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New User
Posts: 2
| I'm halfway through my 3rd week of Bikram, and have missed only 2 days due to holidays. The first week was a bit hellish, by by week 2 I feel like I've settled into the routine of going to class and am improving daily.
However I have become pretty constipated  . I'm well hydrated, making sure I drink at least 3L of water a day in total and I have a good vegetarian diet with lots of fibre and zero junk. When I google 'bikram constipation' I get a zillion results telling me that it cures constipation.  I've been trying extra hard in wind removing pose as they tell us it stimulates the digestive system. So what am I doing wrong here?!? |
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| Three liters of water a day is a lot of water. If you are sweating a lot during yoga and are drinking that much water, you are losing a lot of sodium and potassium and then diluting your remaining body fluids with the water. That can make you even more dehydrated. If you are taking potassium supplements or drinks/food rich in potassium to make up for that loss, that could be the cause of your constipation as potassium is given to people with diarrhea.
Does this make any sense?
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New User
Posts: 2
| Thank you jpg, that does make some sense - I have just started to take coconut water, and have been eating bananas for potassium after a class. So what would you suggest I change? Less water? I don't think I could manage with less water to be honest, I would be thirsty. |
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| If you keep consuming a lot of potassium, I would suggest eating stewed prunes etc to counter the constipating properties. If that does not work, cut back on the potassium. I know that Bikram does not have a lot of twists like Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Parvrtta Trikonasana, Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana, Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana and Supta Matsyendrasana, but you may want to practice them on your own at home as they will help constipation. Chakrasana, Halasana are also good. Make sure that you are warmed up before attempting these poses and go slowly.
You may be over-stressing your system with excessive water and electrolyte loss and replenishment. If so, you may want to reduce the number of classes per week to a level that works better for your body at this particular point in time.
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TMI post from a beginner
