- Eat nothing — or only a light, healthy snack — in the two to three hours before a yoga class. ‘You should arrive on an empty stomach,’ says Alessandra Pecorella, a yoga teacher at The Life Centre in Islington, London. ‘Otherwise you’ll feel heavy and your body will be busy digesting your food, so it will be less able to support you during the poses.’
This also helps to build discipline and will get you into the habit of eating when you’re hungry and not when you’re bored or emotional.
- Eating in moderation is an important part of yoga practice, according to Alessandra. ‘Yoga texts recommend eating until the stomach is three-quarters full,’ she says. ‘Always leave a space to aid digestion.’
- Eat the same foods as yogis. ‘The yogic, or Sattvic, diet is about eating fresh foods in season, when they are at their most nutritious,’ says Alessandra. ‘So it’s lots of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds.’
These foods are full of vitamins and nutrients important for brain and body health; they also provide fibre and release energy slowly, so you’ll feel fuller for longer and be less tempted to overeat.
- The yogic diet is based largely on vegetarian, alkaline foods, meaning acidic foods and drinks, such as coffee and sugary pop, are to be avoided. Fizzy drinks can also be high in calories. Instead, drink plenty of water, especially on the day of your class, to avoid cramps. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, limit your intake, as this may affect your ability to relax and get into the calm state needed for optimum practice.
- A yoga class will stimulate your digestive ‘fire’ or appetite, says Alessandra. After class, she recommends a high-protein, low-carbohydrate meal such as a warm salad with chickpeas and nuts, or lentil soup. This will satisfy the appetite and help repair muscle without losing that post-yoga lightness.
- Keep your diet varied. ‘Each food has its own unique vitamin and mineral profile, so don’t just eat the same thing every day,’ Alessandra says.
- Yogis try to eat at an optimal time for their body to digest food. Work out what time of day your hunger is at its peak, and have your main meal then. Again, this encourages mindful eating and paying attention to the body’s needs. ‘I find I’m most hungry between noon and 4pm,’ says Alessandra. ‘For some, it’s earlier or later, though I wouldn’t recommend having a big meal close to bedtime, as this can disturb sleep.’
Simple changes to your posture, following basic yoga principles, will transform how slim you look
1. SQUEEZE YOUR BUM, FLATTEN YOUR TUM
All yogis and dancers know that when the pelvic floor is engaged it triggers other muscles in the core of the body to support the lower back and spine. This action protects your back and alleviates back pain, but also gives the appearance of a slimmer, more toned abdomen.
2. WALK LIKE A SPACEMAN
The biggest enemy of good posture is gravity. The downward force of gravity makes us slump and appear less tall than we really are. Stand tall and lift yourself up from within. Imagine a thread extending the length of your spine and out of the crown of your head. You’ll feel lighter, brighter and taller.
3. BREATHE DEEP INTO YOUR CHEST
Too many of us hardly use our intercostal breathing muscles (the ones between each rib) and instead breathe down into our belly. The result? A protruding stomach. When you are standing or sitting up, get into the habit of breathing into the chest. Feel the ribs expand and the in-breath lift you up. Your posture will be better and you will face the world with more confidence.
4. SHOULDERS BACK AND DOWN
We all hold tension in the shoulders, and when we feel very stressed they curl forwards and rise up towards our ears. If you feel this happening, roll your shoulders back and release your shoulder blades down your back, if you like with a big sigh through the mouth. You will feel stress leaving the body.
5. TUCK YOUR CHIN IN
Not too much — you don’t want to impersonate a sergeant-major. A slight chin tuck lengthens the back of the neck and helps to lift the posture. It also brings the head back into perfect balance on the spine, preventing tension building up in neck and shoulder muscles.