Within the classical understanding of Rāja Yoga, dietary guidance is present, though not in the form of a rigid rulebook. The principles emerge from the ethical and purificatory disciplines, especially those related to purity, moderation, and non-violence. Practitioners are generally encouraged toward a sāttvic way of eating—food that is pure, fresh, and supportive of clarity and calm. Such a diet is seen as an aid to mental steadiness, making the mind more receptive to concentration, meditation, and deeper absorption.

Sāttvic foods are typically simple and wholesome: fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and, in traditional contexts, milk, yogurt, and ghee. These are ideally taken in moderation, neither in excess nor with harsh austerity, reflecting the principle of balanced self-discipline. Food is best when freshly prepared, clean, and consumed with a peaceful attitude, as the inner state of the one who prepares and eats is regarded as inseparable from the food itself. Regularity in meal times and avoiding very late or irregular eating further support stability of body and mind.

By contrast, foods classified as rājasik and tāmasik are generally discouraged because of their effect on the mind. Rājasik foods—overly spicy, excessively salty, or strongly stimulating, including things like heavy use of stimulants—are associated with restlessness, agitation, and heightened passion. Tāmasik foods—stale, overcooked, processed, preserved, or otherwise impure, along with alcohol and intoxicants—are said to foster lethargy, dullness, and a kind of inner heaviness. Meat and other foods obtained through harm or questionable means are also viewed as obstructive to the cultivation of subtle awareness and compassion.

Underlying all of this is the ideal of moderation, or mitāhāra, and the cultivation of purity in both outer and inner senses. Eating just enough, leaving a sense of lightness in the body, and approaching food with gratitude and restraint are seen as direct supports for the higher limbs of practice. The diet thus becomes an extension of ethical living and inner purification, not an end in itself but a quiet, steady ally in the movement toward a more lucid, contemplative mind.