Students ask me all the time whether or not they should be drinking water during yoga practice and why or why not? Well the short answer from me is NO, you should not be gulping down gigantic sips from your water bottle because unlike sports like soccer and basketball, yoga is not a workout where you need to rehydrate every couple of minutes. One of the main goals in any yoga practice is to build heat or fire called tapas in Sanskrit, which helps the body become more flexible while detoxifying the organs and clearing the energy channels called nadis. The consumption of water usually puts this fire in the body out, thus making a practitioner work harder to keep the heat within. Also, constant water drinking usually leads to bathroom breaks and who really wants to be known as the person who is always leaving class to pee. You know who you are out there! 

Imagine building a small campfire that you plan to prepare food on. It usually takes a good 10 minutes or so to really get the fire started and warm enough that you can cook your food upon. Now imagine I were to toss a cup of water on your small fire every few minutes or so. Fat chance that fire will stay lit, right? It’s the same in yoga practice too. Why work so hard to get the body warm and sweating only to put out that fire by sucking on your bottle? I will add this disclaimer for the Bikram yogis out there- I have never been to a Bikram class before but I hear there are designated water breaks in the series… and if you didn’t know, that series is practiced at 110-120 degrees. Yucky. No thank you. But I get the need for the water. You could die in there! HA!

Side note: During my first trip to India I was reprimanded by my teacher Lino Miele for drinking water during Mysore practice. “This is India and I am thirsty,” I complained. “No. You don’t need it,” was all he said. I felt embarrassed when I noticed that I was indeed the only one in the yoga shala with a huge Klean Kanteen. Only after class did I learn all the reasons water drinking is frowned upon, thanks to many of the students who saw the encounter and felt they needed to better “educate” me. Lesson learned. Crisis avoided. I learned to drink a bottle before class, then pee, then practice, then pee again, then walk home. Phew! It may not have been a Bikram class, but that first practice and day in India, in the stifling heat that began in the early morning, sure felt like one!

Here’s my little rant on Bikram: Personally, I have always felt that Bikram yoga gives one a false sense of security, especially living through cold winters in Chicago. Here are these people walking off the street and out of the cold (think really cold here people, like one degree) and into the equivalent of a wood stove. How do you know if your body is really warmed up and ready to go? Sure the rooms feels warm, but is your body warm? I get it. The heat feels really good for those of you injured or living in cold climates but it scares me… especially Bikram Choudhury! That guy is a whack job! Even though it’s not for me, if you’re into it, I’m happy for you and that you’ve found yoga one way or another.

Okay but back to the H20 debate… I have to add that there are two kinds of people who drink water in yoga class; the kind who quietly sneak out into the lobby for a quick sip and the kind that are just a tad bit obnoxious. These people are constantly knocking over their bottles thus creating distraction and when they do take a sip, it literally sounds like they are sucking on a nipple, no offense. Especially those of you with the Camelback bottles. Just stop. Please, you’re arousing the dude next to you and this is not the time, nor the place. And it doesn’t help that he can see right through your cute yoga pants, no less!

Looks and sounds like a baby’s bottle!

Oh! And did you know that during a typical yoga class, you can lose anywhere from three to five pounds of water weight due to all of the stretching that we make you do? This is why it’s really important to hydrate afterward, but not during! Also, through these poses or asanas, your kidneys get stretched out and toxins may be released into your body and as a result, you need to hydrate after yoga in order to flush them out!

Other teachers have told me they think drinking water in yoga has to do with a student’s own compulsion or need for distraction. I see it all the time, the harder a pose, the more willing a student is to drop out of the asana and head for a quick sip. But then you miss the essence of yoga right? You’re not being fair to yourself or present in your practice if you’re constantly searching for something that’s not on the mat. I’m reminded of a quote I once read and wrote down although I cannot remember its author:

“The idea is to reduce the compulsions gradually so that one day, if you sit, you become yoga- you are not just practicing yoga.” 

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All kidding aside, I drink a ton of water. Obviously not when I’m practicing yoga but certainly before and after, and especially when I teach because I’m usually talking for 75-90 minutes with no break. If you’ve been to my or any Ashtanga class, you know we count to five over and over and over again and my gosh can a girl get parched! Speaking of being parched, along with water, you really need to stop bringing your coffee into yoga. You think I’m joking right? How wrong you are. I have known students to be five to eight minutes late to class but they had plenty of time to stop at Starbucks, judging from the steaming latte in their hand. I kid you not. Of course the are no signs that say “No Food or Drink” in the studio like the “Leave Your Shoes Outside” sign but I’m thinking maybe their needs to be!

So the next time you think about taking your water bottle into yoga, ask yourself if you really and truly need it. If it’s a security thing (like a baby’s blanket) then maybe put it in your cubby and if you absolutely need a sip, you’ll know it’s there and waiting! And if you are an admitted klutz, and you spill or kick your bottle often, you should just leave it outside of the studio all together! Wow! We’ve certainly talked some serious yoga etiquette on this here blog as of lately. If you need a refresher on any of the topics or questions that I get asked the most frequently, just click below!

1. Can I bring my cell phone to class?

2. Is it okay for me to do my own thing or home practice in your class?

3. What about skipping savasana? 

4. Is it important for me to practice detachment?

5. What are the moral principles or yamas of yoga?

6. I tend to look all around the yoga room when I’m practicing. Is this normal? 

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I’ll leave you with a quick book recommendation today since I mentioned Chicago a little earlier. I haven’t the slightest idea why I didn’t read The Devil in the White City when I actually lived there, but I’m reading it now if that counts! Erik Larson writes a chilling portrayal of the World Fair held in the Windy City that is stocked full with lies, betrayal, murder and seduction. I have to keep reminding myself that this is actually a non-fiction book, because the story is so incredible!

Best part of the book is that it was a buck at the thrift shop!