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eating before yoga practice

dennis_h

posted Jan 21, 2008 6:50:19 PM	To All
Hello. After years of being surrounded with friends and colleagues who did yoga, I bought my first yoga dvd this weekend: Rodney Yee: Yoga Burn. Aside from eating healthier I wanted to experience the physical benefits from yoga and I have one question (many more to follow later): How long should you wait after a meal before practice? I have time at night and tonight I practiced after dinner but am not sure if that is the best thing to do. I creaked and popped through the first 23 minutes and had to cut it short after my wrist became too painful (fell off my bike last week). I look forward to practicing nightly and completing the poses, but don't want to make any mistakes because I am absolutely new to this! Thanks for any tips you may have.

dennis vagrantaesthetic.com

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eating before yoga practice

Aquarian

posted Jan 23, 2008 4:40:21 PM	To All
As a yoga teacher I am so happy to hear from people who are trying yoga for the first time! First, your question, I always tell students to try and wait, at the very least, an hour between eating and practice. I need to be next to empty (like 3 hours) when I practice or inversions are very uncomfortable but you'll find what works for you. Which brings me to #2; my two cents. I love Rodney Yee's video's but I worry that his 'Yoga Burn' video may not be the best one to introduce you to Yoga. Safety first! Since you are new to this I would strongly urge you to find a DVD that advertises a gentle practice (Rodney Yee has one) to help you to familiarize yourself not only with the proper entry, exit, and breath work involved in the yoga postures but also you need to allow yourself time to cultivate body awareness and realize the way your body feels in the postures. Practicing a posture incorrectly may not hurt the first time but after a while you may develop an injury or irritate an old one. That's just my suggestion but I hope you will consider it. Good Luck with your practice!

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eating before yoga practice

Michelle

posted Jan 25, 2008 12:37:29 PM	To All
I'm not an expert; however, in doing yoga for years I have come to the conclusion that many of the poses aid digestion. I don't think it is anything you should be concerned with.

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eating before yoga practice

Cherre

posted Mar 6, 2008 1:47:02 PM	To All
First of all I love your icon. Is it Os Gemeos? Anyway, about yoga. Don't eat a huge steak dinner and then roll out your mat. Keep it light beforehand or you'll be uncomfortable. That's all. Since you are a brand new student I would recommend finding a good beginner class in your area so a qualified instructor can help modify poses for things like wrist problems. Don't end up hurt because the DVD can't give you personalized help!

http://doesabodygood.blogspot.com

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eating before yoga practice

Joy Jackson, Life & Wellness Coach

posted Mar 6, 2008 10:18:28 PM	To All
Like with most forms of excersise, I think it's best to just try to avoid having a big meal within a few hours of your practice and/or try to keep the snack or meal light. Everyone is a little different when it comes to their metabolism too. I personally have to hold off on having a true meal until after I'm done with practice (if my schedule allows). However I can't go into it with low blood sugar either. I always make sure I have a yogurt or something easy to digest within an hour or so of practice so I feel energetic. Good for you for cutting your session short after you got a warning sign from your wrist. I learned very quickly that yoga is not something to push through. It does require a lot of patience and time. I came to practicing Ashtanga yoga full time after being a long distance runner and weight lifter for many years. Needless to say I had to change my attitude when I came to Ashtanga. The mentality that I had as a marathoner did me no good as a yogi, and almost caused me harm. I had to get rid of that tendency I had to push through discomfort and pain, and to develop more compassion and love for my body. If I hadn't gained that insight sooner than later, I would probably be walking with a severe limp by now. You can really hurt yourself doing yoga if you only know enough to be dangerous. lol Where I live the nearest Ashtanga yoga instructor is over an hour's drive away, so I have to do a home practice (I have some excellent DVD's recommended by true certified Ashtanga instructors), and I do seek out instruction once every three to six months. If you cannot attend a class, or see an instructor, it is recommended that you at least attempt to attend a good yoga retreat, etc. if at all possible. That one on one interaction with an instructor is very, very, valuable, even if it is just occasional. I'm excited for you in your discovery of yoga! It has changed my life in ways I never imagined possible. It's touched me on all levels, mind, body and spirit. Good luck to you! Yours in health, Joy Edited by: Joy Jackson, Life & Wellness Coach on Mar 6, 2008 10:23:41 PM

Joy Jackson, Fitness and Lifestyle Coach piceanjoy@gmail.com www.joyjackson.net

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eating before yoga practice

jamesgirl

posted Apr 11, 2008 5:50:29 AM	To All
give your wrist a little more time to heal before jumping into yoga.... i have been doing yoga for a few years now... off and on... not as consistently as i would like... (which is why i am progressing very slowly) and i find Rodney Yee's Yoga Burn to be quite challenging..... i still haven't built up enough strength to do it...... i reccommend "Yoga For Beginners" by Patricia Walden... that is a great video that really instructs one about proper form.... and it is best to have your form down before moving on to workout sessions.... if i eat before yoga locust pose and all its variations are absolute misery...... causing me heartburn.... i reccomend only a light snack about an hour before hand..... and waiting at least two hours after a heavy meal...... dinner should be our lightest meal for the day as far as maintaining or losing weight goes...... jamesgirl

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