestyles—people in over 180 countries now give it a whirl to shake off digital overload.

Movement and breath go hand-in-hand. Asanas and pranayama aren’t just “exercise”; they’re viewed as spiritual powerhouses that detox the body and calm the chatterbox mind. Add in self-less service (“Seva”), and life starts to feel like a tapestry woven with purpose—whether that’s lending a hand at a local food bank or teaching children underprivileged by modern society’s 24/7 grind.

Ethical guidelines borrowed from ancient yogic codes—non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, non-coveting and chastity—serve as moral compasses. Inner cleanliness (through meditation), outer cleanliness (through daily chores) and contentment round out the five niyamas, ensuring no corner of life feels neglected.

With eco-awareness trending ever higher—especially after recent pledges at COP28—this way of life dovetails neatly with zero-waste and cruelty-free initiatives. It offers a blueprint for anyone longing to press “reset,” live lighter on the earth and cultivate an unshakeable inner calm.