Within Ananda Marga, dietary and lifestyle disciplines are understood as practical tools for refining body and mind so that spiritual practice can deepen. Followers generally adopt a strict lacto‑vegetarian diet, abstaining from meat, fish, eggs, and other animal‑derived foods apart from dairy. Foods regarded as dulling or agitating to consciousness—such as onions, garlic, mushrooms, alcohol, and other intoxicants—are avoided, while fresh, whole, sattvic foods are emphasized for their harmonizing influence. Fasting is also an important observance, commonly practiced twice a month on specific lunar days (Ekadashi), and is integrated with meditation and other spiritual disciplines.

Lifestyle guidelines extend this same spirit of refinement into every aspect of daily living. Practitioners are encouraged to maintain a regular routine that includes twice‑daily meditation (sadhana), yogic postures (asanas), and devotional chanting (kiirtan), all of which are intended to channel the mind toward a subtler, more expansive awareness. Ethical principles, traditionally expressed as yama and niyama, form the moral backbone of this path: non‑violence, truthfulness, non‑stealing, self‑restraint or continence, non‑possessiveness, purity, contentment, disciplined effort, study of elevating literature, and constant remembrance or surrender to the Divine. Cleanliness, both of the body and of one’s surroundings, is treated not as mere hygiene but as a support for mental clarity and spiritual receptivity.

Social responsibility is woven directly into these personal disciplines. Service to society (seva) is regarded as an expression of spiritual realization, so followers are encouraged to engage in activities that uplift others and contribute to collective welfare. Simple living and minimal attachment to material possessions help create inner space for this service, while study of spiritual philosophy provides a framework for understanding how personal transformation and social transformation are interlinked. Sexual conduct is guided by ideals of self‑control and responsibility, with celibacy prescribed for renunciates and a disciplined approach to sexuality for householders. Through this integrated pattern of diet, ethics, practice, and service, the path seeks to align everyday life with the pursuit of self‑realization and the welfare of all beings.