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~ Celebrating yoga and the body in motion

yogawithpaul

Monthly Archives: January 2013

Drinking Electrolytes During Bikram Yoga

28 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by yogawithpaul in Bikram yoga, health, hot yoga, London, teaching, wellness, yoga, yoga holiday, yoga tips

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bikram hot yoga, Bikram yoga, drinking water, fitness, yoga tips, Yoga With Paul

A lot of students ask me if i take electrolytes during practice. ‘no’, i personally get a rush and then a sudden drop of energy when i have taken them during class. I will wait till after class and have a coconut water which is full of potassium.   ‘well deserved’.

Electrolytes — minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium — help regulate fluid balance in your body and, when present in proper amounts, ensure that your muscle fibers contract efficiently and powerfully during exercise. They also help regulate your blood pressure, blood pH and nerve function. If your electrolytes are out of balance, you may experience symptoms such as muscle cramps and twitching, heart palpitations and weakness. Sodium and potassium are the electrolytes most subject to imbalance as a result of sweating during intense exercise.

During class

A water bottle is standard equipment for Bikram yogis, although more advanced students sometimes choose to go without. Bikram teachers usually recommend that you sip plain water over carbohydrate-containing beverages during class, and indeed a study in “Journal of Sports Sciences” confirms that the presence of carbohydrate in a beverage slows gastric emptying and the subsequent availability of fluids to your body. However, there is no prohibition against drinking electrolyte-enhanced beverages during class, and some students choose sports drinks, water mixed with electrolyte/vitamin powders, or coconut water, which is naturally high in potassium.

Before and After Class

The best way to maintain proper electrolyte levels during Bikram yoga is to hydrate yourself before you come to class. The Bikram Yoga website recommends yogis drink an extra 64 to 80 ounces of water above their normal consumption during days that they practice, supplemented with sodium and potassium as needed. Because individual physiology varies, so will your need for supplemental electrolytes. The USDA specifies an AI — adequate intake — for adults of 4.7 grams potassium per day from all sources and 3.8 grams of sodium in the form of sodium chloride, or salt, to support basic metabolic needs as well as losses during exercise or hot weather. If you find yourself suffering cramps or other symptoms of electrolyte imbalance despite consuming adequate amounts, check with your doctor.

Considerations

During the first 20 minutes of class, Bikram students may not drink anything at all because the object is to build heat in the body — all the more reason to hydrate yourself before going in. Although sipping between postures is allowed anytime after eagle pose, students who drink too much or gulp their liquids often find themselves nauseated, particularly in backbending postures like camel, or those that require balancing on the stomach, such as bow pose.

Article from livesstrong.com

Water, Water Everywhere

25 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by yogawithpaul in Bikram yoga, hot yoga, teaching, yoga tips

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bikram hot yoga, Bikram yoga, drinking water, fitness, yoga tips, Yoga With Paul

One thing I’ve noticed teaching Bikram hot yoga is that there is an inverse relationship between the time of day a class is and the amount of water the average student brings with them. In my 7AM class most students bring one small bottle of water. As the day goes on the size, and sometimes quantity, of bottles increases. By evening students some students are practically lugging in a water barrel!
bottled water
Everyone is different, of course, and some people feel the need to drink more, but I think it’s fair to say that the more experienced students — who are often the ones getting up at 6AM every day for class — tend to drink less.

It happened in my own yoga practice. As a beginner, I felt the heat and drank a lot of water. Now, I hardly ever take a sip during a class. The difference is partly mental, partly physical, but if you drink a lot in class I would challenge you to cut back.

Bring a smaller bottle of water to class, or sip instead of gulp. Note the changes in your discipline. You might find that are less weighed down and more focused, because you aren’t always hitting the bottle!

What are your thoughts? If you have any questions about how much you should be drinking, leave a comment, or tweet me @Paulibosa.

Namaste.

