Eat before or after practice

[Andyman]

I have my first yoga session tonight at 5:30 - 7. Is it better to eat before...say at 4 or wait till after to eat?

Thanks!
Andy

[Nichole]

Hello Andy,
The ideal is to avoid eating at least 2 hours prior to an asana class, but it's also important to not go into class with a grumbling belly. You want enough energy to get you through the session and to not be distracted by raging agni. With your schedule, I would recommend a good-sized lunch around 12:00pm and then a snack (e.g. almonds or yogurt or tea with milk) around 3:30pm.

Have a wonderful first session and enjoy yourself!
Namaste

[suryagaurav]

see andy I m a naturopathy and yogic science consultant in my area in India,delhi.
Sir, to get the maximum benefit without affecting other doshas, one must obey the principles laid down by munis. It is best if you not eat anything before 3-4 hours and eat after 30 minutes if you can.
bye for now if u have any query ask me

[InnerAthlete]

Hi Andy,

One of the things we have to weigh in current day yoga practice (not asana alone) that was not weighed in the past but built in, is context. The answer to your question does not come with a manual stating right and wrong.

There are some factors to consider in your question. And I'm guessing if you are attending your first class we do not have a context where you are expecting Enlightenment this week. Is that correct?

What is your health background my friend. You see if you are hypo or hyper glycemic the advice for food would be tailored to that context. Likewise if you are taking a class with Ana Forest the food advice would differ as well.

The concern, I would imagine, is primarily a pragmatic one of keeping your food down and being able to practice without interruption or obstruction. Some folks have iron constitutions. This is not a fourth Dosha. It merely means you can churn away at foods of all sorts with great power. I do not translate this into yogic terms or cite sutras becasue based on your level (a context) there is no point to that. It would be falling on neophyte ears.

Please watch the foods you eat leading up to practice, stay hydrated well before class especially if you are jumping around and getting sweaty. Avoid that which you know for YOU is a digestion issue.

You may have something light an hour before class (continuing to stay hydrated) and have a moderate meal at 7:45. It is fine. It may be very difficult for you to have a meal at 2:30pm and continue in the context of your life seeing as how you are not sitting in a cave meditating and doing eight hours of asana.

[Hubert]

I subscribe to InnerAthlete.

The problem with beginning any sport, or motion system, or yoga is that the beginner is bombarded with a lot of information and he/she does not have the experience to sort them. Sometimes not that important stuff gets priority, and important things are missed.
Any sudden change in your lifestyle will be doomed to fail. It is stressful and if you don't give up willingly, the subconscious will find a way to get rid of this stressful situation.

A beginner yoga student's main task is to try to incorporate yoga to his/her lifestyle. This must be done in steps, and if your lifestyle is challenging, this might take a lot of time. So the focus, in the beginning is not in the class, but in your life to create the necessary "space". The foundation of a healthy and sound practice is outside the class.

[Kaos]

Perhaps, the better question to ask is: "How do I yoga while eating?" Which leads us into mindfulness.

Eating should not be stressful. Otherwise, what's the point of doing yoga.

Namaste

[InnerAthlete]

Ahhhh if only we all just asked better questions....

what a great world it would be. And so much simpler.

<wink>