Have you ever wondered whether you should eat a meal or snack before practicing Tai Chi and/or Qigong? You aren’t alone! I, and many other instructors, have been asked the same question frequently, especially from new students.
As one would expect, there are differing opinions as to if, when, and what to eat before or after practice.
Ying Qi is the energy that we derive from food according to Chinese medicine. We have to consider what and when we eat in order to have a steady, healthy supply of energy. We also need to consider the activities we plan to undertake and ensure that our input can support those activities. But here’s a important point: our body needs to digest the food before we can use the energy. We don’t often realize how lengthy the process of digestion can be. Although some people would love to believe otherwise, it can’t be rushed.
When you exercise (even gentle practices such as Tai Chi) too soon after eating, energy is directed from digestion and the food doesn’t digest properly. This improper or inadequate digestion means that we won’t derive the energy we need from eating. Even worse, exercise can cause imbalances and/or obstruction in our energy flow which can lessen, or worse delete, any benefits we would have received from our practice. Ouch!
Qigong practice does not require a lot of outward physical exertion. However, we are still directing our energy to move and act in particular ways. As previously stated, practicing too soon after a meal directs our energy away from digestion and can cause imbalances in our body which impairs our energy and lessens or eliminates the benefit we receive from Qigong.
Common sense would tell us that the larger, richer, and heavier the meal, the longer it will take to digest. We also need to consider that some types of foods may cause us to feel tired or fatigued after eating.
Bottom line: Everyone seems to agree that you should not practice after you eat a heavy meal or have a full stomach, even though their recommendations regarding timing may be slightly different.
What about a light meal or snack?
A light meal or snack may increase our energy, especially if we are feeling hungry and/or it’s been a long time since we last ate. It also may be important if our health requires frequent caloric input.
Abstaining from eating!
Many experts feel that whenever possible, you should abstain from eating. Practicing early in the morning is preferred because the stomach is empty. However, if you do practice on an empty stomach, be gentle and don’t deplete your energy. Many Masters and/or instructors maintain that a full stomach interferes with movement and/or focus, which may lessen (or eliminate) the full range of benefits offered by these mind-body exercises.
In fact, when Professor Cheng Man Ching was questioned (in The Presence of Cheng Man Ching), he was adamant about not doing “anything else when you arise, just get to the morning round of Tai Chi”. Master Ching also declared that if he had to choose between breakfast and Tai Chi, he would “gladly miss breakfast”.
Dr. Paul Lam of Tai Chi for Health Institute, advises students not to practice when they are very hungry or immediately after a full meal. Others feel that unless it’s a huge meal, most students or practitioners should be comfortable practicing 20-30 minutes after eating.
According to Anthony Korahais, of Flowing Zen, even though the general rule is to leave 2 hours before or after eating before you practice, this won’t work for some people. There are those individuals who can’t relax on an empty stomach. They need to eat!
If abstaining doesn’t work for you, then waiting at least two hours after a “heavy” meal or one hour after a light snack would be advised.
Guidelines:
Do notice the small discrepancies in advice or recommendations. We are probably not going to find a hard and fast rule about meals and practice and most of us don’t expect one.
Let’s look at the flip side: if you wait too long after eating, you may not have enough energy, especially if your practice is rigorous or lengthy. The sweet spot seems to be around 1 to 2 hours after a full (but not huge or too heavy) meal.
What we do need to find is a fine balance between the food we eat, the time and energy required to digest the food, and the amount of energy we need for our activities. Sounds a little daunting, doesn’t it?
A short note about eating or drinking “after” practice. Recommendations are to rest for a short time. Then abstain from drinking cold drinks (actually either before or after). In Chinese medicine, warm liquids are recommended. It is believed that cold drinks can injure the heart and inhibit Qi circulation.
So now what??? Experiment! Find what works best for you both in time and quantity. It’s important to have guidelines but bottom line: you need to do what works best for you. Take into consideration your mental and physical health, any chronic conditions, age, and any disabilities.
Here’s another thing you may want to ask yourself: what does “full stomach” or “light meal” mean to me? Individuals may describe it differently.
However, you may not want to deviate too much from the above recommendations. By now, I am going to assume that you know your own body (or are beginning to). You will learn even more if you take the time to experiment. It’s important to find that “sweet spot”.
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