Super Food for Yoga – Ginger

22 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by yogawithpaul in Bikram yoga, food, health, wellness

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Bikram yoga, food, healthy eating, hot yoga London, nutrition, superfoods, Yoga With Paul

If you’re trying to sort out your diet or weight it helps to think about what you should eat. Eating superfoods will build strength and wellness, and help cut cravings for fatty, salty, sugary foods that sabotage your health.

Stir-fry with ginger

Stir-fry with ginger


Ginger is a great superfood for yoga practitioners – especially in winter. It fights coughs and sore throats; eases congestion; is anti-inflammatory; and relieves upset stomachs.

You can buy root ginger at most greengrocers for a couple of quid a kilo (!) and use it in a variety of ways. A few slices in boiling water is a great infusion (add lemon and/or honey for a throat-soothing drink). I like to blend a bit into smoothies, add it to winter soups such as butternut squash, or grate a bit into a stir-fry. Ginger is also delicious and bracing in fresh juices.

Smoothie recipes with Ginger

Breathe! You Are Alive

20 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by yogawithpaul in Bikram yoga, health, hot yoga, London, meditation, wellness, yoga, yoga holiday, yoga tips

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Bikram yoga, happiness, health, hot yoga London, wellness, Yoga With Paul


I brought this book at the weekend called ‘breathe ! you are alive’, by Thich Nhat Hanh, which is appropriate when practicing yoga.  As a Bikram teacher i hear so many times ‘i cannot breathe’.

                  Breathe! You Are Alive

Breathe and you know that you are alive.
Breathe and you know that all is helping you.
Breathe and you know that you are the world.
Breathe and you know that the flower is breathing too.
Breathe for yourself and you breathe for the world.
Breathe in compassion and breathe out joy.

Breathe and be one with the air that you breathe.
Breathe and be one with the river that flows.
Breathe and be one with the earth that you tread.
Breathe and be one with the fire that glows.
Breathe and you break the thought of birth and death.
Breathe and you see that impermanence is life.

Breathe for your joy to be steady and calm.
Breathe for your sorrow to flow away.
Breathe to renew every cell in your blood.
Breathe to renew the depths of consciousness.
Breathe and you dwell in the here and now.
Breathe and all you touch is new and real.

– Annabel Laity

Everyday Benefits of Bikram Yoga

18 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by yogawithpaul in Bikram yoga, hot yoga, London, yoga tips

≈ 1 Comment

Standing head to knee

Standing head to knee

Have you ever stopped to think about the everyday benefits of Bikram Yoga? The little things that you can do, or do better, thanks to practicing regularly?

One of my students mentioned that Bikram has made her commute easier…. How? Thanks to the standing series her balance has improved and that ‘locking the knee’ keeps her upright on crowded Tube trains. I’d never have thought of that but there you go… an unexpected bonus for her hard work.

Do you have an unusual Bikram Benefit? Share in the comments or tweet me @Paulibosa

Quote

Health Comes First

17 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by yogawithpaul in Bikram yoga, health, meditation, teaching

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Bikram yoga, happiness, health, hot yoga London, wellness, Yoga With Paul

“Happiness springs immediately from the mind; health is but to be considered as a condition or circumstance, without which this happiness cannot be tasted pure and unabated.”

~Benjamin Franklin

Sunshine Yoga Holiday 2013

11 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by yogawithpaul in Bikram yoga, health, hot yoga, meditation, teaching, wellness, yoga holiday

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Bikram yoga, Bikram Yoga holiday, health, holiday Algarve, vitamin D, yoga holiday abroad, Yoga With Paul

You could be here!

You could be here!

A freezing weekend in London is the perfect time to stay indoors and book a yoga holiday.

My hot yoga holiday in the sunny Algarve is a great opportunity to boost your practice, relax, meditate, meet like-minded yogis and combat a serious health risk. According to a recent article by the BBC:

Pilot studies and regional monitoring suggests that vitamin D deficiency is likely to affect at least half the UK’s white population, up to 90% of the multi-ethnic population and a quarter of all children living in Britain….
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a range of debilitating diseases in children and adults – including diabetes, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis and rickets, a bone disease associated with poor children in Victorian England.

Lack of vitamin D is often cited as a contributory factor in broken bones and fractures.

