Starting your day with yoga Newport classes (or anywhere local to you) is the best way to stay fresh and focused all day. To get more out of your yoga classes, you need to think about what you are doing after class. A lot of people focus most on what they do before class and what they do during class, but they never think about what they should be doing after yoga classes.
Here are a few things you should do after every class to feel your best throughout the day.
Savour your savasana
If you ask almost every yoga coach, they will say that savasana is one of the most important poses in your entire yoga practice. This is mainly because when you are in your final resting pose, your body has the chance to cool and absorb everything you learnt during the yoga class.
You should reduce your rate of respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure, and savasana are perfect for that. It will also help you improve your concentration and focus. If you sneak (or rush!) out of the class as soon as people settle in for savasana, you are missing out on these important benefits.
There are a lot of reasons why some people skip savasana; some people feel as if they are too busy to spend about five minutes resting at the end of the yoga class. Others find it hard to lie still and are eager to proceed with their day. People who skip this final pose during yoga classes are the ones who can benefit from it the most. If you are constantly on the go, or you feel like your mind is racing, then you need five minutes to practise staying present and being still.
Clean your mat
If you are used to completing classes and rolling your mat and running out of the class, then you should think about the germs that accumulate on that mat. No matter how clean your studio may seem, it is still crawling with bacteria, germs, fungi, and viruses that thrive in sweaty places. If you do not clean your yoga mat properly, it will start to smell bad and you will be putting yourself at a risk for all sorts of illnesses.
To clean your mat properly, you should start by mixing a few drops of dish soap with a couple of cups of water. Alternatively, use a pre-made sanitising spray and a clean damp cloth to wipe your yoga mat down after yoga class. Make your own sanitising spray with water and a few drops of tea tree oil, lemon or lavender oil.
Hit the showers
You should always take a shower after every yoga Newport class, especially if you have just taken a sweaty class. When you sweat, your body releases toxins and if you do not take a shower after class, the toxins will remain and be reabsorbed into your skin. Your pores will open if you sweat a lot during a yoga class. This means there is a lot of room for bacteria and dirt to settle in.
Taking a few minutes at the end of every yoga class will serve you well and set you up for the day.
Written by Guest Contributor Kami Morris
