Heartburn during yoga practice

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temuci
Participant

January 9, 2011 at 6:13 am

Post count: 4

#2034

My husband is new to Bikram Yoga. His problem is that he gets very bad heartburn during the yoga practice. Does anybody know why this is happening? What can be done about it? Thanks

connie36
Participant

January 9, 2011 at 8:55 pm

Post count: 67

#8179

Is he going to class on an empty stomach?

I had this discussion with one of my instructors recently, and he felt it takes a little experimenting to find what and how long before class each person can eat without negative side effects in class. I think it’s recommended to not eat for about 3 hours before class, but I can do fruit/coconut water, something light and easily digestable closer than that, but have to be careful the closer I get to class time.

And of course you can go too far in the opposite direction – I had one class where I hadn’t eaten in about 4 hours before class and felt dizzy and weak throughout class. Which really isn’t any better than the heartburn I’ve felt if I ate too close to class time…

Pamela0414
Participant

January 12, 2011 at 9:27 pm

Post count: 58

#8190

I used to have this problem and sometimes still do. I have to be very careful when I stop eating and what I eat. Not anything too fatty or too hard to digest. I stop eating about 3.5 hours before class. I also make sure I drink water slowly throughout the day instead of chugging a bunch before class. I only take small sips of water during class because if I take in too much the floor series will cause heartburn and nausea even with just water.

If there is still a problem, there are digestive enzymes you can get at the supplement store that help. I don’t have a gallbladder and I think that is part of the problem. I really does make the class a uncomfortable experience.

temuci
Participant

January 30, 2011 at 1:04 pm

Post count: 4

#8255

Thanks for all your replies.

Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

February 10, 2011 at 9:54 am

Post count: 3048

#8305

Hi Barb

How is your hubby going now? Can you tell us what, if anything did the trick for him?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

bery
Participant

July 1, 2011 at 1:42 pm

Post count: 1

#8698

Heartburn or acid reflux is a common problem occurring while performing yoga.Yoga is a perfect way to keep yourself healthy and fit but heartburn is a major trouble which will not allow your body to remain healthy.So to avoid heartburn you can have two remedies as per my concern one you can use chewing gum and another to use vinegar.These two substances are considered as anti heartburn agent.

nhgjob
Participant

September 12, 2011 at 7:10 am

Post count: 2

#8923

I would be curious as to what he is eating before he is going to class. Generally heartburn ca be triggered by poor digestion which means that maybe what he ate before did not digest prior to class. All I know is that my health completely changed for the better when I switched to the 80/10/10 diet. Which basically means 80% fruit, 10% veg, 10% fat. I know it might sound crazy and I had a hard time getting used to it at first, but now I can’t imagine living any other way. I never have any type of digestion issue anymore. My yoga practice has changed so much ever since then. Anyhow, hope all is well.

elibalmz
Participant

September 30, 2014 at 8:32 am

Post count: 1

#11081

Knock back a generous shot of apple cider vinegar! It works every time! Honestly.
And don’t eat 3 hours before practice, unless your metabolism is faster than a cheetah.
I learned this, and am still learning this, the hard way. I always regret eating even the smallest portion of food an hour before class.
If you have a weak or worn out digestive tract, that doesn’t help much.
Take baby sips of water, if any at all, while in the studio. It’s your responsibility to drink at LEAST a liter of water before practice throughout the day.
Carbs are your friend before practice, fat/protein is your friend AFTER practice.
Or else, good luck even beginning to master lotus/boat pose.
Hope this helps.
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