I always knew that our body is mostly made up of water, accounting for up to 70% of our body weight, so keeping ourselves hydrated assists with optimum energy generation, moving things around the cells to keep them working well and avoid any dizziness or fainting during a stretch or exercise class.
So when is a good time to drink during a yoga class? Personally, I like to hydrate beforehand and afterwards. I have my water with a bit of lemon or cucumber in it before I teach and drinking at least 2 glasses afterwards helps me recover better and stops the muscles from cramping. Sometimes people bring a water bottle into class especially if they are practising ‘hot yoga’ although some practitioners say that consuming a lot of water during a class can interfere with your energy system. There is one theory behind this saying that sipping water during a yoga practice is akin to ‘pouring water over an inner fire as you build it’.
I actually think you should sip on water during a high-intensity exercise class to stop overheating as you can lose more fluid from moderate to high aerobic activity but for a slower-paced yoga class it’s probably not necessary. It may be a better idea to replenish the body fluids before and after class which results in better coordination and balance doing postures. But in saying that, you should drink if you’re thirsty and preferably not caffeine-based beverages. Stick to water only.
