Whats The Best Time To Practice Yoga
If you are planning to join a yoga teacher training and intend to make yoga an integral part of your daily regimen, you might well be wondering about the optimal time of day for yoga practice. The good thing is that there is never a bad time to practice yoga! Whats more important is that you practice yoga regularly as both morning and evening practices offer a lot of benefits.
Whether you do it right after you wake up or before going to bed, the time of your yoga practice is entirely up to you. Just keep in mind that you dont want to stimulate your body before retiring to bed, so a certain understanding on which asanas to choose at what time of the day is essential. Choosing the time of day to practice can depend on many different factors. The yoga practice sessions can be planned in line with your personal schedule and your bodys rhythms.
Yoga is a spiritual as well as a physical regimen that can be beneficial at any time of the day. The morning person would appreciate the stimulating effect of several asanas to kick off the day, while slow risers would equally benefit from a gentle morning practice that gradually wakes up body and mind.
Most people find a practice session in the morning to be energizing and refreshing the ideal way to start a day. Others practice yoga to unwind after a hectic day has taken its toll on the body and mind.
Value of Morning Practice
Benefits of an Evening Practice
Its Your Choice
Final Thoughts: Making yoga a part of your lifestyle
Yoga Nidra Videos On Youtube
Want to give it a try? Theres plenty of guided yoga nidra on Youtube so you can find a video to suit you. Here are three picks that we love:
1. Yoga nidra deep relaxation;
Time: 20 minutes
Great for beginners, this video will not only give you a guided mediation but you can see clearly how to get into the pose.;
2. 20 minute-beginner deep relaxation;
Time: Five minutes
Don’t have time to commit to a longer video? There’s no need to miss out completely, this five-minute practice will still allow you to relax your mind and body.
3. Full guided yoga nidra for inner peace and calm
Time: 20 minutes
If you’re in need of a full wind-down experience, this video provides both a full body scan and guided yoga nidra meditation.;
When Is The Best Time To Do Yoga And For How Long
While the time of day you practice yoga will depend on your preference, how long you practice will depend on factors such as your schedule, level of physical activity, and any exercise goals you might have. Although most yoga classes are 60 minutes, there are also 45-, 75, and 90-minute classes available, as well as shorter options if youre short on time. Research shows that just 20 minutes of yoga a day is still enough to reap the benefits of the practice.
You can also benefit by taking just a few minutes each day to do a simple yoga routine that includes poses like downward dog , standing forward bend , and cat-cow stretches.
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Consistency Is The Key
The key to regular yoga practice is persistence. As mentioned earlier, theres no particular best time to do yoga. Yoga sessions done during any time of the day are beneficial to both the body and mind. Depending on your biological rhythm, time availability, and changing seasons you can decide the timing of your yoga practice.
The best approach is to practice yoga twice every day during both morning and evening. However, due to paucity of time, some people practice only once during the day, i.e., either morning or evening. Yoga practice must be regular though one may opt for erratic yoga sessions due to various reasons.
If done regularly, daily yoga sessions can benefit the body, mind, and soul to a great extent. You may start by joining an online yoga class or visit a yoga retreat to learn about different types of yoga and other basics from the experts. The right guidance can help you determine what yoga pose suits your body. Accordingly, you can practice it based on your time availability. At Govardhan School of Yoga, we offer scientifically-designed and certified yoga courses& yoga retreats. Contact us for more information.
Ayurveda
Ways To Get More From Your Evening Yoga Session
1. Get to your mat early and sit in a comfortable position, lie on your back or get in to Child’s pose and draw your attention to your breath. Be present by accepting that this is the time for you to let go of the chaos of the day.
2. Make it a mandatory evening appointment with yourself. Remind yourself that this is a time for you.
3. Have a longer cooldown and Savasana to prepare you for sleep.
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The Donts Of Yoga Before Bed
Yoga is a serious practice which usually should be done under the supervision of a trained professional. But many people wish to practice yoga according to their own comfort level. Also, their time of practicing differs according to the availability of time. Therefore, one has to keep a few things in mind and restrain from practicing if any ailment prevails. Following are the key considerations:
Injury Risk – Although Yoga before bed is a decent idea to follow, sometimes, serious injuries such as strokes and nerve damage can occur on rare occasions, especially in the case of women and elderly people. Certain poses are prohibited for blood pressure and glaucoma patients. Few high-end poses are not supposed to be done after dinner as they may result in muscle tears. Complex moves should be avoided in the night time.
