We had a reminder today not to drink water during practice. I guess our teacher, I’ll call her C, caught too many people quenching their thirst a little too often.

C told us early on in beginner’s class not to drink during practice, so this wasn’t news to me. I remember the first time C told us about drinking during practice, I thought it was a little strange back then but now I don’t even raise an eyebrow. It’s interesting how one’s perception changes with time.

The reason to avoid drinking water during practice is that water puts out the internal fire and heat that’s generated during practice, much like throwing water on a campfire. Without the internal fire, the benefits and purification from the practice is lost.

This is a summary of C’s recommendations when drinking water during yoga practice:

1. Avoid drinking during practice.
2. Drink before and after practice.
3. If you must drink during practice, sip the water instead of guzzling it.
4. Drink the least amount of water to quench the majority of your thirst.