Inversions
A couple of years ago I changed my practice time from first thing in the morning to whenever I’m ready. So that meant I’d get up move around a bit, work out the kinks, read the paper while having a cup of coffee. I’d wait an hour after drinking that coffee before I got on the mat. So that meant I’d get on the mat between nine and nine thirty. Approximately three hours later than before.
The reason for this was in part because I needed to acclimatize my body to what was about to happen – practice. As I get older that takes longer than it used to. And since I started this wait-till-I’m-ready-process I would drink a large mug of black coffee. Initially I judged this as a good idea because I thought it gave me a little more energy during practice. But in the long run it turns out to have been a bad idea.
Approximately six or seven months ago I noticed I was chewing on antacids occasionally and was getting to the point that it was almost daily. I did not give it much thought but I decided to mention it in an appointment with my family doctor. We discussed it and he knows that I practice yoga and he asked me if I do any inversions in my practice. He also is a yogi. He then asked do I drink coffee – yes. I can see the wheels turning in his head and before he said a thing I said I’m not giving up practice.
To go sideways a bit I was born in England and I was brought up on tea. When I was a kid and my cup of tea was almost finished, I would love being able to swill around the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup and discard all the leaves in one swirl – a long learned technique. I was proud of that silly skill. Now they have tea bags – another time honoured skill gone by the wayside – ha. Did you know that a cup of tea can solve almost any problem – umm.
I started to drink coffee at the age of forty one and the reason I started was because of my MS diagnosis. I drank it due to fatigue and my theory was that a large double double (coffee with two cream and two sugar) would solve that issue. And that’s how my coffee habit started. There was in my mind logic to this choice.
Coffee became something I loved to drink especially because of the sugar and cream. But years later I wanted to quit sugar which I eventually accomplished and later when I became vegan the cream disappeared also. So black pour over coffee became my new fix. But it never tasted as good without the cream and sugar.
So my doctor is basically telling me it’s either coffee or yoga. He’s not saying stop drinking coffee entirely just don’t drink before practice. But if you can quit drinking coffee that would be best. Is tea ok – yes.
Coffee is a known stomach irritant and when you invert as I do many times(1) it flows into the the esophageal sphincter and irritates the bejesus out of it, causing the need for me to chew antacids.
Inversions are not recommended for people with glaucoma, high blood pressure, or other circulatory issues. And now drinking coffee is added to the list – at least for me.
Inversions continue, coffee is no longer consumed, and antacids have not been required. Sometimes it just blows my mind how simple a solution can be.
Patient: Dr. Dr. It hurts when I move my arm like this. Doctor’s response: then don’t move your arm like that – ha.
Ahimsa
Be safe
(1) inversions are defined as when your heart and hips are higher than your head. In my current practice that happens approximately twenty times.
Above photos taken in 2019