Why Yoga and Matcha are the perfect combo to help you fight anxiety?
Have you ever felt stressed, vulnerable or anxious about something going in your life, with your family or at work?
Most of us have been there and this is totally normal. Feeling stressed or vulnerable is part of life and it's key to recognize these feelings, never ignore them, and learn how to manage them.
When talking about products and practices that help us reduce stress and anxiety, matcha and yoga are the perfect combo.
In this article, we will walk you through the benefits of matcha, yoga and how together they for the perfect match!
Matcha tea: The green miracle to fight anxiety and stress
Matcha is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinesis plant, which are typically grown in the shade to keep the amino acid content high in the leaves and the caffeine content lower than other green teas. Theanine, a common amino acid in matcha green tea, has been shown to increase dopamine and serotonin levels, which can reduce anxious behaviors and thoughts, while too much caffeine can actually reduce the levels of theanine and increase stress and anxiety.
So you may be wondering how can consuming caffeinated matcha help with anxiety? Although matcha green tea has caffeine, high-quality matcha have higher levels of theanine, which stops the increase of anxiety from caffeine.
Matcha is a great option if you consume caffeine often and are looking to manage your anxiety. Besides, it’s full of amazing benefits: from detox and antioxidants properties to beneficial effects in brain function.
Yoga: A practice of mindfulness for the body and mind
I discovered yoga two years ago when a friend recommended me the best life coach and yoga teacher Victoria
Yoga is a powerful tool that help us to manage stress and anxiety and find the serenity we all need, even in the midst of difficult times.
In fact yoga helped me reduce stress and anxiety in both ways: physically and mentally. And nowadays, I have learned how to be more present.
Ways Yoga helps you to physically relax
When we are stressed or anxious, our bodies hold onto that tension resulting in many symptoms such as headaches, racing heart, and even eating disorder.
A tool that we all have and that is crucial when practicing yoga is "breathing". There's nothing more powerful and magic than deep breathing. The practice of yoga uses deep breathing which helps to calm you from inside out.
When we are tense or stressed, we tend to take shallow quick breathes and this will make it harder for our body to release the anxiety that it is holding to. When you begin to focus on taking deep breaths it helps to slow down your heart and begin to release the tension from your body.
Moving through the different yoga postures, will help increase the amount of oxygen and blood that is flowing to the different parts of your body. According to Vic, any pose where the head is down is typically considered calming, such as:
- Seated forwards fold (Paschimottanasana)
- Wide legged standing forward fold (Prasaritta padottansana)
- Child's pose (Balasana)
- And of course corpse pose (Savasana)
And she insists on the fact that the pose itself will do nothing if the breath and mindfulness are not there. You must focus on your breath, be present and set an intention to calm down.
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Ways yoga helps you relax your mind
When we are stressed or anxious about something we tend to focus on it and think about it constantly. While focusing on your breathing throughout yoga, takes your mind off the thing that is causing you stress, it stops you from thinking about yesterday or tomorrow and makes you aware of the present and connects your mind with your body.
When you are finished with your yoga session, your body will feel more relaxed and your head will be more clear. This helps enable you to handle the small frustrations in life without turning them into a much larger problem.
Matcha & Yoga: a match supporting your wellness journey
Matcha and yoga are the perfect match to help on concentration and mindfulness. A cup of matcha makes perfecting the yoga practice easier and practicing yoga helps you to become an expert in celebrating the matcha tea ceremony. Together, they help reducing anxiety and stress.
When is the perfect moment to drink Matcha? before or after your yoga session?
- Drink it before and you’ll deliver your body with more energy so you’ll get the most out of your yoga session (but never drink it on an empty stomach).
- Drink it after and you’ll rehydrate your body, giving it that slow-release energy. Matcha is also anti-inflammatory and packed with antioxidants, great for your post-workout.
Our tip to you: Why not drink half a bowl of matcha before the yoga session and half after? ;)
Finding serenity should be a priority
With our schedules that are overwhelmed with activities to choose from, the stress related to our work and difficult situations that can arise: finding serenity in life is a challenge, of course, but it also needs to be a priority.
Make yourself comfortable, prepare your matcha tea and book some time in your agenda for Yoga. You will feel the difference in your health and mood.
Zeina