· By Avery Hastings
Enhancing Your Yoga Practice with Matcha: The Ultimate Superfood
Matcha and Yoga
Yoga and matcha are both ancient practices that promote physical and mental wellbeing. Matcha, a vibrant green tea powder, has been consumed for centuries for its numerous health benefits, including improved cognitive function, increased energy, and reduced stress. Yoga, on the other hand, is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India and is now popular worldwide. When combined, these practices can take your yoga practice to the next level.
In this blog post, we'll explore the benefits of incorporating matcha into your yoga practice, including how drinking matcha before yoga can improve your yoga practice and enhance meditation.
How Matcha Benefits Your Yoga Practice
Matcha contains a unique combination of L-Theanine and caffeine that provides a calm, focused energy boost. When consumed before yoga, matcha can help you achieve a state of mental clarity, allowing you to stay present and focused during your practice. One of the most significant advantages of matcha is its unique combination of L-Theanine and caffeine. Research has found that L-Theanine promotes relaxation and reduces stress, while caffeine provides an energy boost and increases focus and alertness [1]. Together, these compounds create a state of calm, focused energy that can help yogis achieve a deeper level of mental clarity during their practice [2].
Matcha Before Yoga
Drinking matcha before yoga can also help improve your physical performance. The antioxidants in matcha help reduce inflammation and improve muscle recovery, making it easier to hold yoga poses and prevent injuries. Additionally, studies have shown that matcha's antioxidants, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), can help reduce inflammation and improve muscle recovery [3]. This can be particularly beneficial for yogis, as holding challenging poses can put strain on the muscles and cause inflammation. By reducing inflammation and promoting muscle recovery, matcha can make it easier to hold poses and prevent injuries during yoga practice.
Matcha Reduces Stress
Matcha's calming properties also make it an excellent choice for those who experience anxiety or stress during their yoga practice. By reducing stress and promoting relaxation, matcha can help you achieve a deeper state of meditation and focus during your practice. A study conducted on college students found that consuming matcha before a stressful task significantly reduced anxiety levels and improved cognitive function [4]. By promoting relaxation and reducing stress, matcha can help yogis achieve a deeper state of meditation and focus during their practice.
Matcha for Meditation
Meditation and Yoga
Meditation is an essential part of yoga and involves focusing the mind and body to achieve a state of mental calmness and relaxation. Matcha's unique combination of L-Theanine and caffeine helps to promote relaxation and mental clarity, making it a valuable addition to your meditation practice. The L-Theanine and caffeine in matcha can promote relaxation and mental clarity, making it an ideal drink to consume before meditation. Studies have found that L-Theanine promotes alpha waves in the brain, which are associated with a relaxed and alert state of mind [5]. This helps to reduce stress and anxiety, allowing you to achieve a deeper state of meditation.
Drinking Matcha Before Yoga and Meditation
Drinking matcha before meditation can help you achieve a deeper state of relaxation and focus. The L-Theanine in matcha promotes alpha waves in the brain, which are associated with a relaxed and alert state of mind. This helps to reduce stress and anxiety, allowing you to achieve a deeper state of meditation. Matcha is also rich in antioxidants, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), that protect the brain from free radicals and oxidative stress [6]. Oxidative stress is linked to age-related cognitive decline and neurological disorders. By protecting the brain, matcha can help to enhance your meditation practice and improve your overall mental well-being.
Moreover, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study demonstrated that consuming matcha improved attention and cognitive performance in healthy adults [7]. This indicates that matcha can potentially boost mental performance during meditation and enhance the overall benefits of the practice.
How to Prepare Matcha Before Yoga
Making Matcha Before Yoga
Before your yoga pratice, use the Bonsai Cha Matcha Maker for a fast and easy way to prepare your matcha green tea. Simply follow the steps below to make a pure cup of matcha or an energizing matcha latte before your yoga practice:1. Add your water.
2. Add your favourite Bonsai Cha ceremonial grade matcha powder.
3. Press a button.
4. Pour and enjoy!
To reap the benefits of drinking matcha before yoga, it is recommended to consume it around 30 minutes to an hour before your practice. This will give your body enough time to fully absorb the nutrients and for the caffeine to take effect, providing a sustained boost of energy throughout your yoga session. However, it's important to note that everyone's body reacts differently to caffeine, so it's best to experiment with the timing and amount of matcha consumed before yoga to find what works best for you.
Achieve a State of Zen with Matcha Before Yoga
In conclusion, incorporating matcha into your yoga practice can help improve your physical and mental performance, enhance your meditation practice, and promote overall wellbeing. Drinking matcha before yoga provides a calm, focused energy boost, reduces stress and anxiety, and improves muscle recovery, making it an ideal drink to consume before your yoga practice.
By taking a few minutes to prepare a cup of matcha before your yoga practice, you can achieve optimal results and take your practice to the next level. So, next time you step onto your yoga mat, make sure to have a cup of matcha in hand to enhance your yoga practice and achieve a deeper state of meditation.
References:
[1] Dodd, F. L., Kennedy, D. O., Riby, L. M., & Haskell-Ramsay, C. F. (2015). A double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of caffeine and L-theanine both alone and in combination on cerebral blood flow, cognition and mood. Psychopharmacology, 232(14), 2563-2576. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-015-3895-0
[2] Higashiyama, A., Htay, H. H., Ozeki, M., & Juneja, L. R. (2011). Effects of L-theanine on attention and reaction time response. Journal of Functional Foods, 3(3), 171-178. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464611000351
[3] Ide, K., Yamada, H., Takuma, N., Park, M., Wakamiya, T., & Nakase, J. (2017). Green tea consumption affects cognitive dysfunction in the elderly: A pilot study. Nutrients, 9(7), 777. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/7/777
[4] Unno, K., Furushima, D., Hamamoto, S., Iguchi, K., Yamada, H., Morita, A., ... & Hoshino, M. (2018). Stress-reducing function of matcha green tea in animal experiments and clinical trials. Nutrients, 10(10), 1468. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/10/1468
[5] Lu, K., Gray, M. A., Oliver, C., Liley, D. T., Harrison, B. J., Bartholomeusz, C. F., ... & Croft, R. J. (2004). The acute effects of L-theanine in comparison with alprazolam on anticipatory anxiety in humans. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 19(7), 457-465. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hup.584
[6] Singh, B. N., Shankar, S., & Srivastava, R. K. (2011). Green tea catechin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG): Mechanisms, perspectives and clinical applications. Biochemical pharmacology, 82(12), 1807-1821. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006295211000649
[7] Dietz, C., Dekker, M., & Piqueras-Fiszman, B. (2017). An intervention study on the effect of matcha tea, in drink and snack bar formats, on mood and cognitive performance. Food research international, 99, 72-83. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996917301352
