What does Coconut Water have to do with Yoga?
By Melanie Kiss
Coconut water and yoga is a great combination.
In the mornings, prior to yoga class, I often saw a man collecting coconuts. He climbs the tree gracefully and knocks down the fruit or uses a long stick he created as a tool to reach up from the ground without climbing. Whatever his method, the coconuts are collected and cracked soon thereafter and ready for sale.
They say that you should consume local produce wherever you are in the world. Mother nature knows what to provide for you at every moment, wherever you feet may land. Coconut water is a superfood offering you myriads of health benefits, especially during those hot, sticky days.
According to David Wolfe, coconut water is important for electrolyte replacement. Not just for those sweaty days of being in the sun or as hangover cures, but he states that some medical professionals have used it for IV hydration in emergency situations. So during an intense morning vinyasa class, drinking coconut water really helps replenish some of the electrolytes lost. Better yet, drinking it an hour before your yoga class can really help keep you hydrated.
Deeply rooted yoga practices are supposed to be conducted on an empty stomach. It is suggested to have a clear bowel prior to practice to rid your body of toxins. Some may need a boost of energy prior to an early morning class and coconut water is the perfect answer. Young coconut water can also help with digestion.
As David Wolfe also explains, coconut water helps decrease your blood pressure. Several studies conducted have shown that over time it helps decrease diastolic and systolic pressure. Together along with a healthy diet and moderate exercise, when one controls their blood pressure, they will be able to do certain asanas that they were advised to avoid. Some of the postures not recommended for people with high blood are inversions and certain back-bends for example.
Yoga is a way of detoxifying the body. It is a mental, physical and spiritual practice that helps one to not only get into fun postures, but allows the mind to settle and quiet down. The basis for yoga is finding liberation from suffering, which essentially is created in the mind. Yoga is a detoxification for the body, a way in working on letting go of negativity and in turn of letting go of the mind. Coconut water is also a detoxifier. More so for the physical body, but nevertheless how you treat your physical body affects your mental and emotional state as well. Coconut water has the ability to re-hydrate, allowing your body to rid itself of toxins.
Coconut water is also good for reducing stress and muscle tension according to David Wolfe. Coconut water has magnesium and calcium which helps with stress as we deplete our magnesium levels when we fire off those stress hormones. Calcium helps relax muscles.
Coconut water and yoga go hand-in-hand. Especially when you are in warmer climates, such as The Yoga Loft or taking part in a hot yoga class in the middle of winter in Alaska.