A holiday in sun isn’t a luxury for sun-starved Brits; it’s a necessity!

Click here for details on my Bikram Yoga Holiday.

Slow Down

08 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by yogawithpaul in Bikram yoga, health, hot yoga, London, meditation, wellness, yoga, yoga tips

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bikram postures, Bikram yoga, hot yoga, London yoga, wellness, yoga tips, Yoga With Paul

SlowDownSign
Whoa! Quite a speedy 7AM class this morning. There were quite a few students rushing through poses like they were an Underground train whose doors were shutting.

I guess it’s natural to be a little out of sync after a break but if think that the fastest way to get back in shape is to practice fast, here’s some advice: Slow Down!

This time of year we’re bombarded with ads for exercise DVDs, diet plans, fad workouts and get-fit-quick advice. But that is NOT what Bikram yoga practice is about. The aim of yoga is total body fitness and wellness. It isn’t just about losing those holiday pounds or toning up, it is a holistic discipline for your mind, body and spirit.

Breathing, stretching, holding the poses and relaxing in savasana are all essential. If you hurry through, take shortcuts or get sloppy about your form you are undermining your practice. Instead of moving forward you’ll slide back.

Remember this next time you’re in class and tempted to spring out of a pose early: every moment counts.

Slow down. Breathe. Relax. Find the joy in every asana.

Happiness Starts at Gut Level

06 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by yogawithpaul in food, health, wellness

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bikram yoga, clean eating, diet, happiness, healthy eating, holistic health, Yoga With Paul

Eat well and be happy

Eat well and be happy


A lot of people have an “I exercise so I can eat what I like” attitude — even well-rounded Bikram yogis who should (probably) know better. To an extent it’s true that regular practice can make up for a multitude of indulgences, at least in terms of keeping body fat down and muscle tone up.

What many don’t know, however, is that what you eat has a critical influence on your mood. Not just because feeling fat will make you grumpy, but because 95% of your body’s serotonin – the ‘happiness’ neurotrasmitter – is located in your gut. “A big part of our emotions are probably influenced by the nerves in our gut,” according to Scientific American.

That puts the hazards of junk food in a whole new light, doesn’t it? Not only will processed, unhealthy, hard-to-digest food clog your arteries and pile on pounds, but it can actually make you depressed.

The good news is that the reverse is true too: nourishing yourself with clean, wholesome foods will literally lift your spirits.

Resolutions 2013

03 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by yogawithpaul in food, health, meditation, wellness, yoga

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bikram yoga, clean food, health, New Years Resolutions, Yoga With Paul

Great New Year’s Resolutions from Project Clean Food. I especially like number 10 “Be receptive!”

What’s your NY resolution? Share in the comments or Tweet @Paulibosa

1. Cleaner and balanced eating habits
Find some sort of eating regimen that works for you and stick to it!

2. Cut back on all vices ~ (no need to list: I know you know what they are)
Because they drain you and because they attract the wrong sort of people in your life

3. Healthier, more positive people around you
You want to be around people that bring out the best in you in each and every moment

4. Daily, balanced, and healthy exercise
Not only is it good for the body, but also for maintaining strength, and lookin’ damn good!

5. More personal time ~ (for creativity, wellness, relaxation, for fun, etc)
Because, hey, you deserve it. Work hard, and balance stress out with good, chill time

6. More patience with everything and everyone (Try, dammit)
Um. Yea. Practice patience. Key word: practice

7. Love your enemies, just keep some distance
To expend energy hating someone is a complete waste of time. Love them, and move on. The. End.

8. Read/Watch more quality material
Nothing wrong with a little crappy media stimulation: just don’t let it be the story of your life. Visit a new section of the book store

9. Be nicer, and more compassionate
Because you’ll go a lot further: in business, in your love life, in your personal life.

10. Be better than yesterday
Every moment is an opportunity to learn more, and grow more. Expand your horizons. Be more open to experience. Be receptive.

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  • 4 Vitamin-Rich Mushroom Recipes January 15, 2021
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