The year 2020 has changed so much of what all of us know to be normal due to the global pandemic that has affected the entire world. Not only has it become mandatory to wash hands regularly and observe social distancing, but the use of masks is considered a must to keep the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) from spreading. As face masks are now a part of our everyday lives, an important question arises for those who practice yoga: is it necessary to wear a mask during yoga practice? Is it safe? How does one practice yoga with tie dye masks? Should yoga practice adapt to change in order to accommodate the need to wear a mask? Let’s try to answer each of these questions in this post.
Wearing tie dye masks during yoga practice
According to experts, wearing a mask is one of the most effective ways to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. Masks reduce the risk of airborne diseases from spreading and entering our respiratory systems. It’s worth noting, however, that some people can still be infected even though they do not show any symptoms. These people are called asymptomatic and can spread the virus just as easily as someone who is infected. Asymptomatic people can spread the virus easily because they do not think they are infected and can behave recklessly.
Wearing tie dye masks is highly recommended even indoors because the air circulation is more stagnant compared to outdoors. It is even more important to wear masks when we share a room with people, particularly in yoga classes. Because we breathe a lot when taking, exercising, singing, or doing breathing exercises, there is a heightened need to wear masks even more. The combination of these factors convinces us that we should wear masks when practicing yoga in a studio, indoors with other people. This holds true even if we maintain a six feet distance from each other. A yoga mask is a must for those that are practicing yoga.
Is practicing yoga with a yoga mask safe?
Normally, one of the biggest concerns that would arise is that of safety. Does wearing a yoga mask hinder one’s ability to breathe properly? With something like yoga, where there is so much focus placed on deep breathing, is it even possible to practice with a mask on? Does wearing a mask diminish one’s value of yoga practice?
The answer is: YES. It is still possible to practice yoga with a yoga mask on. The practice will still be effective. In some cases, wearing a mask somehow restricts one’s ability to breathe deeply and quickly. But, excluding certain circumstances, there is no danger posed in practicing yoga while wearing a mask.
There are two things one needs to pay attention to while doing yoga with a mask: heart rate and lightheadedness.
Heart Rate
The New York times explained that one can expect their heart rate to be a little higher when wearing a mask. The reason for this, however, isn’t clear. But it has been observed that one’s heart rate seems to be a bit higher when you’re in a hot room.
Lightheadedness
This can be caused by lack of oxygen and anxiety while exercising. This most likely happens when one exerts a lot of energy in the most demanding postures and exercises. There’s not a lot of danger of this during yoga class, since you are not creating the oxygen demands of an Olympic athlete. But since we need to breathe more when doing difficult exercises, it may be best if you rest longer in between postures.
Fortunately, one’s ability to cool is not hampered by wearing a yoga mask. The body cools itself in two ways, both of which are done through the skin. First, the blood vessels in the skin dilate to bring blood to the surface. This is the reason why you’d notice your skin getting redder when you get hot. Second, we sweat. The evaporation of sweat removes heat from our body. These two processes are neither affected by wearing a yoga mask, so there is no reason to fear overheating any more than usual.
Choosing tie dye masks
When you think of how specific you are with the clothes you wear to the gym or to practice yoga, you need to be specific when choosing tie dye masks as well.
Paper masks are highly discouraged for use when exercising because they disintegrate with heavy breathing. Thus, they are rendered ineffective. Cotton masks are not ideal for sweaty yoga because they will just soak up sweat like a t-shirt. The best choice would be synthetic athletic fabrics similar to the ones that are used for yoga clothes. Of course, this means you need to get specialty tie dye masks for yoga practice.
Change Your Mask Often
Not many people know this, but experts recommend that one should change a mask every 30 minutes or so when exercising. This is because when we breathe heavily, the mask gets saturated with saliva and sweat after a certain period of time. This makes it increasingly hard for the wearer to breathe. So, let’s say you have a 60-minute yoga class, bring a second mask and change halfway. In longer classes, you may consider bring two or more extra masks and change twice. This will increase the comfort and easy you feel while keeping yourself safe.
Adjusting to The New Yoga Practice
This year has been particularly challenging for everyone especially for those who are used to leading active lifestyles. How does one go about maintaining such lifestyle in the midst of a pandemic? Fortunately, there’s no reason that wearing masks should hamper one’s decision to stay active and healthy. We only need to adjust our approach to yoga practice now that we are required to wear masks.
First, we could adjust or skip breathing exercises as they increase the spread of the virus. Second, we could take longer rests during and immediately after difficult yoga poses. This is because the body’s oxygen demands are at its peak when we do difficult poses, so breathing will be more strenuous. Third would be to cool the room a bit before practicing yoga as higher temperatures make one’s heart rate go up.