Eat and Breathe Yoga! 4 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Yoga Sessions

Yoga is all about creating harmony within your body, mind, and environment. Engaging in Yoga improves posture, increases intake of oxygen, and enhances the functioning of all body systems. You can enhance your Yoga results by eating mindfully and ensuring that what you eat before and after your Yoga sessions is as healthy as possible. So, before you attend your next session of yoga therapy in Geelong, make sure you incorporate the nutrition tips in this article to make sure you get the most out of your session.

Basic Food Rules

There are a few food rules to help optimise your yoga experience. Rule number one is to make sure you eat a healthy meal 1.5 – 2 hours before your session. If you have no other option but to eat two hours before your Yoga session, make sure you eat only a light snack. If you eat a big meal right before your session, blood will flow to your digestive system instead of to your muscles. Inversely, make sure you do not starve yourself before a Yoga session. You must eat before your session, but timing is key. If you haven’t had a chance to have a meal at least two hours beforehand, grab a small snack because you will need enough calories in your system to get through the session. Get into a routine with your pre-yoga eating, experiment, listen to your body, and determine meal and snack timing that works best for you.

Choosing what to eat is just as important as choosing when you eat. The golden rule is that it’s best to avoid overly spicy as well as fatty foods, and nothing too acidic as all these food choices can cause stomach upset and are best consumed at a later time not close to exercise.

Pre-Yoga Meal Guide

We’ve covered when and what not to eat, but what should you eat? Keep to simple carbohydrates that are broken down quickly by the body and converted to energy. Simple carbohydrates options include fruit smoothies, steamed vegetables, grain, legumes, and beans. Add a small amount of protein and fat to your meal to give you the staying power and energy required for your session. You can opt for plant-based protein alternatives if you are vegan or vegetarian. Make sure when adding fat to your meal that it is good fats rather than bad, like good fats from nuts, natural butter, olives, or avocados.

If you are going with a pre-yoga snack great options are bananas, apples, peanut butter celery sticks, avocado toast, or hummus with carrots.

What to Eat After Your Session

After your Yoga session, your best bet to revitalise and recharge your energy is by eating a combination of carbs and protein. A protein-rich meal will help your muscles recover and rebuild cells. Some quick and easy options include Yoghurt combined with fruit and nuts and granola or a smoothie made from berries, yogurt, and tofu, or make it a meal with your choice of eggs, ham, and a side of berries. These are just a couple of examples but try and come up with your own, and notice how your body feels after you finish a session.

Remember to Breathe

Yoga is a discipline that is made up of eight aspects. Yoga postures, otherwise known as Asana are only one part of Yogic practices. Another aspect of yogic practice is Pranayama, which is also referred to as yogic breath and translates to “breath-control”.

Most people, untrained in Pranayama, have a dysfunctional or irregular breathing pattern. Engaging in regular meditation and mindful breathing exercises will enhance your yoga experience, slow down and deepen your breathing. Mastering pranayama and diaphragmatic breathing can take about a year with regular practice, but the results are well worth it. The health benefits include a calmer body and mind, improved concentration, and improved mental health.

Yoga is a holistic practice that cultivates balance of mind, body, and environment. It makes sense to ensure that you are eating well before and after your yoga sessions and engaging in mindful breathing exercises. Yoga practice is not only about stretches and postures. So, remember to breathe, eat mindfully and consider researching the remaining six aspects of yoga not covered in this article. By using these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to optimise your yoga experience and create a stronger body and mind.