I often get questions from yogis, whether they are experienced or beginners, about hydration, food and breath in the context of power yoga. Today, I’m going to share a few tips to get the most out of your power yoga class, whether it’s at our Conshohocken yoga studio or elsewhere.
Water & Food
Water is crucial for our power yoga practice. We want to make sure we are hydrated throughout the day before we take a power yoga class, and I don’t mean chugging 8 glasses of water 1 hour before a power yoga class. I mean drinking throughout the day. We sweat a lot during power yoga. If we are not hydrated, we may feel light headed, nauseous and sick throughout class. Besides, being hydrated is important anyway, even if you do not practice power yoga. So drink up!
We need food to fuel ourselves so we can get through a workout, but there is a right time to replenish ourselves. We don’t want to practice power yoga on a full stomach. We will feel uncomfortable and may feel nauseous because the food did not digest yet. I usually suggest eating something light an hour and a half before class. An apple or banana with almond butter or full-fat Greek yogurt with walnuts and some cinnamon are some great choices. While we don’t want to practice on a full stomach, we also don’t want to have zero energy to practice power yoga.
Find your Breath During Practice
When we practice, it is important to find the balance between pushing too hard and not pushing enough. I often see yogis in my Conshohocken yoga studio push too hard. A yogi may be in a pose, but is struggling to stay in the pose. I see the yogi’s face turn red because he/she is not breathing. We have to remember to breathe and find our breath in each pose. We have to find a place where we are not struggling, but pushing ourselves hard enough yet still able to breathe. What I usually say in my power yoga class is if you find that you lost your breath, you may be pushing too hard. Pull back a little and make sure you are breathing through the pose. So make sure you are hydrated before your next power yoga class and remember to breathe throughout class!
Namaste!
