Electrolyte balance

There are mornings during practice—since I insist on drinking a small cup of coffee first (a diuretic)—that I am still dehydrated or lacking in electrolytes, which I persevere through because to me coffee is worth it. I get head rushes, a brief fall in blood pressure.

Balance your pH

Electrolytes are part of the body’s balance of fluids and pH; the body is selective with elimination in order to remain in balance but when a depletion occurs, the effects are felt immediately. Coconut water is a natural electrolyte that I consider drinking before class.

There is a spiritual component to the light-headedness though. It makes it easier to see the spirit (my observation), if I pace myself accordingly.

Health benefits of turmeric

Part of my energy-sustaining lifestyle is the consumption of Eastern herbs—turmeric, for one. I only drink one cup of coffee—my only caffeine for the day—in the morning. Ginger gives me an energetic boost later in the day. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-depressant and improves brain & heart function; it is even known as a means of cancer prevention as it’s been proven to reduce angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in tumors), metastasis (spread of cancer) and contributes to the death of cancer cells. With all of these benefits, I crave it over another cup of coffee; in fact, with my yoga practice, I don’t crave the extra caffeine high at all because I’m already there.

However, on the subject of skin, daily consumption of turmeric did cause itchy skin at first. I wondered if this was the effect of toxins secreting through the skin, as I began to drink more as I practiced daily Mysore. I began to include tea tree oil in my shampoos and soaps to soothe my skin. Since I’m all about getting toxins out, this practice felt beneficial, despite the minor irritation. With my daily epsom salt baths, this is not as much of an issue.

The itchiness went away, however, after a month or so. This is a good indication that the turmeric did a diligent job of ridding my system of a toxin, and some of its process was through the pores in my skin.