Issue Date: January-February 2010, Posted On: 2/3/2010
Curing a Hangover The Spirit of Yoga
By Beth Shaw
When
it's official that a specific client is suffering from a true-blue
hangover,
integrating yoga into a workout can help
ease
the symptoms of a throbbing headache, excess fatigue
and
the after-effects of dehydration, all of which constitute a hangover.
Child's
pose: Have your client sit back on their heels and
spread
their arms in front, barely pressing the forehead to their
yoga
mat, and take 10 deep breaths in and out through the
nose.
Gently shake their head back and forth to self-massage
the
head and neck and allow the body's weight to fall between
the
knees, and rest.
Plow to shoulderstand:
When you invert to go upside-down during
yoga,
you allow blood circulation to rush to your head, which
may
help a headache and fatigue. First, have them lie back, and
support
the lower back with hands on the back. In plow, bring
legs
behind to touch all 10 toes to the floor in back for five to 10
breaths.
When they're ready, kick one leg up at a time until both
straight
legs are overhead and gaze is to the belly. Spot them in
case
they need you to lift one or both legs up. Stay for 10 breaths
without
moving the head, and tell them to close their eyes if that
feels
appropriate.
Knees to chest:
Coming out of shoulderstand, they should move
back
to plow briefly and end up in a simple knees-to-chest stretch
and
rock back and forth to allow oxygenated blood to circulate
through
their body again.
Savasana: Lie
back with eyes closed and limbs spread gently
on
the floor or bed, and try to stay still and relaxed for five to
10
minutes.
Tell
your clients to replenish your body with fruit juice and water.
Orange
juice replenishes vitamin C, or clients can drink a sports drink
to
rehydrate with minerals and electrolytes such as sodium and potassium.
Eating
a banana also helps with the latter.
Clients
should get some exercise outside of their training sessions.
Walking
outdoors or swimming or pedaling a stationary bike for 10
minutes
will help fight fatigue and clear the mental cobwebs. Tell them
to
drink at least two to three glasses of water before, during and after
exercise
while they have a hangover.
Beth
Shaw is the founder and creator of YogaFit
Training
Systems Inc. (www.yogafit.com) and is the
author
of YOGAFIT. Beth presents at all major yoga
and
fitness conferences and is contributor to fitness
magazines
and an animal rights advocate. She holds
a BA
in Business from Long Island University and
numerous
yoga, fitness and mind/body certifications.