The Best Tea After Yoga
Do you practice yoga? Well, just like with any workout, rehydrating after a rejuvenating yoga session is essential. But instead of drinking electrolyte soft drinks as many other gym goers do, reach for a delicious cup of hot tea that can be just as relaxing as the yoga itself!
There are countless benefits to drinking tea after a yoga session. But how do you pick the right one for you?
How Much Energy Do You Want?
Tea is a great after-exercise drink. Why? It provides a light pick me up that won’t result in a crash for a simple reason: On average, a cup of tea has half of the caffeine of a cup of coffee. (Different kinds of tea have even less.) In general, the darker the tea, the higher the caffeine content you'll find in it.
For example, after yoga, the low oxidation of green tea provides a steady release of a low dose of caffeine that makes it the perfect meditative and relaxing tea. Those who want no caffeine at all, however, can always find their favorite decaffeinated tea or just opt for an herbal blend.
How Intense Was Your Workout?
Several teas are associated — both through scientific studies and folk-medicine perspectives — with muscle relaxation. These include ginger, green tea, and most of all, chamomile.
Chamomile contains dozens of different anti-inflammatory chemicals and ginger is believed to help with pain relief. Thus, if you tend to push yourself especially hard while you exercise, these could be perfect choices for you.
How Committed Are You?
A number of delicious and healthy teas can actually be grown in your own backyard. If you already have a garden or even just a few pots around the house, growing your own tea can be a highly rewarding experience.
A hugely popular tea that’s easy to make and grow is ginger root tea. By picking up some organic ginger from a health food store or a farmer’s market, leave a portion of the root out until it sprouts and then plant it like a potato. Rose hips can also be made into a tasty herbal blend and rosemary can make a great drink as well.
In some places, people may have wild chamomile growing in their yard and not even know it; the same goes for mint, another relaxing go-to herbal blend chosen by many yoga experts. (Just make sure it’s properly identified before it is made into tea.)
What More Do You Want From Your Tea?
Are you health-conscious (like most people who practice yoga)? If so, then you’ll enjoy the many health benefits of various teas.
Some studies have shown that tea drinkers have healthier bones than non-tea drinkers, despite the fact that caffeine may be linked to bone complications. Experts believe that this may have to do with antioxidant related compounds called flavonoids.
Flavonoids are found in drinks made from tea leaves: Green tea has the most followed by black teas. Tea has also been linked to weight loss, thanks to compounds called catechins, which affect your metabolism. (In fact, no tea has a higher catechin count than oolong, a black tea originating in China.)
While there’s a whole world of tea to choose from, if you’re about to try an after-yoga tea for the first time, green tea might be your best option. Why? Not only does it taste amazing, but it also offers tremendous health benefits.
Give it a shot for your next yoga workout and take your fitness to a new level.
Shop Art of TeaThe benefits of tea don’t stop here! Learn about all of its useful traits here.