Waking up after an alcohol-infused night can be a nightmare. ?
Handfuls of headache medicine, glasses filled with eggy liquids, and “biting the hair of the dog that bit you” are not exactly the most satisfying of methods for getting over a hangover. On the other hand, practicing yoga can clear your head, settle your queasy stomach, and keep you on your feet for the rest of your day. While yoga is not purported to be a hangover cure per se, it is a wonderful way to fight off the symptoms associated with a hangover.
Discover how you can incorporate yoga postures and poses into your hangover routine.
Post Alcohol Solution
In an article posted in The New York Times, a kidney specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Debbie L. Cohen, states that there is not any medical evidence backing the claims that the toxic effects of alcohol can be eliminated with yoga [1].
However, Dr. Cohen acknowledges that the medical community agrees that yoga does reduce stress and has other health benefits. Someone who is suffering from a headache, nausea, or fatigue after having too much to drink can use yoga safely to reduce these symptoms.
Yet not all forms of yoga are created equal for a person suffering from a hangover ?
For example, Hot or Bikram yoga, which places yoga students in a room that often exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit, can lead to dehydration or exhaustion.
Best Yoga Poses for a Hangover
What should you look for in a yoga routine when you have a hangover? Go with something light and easy. Consider a yoga routine that includes lots of deep breathing exercises and meditation poses.
You don’t want to put too much strain on your already stressed body and mind. Susan Orem, the owner of the yoga retreat Heathen Hill in the Catskills of New York, suggests doing a short half-hour yoga session. Include sun salutations for mindfulness and stretching of the system, along with restorative poses and twisting postures [1].
Tack on the use of props, such as an eye pillow or blocks as a way to reduce the strain and stress of light and body movements. After all, a yoga session for a hangover is not exactly your regular workout routine. Treat it for what it is, restorative and alternative treatment for reducing your hangover symptoms.
Twisting the System
If you are feeling a great deal of fatigue and shakiness, which you need to remedy so you can go about your daily routine…
focus on yoga poses that feature twists [3]
The quickest way to get toxins moving through your body and out of your system is to hydrate with clean water and then practice twisting motions.
Kimberly Wilson, founder of Washington D.C.’s Tranquil Space Yoga Studio and author of “Hip Tranquil Chick: A Guide to Life On and Off the Yoga Mat,” says “Twists stimulate the liver and kidneys—the organs that work hardest processing excess alcohol” [3].
She highly recommends starting with the Seated Twist posture as a way to twist your organs and start the filtering process of your system.
Specific Yoga Pose for Hangover Symptoms
The Seated Twist is your best friend’s post-drinking session [2]. Also known as Ardha Matsyendrasana, this yoga pose begins with you seated comfortably on your yoga mat.
Stretch out your legs so they are extended in front of you. Take your right knee and pull your right leg over the left one. Position your right foot so that it rests on the outside of the opposite knee. Slowly bend your left leg, and move your left foot beside your right hip.
Take a deep breath, and as you inhale, stretch your spine so that you are sitting taller. Move your left heel below to the outside of your right knee.
Release your breath and begin the twisting motion as your right arm extends behind you ✅
Your torso should twist around toward the right. Go as deep as you can with the twist. Maintain the twist for five full breaths. Slowly return to face the front and repeat on the opposite side.
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References:
[1] http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/01/too-much-to-drink-try-yoga/?_r=0
[2] http://www.womenshealthmag.com/yoga/best-yoga-pose-for-hangovers
[3] http://yoga.prevention.com/hangover/