Hot Yoga Risks – Yoga routines such as Bikram need a hot environment, often set to 105 degrees F and 40 per cent humidity. Such an environment comes with the risk of dehydration and heatstroke. The night is the time to relax, but instead of relaxing, hot yoga may result in increased anxiety.
Scientific explanation – Another caution to be maintained is that one should practice yoga only 45 hours after dinner. If the stomach is full, firstly, practicing yoga with ease is not possible, and secondly, it will bear no results.
Both Yoga And Meditation Have Been An Integral Part Of Indian Culture For A Thousand Years They Go Hand
New Delhi: Getting adequate sleep is imperative for good health. Sleep occupies a significant position in our lives because it aids the body in gathering the required energy to function properly. The number of hours and quality of sleep we get dictate how we perform our day-to-day activities. Unfortunately, in this day and age, most people dont get enough sleep, and that affects them in every aspect of their lives.Be it hectic schedules, toxic work environments, or misunderstandings in relationships, whatever negative happens around us causes a large amount of stress. In order to combat the ever-increasing worries, people spend a huge amount of money and energy so that they can make their health better. What they often dont realize is that all they need is a good nights sleep to feel much better. And one of the easiest and most effective ways to get;deep-sleep;is engaging in meditation and yoga just before going to bed.;Mr. Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, Director & Co-founder, Wakefit.co, shares the benefits, dos and don’ts of Yoga before bed.
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Evening Yoga For Hips
If you spend a lot of time seated during the day, evening yoga for hips stretch and relaxation is essential. Evening yoga can help you relieve hip pain, making it easier for you to sleep and feel rejuvenated.
Some of the poses that you can try out to gain this effect are Garland Pose, Sphinx Pose, Goddess Pose , and Reclined Butterfly Pose.
Malasana, or Garland Pose is a very basic pose and should come naturally to all. But with modern comfort and habits, the simple bending of the knee and sitting on our feet has become a great challenge to most of us. Malasana brings back the most simple way of using the lower back and the knees to squat on the floor which otherwise should come naturally. Malasana works wonders on the digestive organs and this is done by the simple method of sending apana downwards and thus bringing a strong Muladhara , which is the root of the spine. Garland Pose is considered a base pose as garland pose variations can be derived from this pose. Garland Pose helps boost energy in the body and hence can be included in flow yoga sequences.
Choose A Comfortable Place
It would be best to have a small, private room in your house for daily yoga practice. Over time, your practices will create positive vibrations in the room, thereby providing healing, strength, and comfort to you and others at home. Alternatively, you may choose a quiet space anywhere at home, which is large enough to roll out your yoga mat and where you know you are not likely to be disturbed for a while.
All you need to ensure is that your yoga space is clean, well-ventilated, and away from furniture or sharp objects.
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Evening Yoga For Beginners By Benefits
Morning yoga practice helps you stimulate your mind and prepare for the day ahead. An evening yoga practice has a different effect. It enables you to relax, calm your nerves, reduces the monkey brain effects of a long day, and unwind for sleep.
You might have guessed that the poses for this hour of practice are not the hot yoga towel or super active kind, and you will be right. Evening yoga for beginners entails restorative, gentle yoga poses that help you breathe deeply and prepare for sleep.
We have highlighted some poses that you should try for your evening routine as a beginner below. You can choose to do only the poses that focus on the benefits you want to gain or do them all together in a sequence.
If you have any trouble with achieving any of the poses at home, you can sign up for evening yoga classes for beginners.; You can search for evening yoga for beginners near me if you dont know where to find one.
Youll Get Deeper More Replenishing Sleep
The relaxation effects of any yoga practice are wonderful for soothing you into sleep mode at the end of your day. Yoga engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and digest functions .
This means that it begins the relaxation process required for adequate sleep a little bit earlier, and thus lessens the chances of lying awake thinking, waking up frequently, and having restless sleep.
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Evening Yoga Can Help Unwind
Early morning routines can be hectic for some people. Committing yourself to a regular yoga session in the morning can be difficult. In that case, you will not regret squeezing in a few hours of evening sessions every week. With no rush to complete the yoga session, time spent on stretching and breathing exercises can help you relax after a long and busy day of toil.
