Although yoga has had nothing but an incredibly positive impact on me I'm still the first one to admit that sometimes I go overboard and I ache like there's no tomorrow. People (who have never tried yoga) sometimes say that practising yoga is not an exercise, that you can't hurt afterwards, that you won't be out of breath. Well, those people are bloody wrong. Yoga cuts your hamstrings in half (at least that's what it feels like), it punches you repeatedly in the stomach and makes you sweat buckets. No wonder you need to slumber into savasana at the very end!3 easy ways to find relief after a yoga flow that has wrecked your body
🛀 Bubbles, bubbles and more bubblesJust like after any strenuous exercise, be it a 20k run or an hour on a cross fit, a bubble bath with all the fancy pampering is the absolute best. Lately I've been really enjoying the Thai Lime & Ginger collection from Janjira (read their full story here) - a brand built around the bathing rituals of ancient Thai royalty. The scent is just sublime taking you far far away from your aching bones and sweaty forehead. My favourite product from the range is most definitely the Thai Lime & Ginger Scrub (you can buy it here) which does not only smell like one of those fancy minty steam rooms in a crazy expensive spa but it's also great for your knees, elbows and feet which can sometimes get a bit of hard skin after practising certain poses repeatedly. Sometimes when it really really hurts (you've pulled your Gluteus Maximus and sweated an actual bucket) I recommend using stronger muscle heating products and relaxants such as these guaranteed back pain relievers and sore muscle oils and also your trusty foam roller.
🛀 Once upon a time
Even though you might be completely against this advice, your body might just agree with me. Grabbing your favourite book and getting lost in it after one or two pages and then slowly falling into an afternoon slumber might be exactly what you need. They say that 20 min naps can replace a whole night's sleep. I wouldn't give up my 8 hours for 20 minutes even if you were threatening me with a bare knuckle fight but I can appreciate a good 20 minute nap every now and then. Although yoga can kick start your day and energise your mind, there are instances when you have done just a bit too much or have gone too strong at it and a nap is the only thing that will get you back on track for the rest of the day.
🛀 Brunch your day away
You know how everyone's obsessed with post-workout bars and milkshakes and protein shakes and what not? Well, yoga IS a workout. Eating foods rich in potassium is essential for the right functioning of your muscles. And where can you find said mineral? In avocados, bananas, coconut water and broccoli. Which makes for a damn nice (and slightly Instagram pretentious) breakfast! Now you actually HAVE TO go and get brunch at that hipster caf you saw on the way to work the other day. Yes!
How do you recover after a strenuous yoga flow?
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