I used to (really) enjoy drinking a cup of white coffee in the morning... But my stomach seemed not to agree with me... so I had to stop and look for alternatives.
In my search for options, I have discovered why yogis avoid coffee and other caffeine beverages. Here are the 5 main reasons for not wanting to drink coffee if you practice yoga:
- Coffee is a highly acidifying beverage (and we all know we need to stay away from acid foods for they have a bad impact on our bodies - that is why a lot of people try and concentrate on alkaline and antioxidant diets).
- Coffee dehydrates the body – when practising yoga or any other sport, you need to keep your body as hydrated as possible. It might also lead to increased sweating thereby incurring a loss of crucial vitamins.
- Coffee can have a negative impact on your flexibility.
- Yogis are in search of physical purity in order to reunite with the Higher Self as well as the rest of the World. Yogis generally practice fasting and detox.
- Coffee, and particularly poor quality ones, overload the liver. This is due to the fact that it is filled with chemicals.
- As a highly stimulant food (also known as “rajasic” food), coffee interferes with the inner quietness required for meditation. Furthermore, it can trouble sleep patterns, cause irritability and aggressiveness.
Struggling to stop drinking coffee… just follow these recommendations:
- Stick to 1 coffee a day, preferably in the morning (to lower the effect it might have on your sleep)
- Drink high quality organic coffee, free from chemicals and preservatives (non organic coffee fields use incredible levels of pesticides)
- Only use plant-milks and natural sweeteners such as stevia, coco sugar or maple syrup.
- Avoid drinking coffee prior to a yin or restorative yoga session or meditation. It is ok before a strong vinyasa or power yoga session ;-)
- Some alternatives: chicoree, chai, black tea, mate, matcha or green tea for they include similar substances to caffeine but in lower quantity.
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