What to eat before and after practice
The short, unfussy version
The advice usually given here is either vague or unnecessarily strict. In practice most people need two things: a rough sense of timing, and a short list of what tends to sit well. Everything beyond that is personal.
What tends to sit well
Nothing exotic, and nothing you need to shop specially for.
- Before: banana, dates, oats, a small yoghurt, toast.
- After: eggs, lentils, rice and vegetables, a smoothie with protein.
- Any time: water, before you are thirsty.
- Best avoided immediately before: anything very fatty, very large or very fizzy.
- Worth testing: coffee before an early class — it helps some people and unsettles others.
- Worth carrying: a handful of nuts, for the class you decided on at short notice.
- Worth skipping: anything you have never eaten before a class, on the day of a hard one.
Test each of these on an ordinary week rather than the week of a workshop. Your own stomach is the only reliable authority here.
Timing is most of it
A full meal wants two to three hours before a strong class, mostly because twisting and folding on a full stomach is unpleasant rather than dangerous. A small snack wants forty-five minutes to an hour. For a gentle or restorative class none of this matters much; you can eat an hour before a yin class and be perfectly comfortable.
There is no yoga food. There is only what sits comfortably in your particular stomach while you are upside down.
Before a morning class, and afterwards
Plenty of people practise at 7am on nothing but water and feel fine. If you do not, half a banana, a few dates or a spoon of nut butter forty minutes ahead is usually enough — something small and easy, not a meal. Afterwards, within an hour or so, eat something with both protein and carbohydrate. After a strong class this matters; after a restorative one it does not much. Rehydrating properly is more important than most people think, especially in the warmer rooms.
And the rules you can ignore
You do not need to practise fasted, you do not need a special diet to do yoga well, and there is no food that will improve your practice by itself.
Eat enough, eat at sensible times, and pay attention to what your own stomach thinks. That is genuinely the whole of it.
FAQ
Frequently Asked
Questions
Still have a question?
Send us a message and we'll come back to you within one business day.
Do I need experience to start?
No. Every class is taught with options rather than expectations, and our Fundamentals and Gentle sessions assume no prior practice at all. Tell your teacher it's your first time and they will look after you.
What should I bring to my first class?
Comfortable clothes and a water bottle. Mats, blocks, straps and bolsters are all provided, and there are showers and lockers in the changing rooms.
Can I come without a membership?
Yes. Drop-in classes and pay-as-you-go class packs sit alongside our memberships, so you can practise as often or as rarely as suits you.
How early should I arrive?
Fifteen minutes before your first class, and around five for every class after that. It gives you time to check in, settle and set up your mat without rushing.
Can I pause or cancel my membership?
Pause or cancel anytime with 30 days notice. There are no joining fees and no lock-in contracts, and any unused class credits stay on your account.
Do you teach pregnant or injured students?
We do. Several of our teachers are qualified in pre and postnatal practice and in therapeutic yoga. Let us know before class so your teacher can adapt the session for you.
