Should I eat before class?

Most yoga practitioners have found out the hard way that eating a big or heavy meal too close to class might leave you feeling a little nauseous when you practice. All those twists and lying on your belly doesn't tend to feel great when you're full.

For the more physically taxing classes like Vinyasa and Slow Flow, it's a good idea to have a small carb-y snack around 45 minutes before class so you've got some fuel in your body to help with your energy and stamina.

Pick a snack that doesn't have much fat or fibre, so it's easy to digest and less likely to make you feel nauseous.

Some snack ideas:

• a piece of fruit
• flavoured rice cakes
• crumpets or raisin toast with jam
• dried fruit
• even just a glass of fruit juice or an Up & Go if you find even small amounts of food in your belly feel uncomfortable.

For gentler classes, being fuelled is less important, so if you prefer not to have anything in your belly then you can plan your meals so that you don't eat anything within 1-2 hrs of class.