Add to the practice session some twists and turns, forward and backward movements, and inversions and you will feel energized for the rest of the evening.
Evening workouts can also help you get rid of unwanted bad habits of snacking or staying glued in front of the television screen for long hours. Replace snacking or sitting for long hours with daily yoga practice, and you will see the fat around your waist melting away.
Is It Good To Do Yoga Right Before Bed
If done before bedtime, yoga can not only prepare us for some shut-eye physically but also mentally. Doing yoga before bedtime will help relax the body and stop the mind-chatter. In order for our body to relax to a sleeping level, we need to shift our mind to a state of calm.
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Lifestyle Influences The Best Practice Time
There are two lifestyle factors that influence practice time: family&home life.
This is huge for yogis with kids! Stay-at-home moms & dads, Im looking at you! You guys often have the busiest schedules out of anyone and face daily domestic duties. Morning classes are your savior because youll have energy and less stress with the kids at school.
If youre in your 20s or a student, you may find that later practice works better for you. It can be fun to join a hot yoga class later in the evening when youre off work.
Seniors, daytime practice is beautiful to explore. Many studios offer daytime discounts for seniors so that they can join when other folks are at work.
No matter your age, for home practice, choose a time when youll be undisturbed by others. It can help to block time every day when your family/roommates know not to bother you.
And, make a commitment to yourself to ignore your phone! Your practice will benefit from undivided attention.
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Helps Build A Bedtime Routine
Good sleep hygiene is essential for a good nights rest. Sleep hygiene is adopting good habits and a nighttime routine that promotes sleeping and deep rest. A session of calming postures and slow deep breathing at the end of your day will send your body the signal that its time to wind down for the night, which will help you fall asleep easier. For best results, allow yourself to transition directly from your yoga mat to your bed.
How Long Should You Practice
Every day for the rest of your life! I had to say it. Im a teacher.
The ideal duration of a daily practice depends on you.
Know that doing some practice is better than no practice or cramming it on the weekend. Its more beneficial to hop on your mat for five minutes of breath work and five minutes of stretching than to ignore your mat that day or save it until the weekend.
Keep your goals in mind when deciding how long you want to practice. Are you trying to achieve physical, mental, or personal growth goals?
A yogi is more likely to be able to fit into her old skinny jeans if she practices for 30 minutes four times a week than if she practices for one hour twice a week. Thats biology.
Similarly, youll be more focused at home or at work if you take the time to sit in meditation each morning for a few minutes. Even five is better than trying to sit for 30 minutes once a week and suffering through it.
Consider personal growth goals, too. Was it your objective this year to throw yourself 100% into a new activity? How about using yoga as a way to connect with new friends? Creating a consistent habit to practice will help you get to where you want to be.
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Benefits Of Morning Yoga Practice
Morning yoga practice helps you clear your mind and set an intention for your day.
Energizing poses, like backbends and sun salutations, wake up your tight body and work out the kinks after a nights rest.
The morning is usually the coolest part of the day.
Twists and arm balances are easier to perform when youre not competing with digestion from various meals during the day.
Practicing yoga in the morning avoids any last-minute conflicts that may derail your intentions to step on your mat.
The Best Time For Yoga For You
The best time to do yoga is different for everyone. Whats most important is finding the time that works for you and your body. If you’re doing yoga at home, its helpful to choose a time when you can focus on yourself and your practicewhen you dont have other people or tasks to be responsible for.
Most yoga studios offer classes throughout the day, such as a 6:00 a.m. class to catch the early risers, a quick lunch-hour flow, and a 6:00 p.m. class that caters to the after-work crowd. Many online yoga classes are also available on-demand which means you can incorporate them into your schedule whenever works for you.
To determine the best time for yoga for you, see how different poses feel at different times of the day. You may find that in the mornings you have more energy but you’re also tighter. In the evenings, you may feel more limber but you’re also more tired. Ultimately, it will come down to your personal preference.
Finding the right time of day is particularly important if you are trying to establish a home practice. Morning or evening is often the most practical for people who work regular business hours. A morning routine can help you ease into your day and start it on the right foot. An evening practice can help you destress and mellow out.
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