The most fantastic time to practice yoga is when it works best for you. Because continuous practice over time (hopefully for a long time) is the key to reaping all of yoga’s many benefits, you must develop a regimen that fits your lifestyle and works with your schedule, which may change as your life progresses.
For example, you may have attended evening yoga lessons directly after work for years. When you had children, it made more sense to go before work or during the day when they were at school. It doesn’t matter if you practice yoga on different days of the week as long as you develop a sustainable pattern. Allow yoga to fit into your schedule rather than trying to force yoga into your agenda.
The Advantages of Morning Yoga
Some yoga lineages, such as Pattabhi Jois’s Ashtanga style, recommend performing yoga asanas early in the morning before the sun rises. Many Ashtanga home practitioners follow this schedule and most Mysore-style classes around this period.
Practicing yoga in the morning may give you a burst of energy and clarity and help set the tempo for the day. Many people have morning routines that are more controllable or predictable, making it simpler to keep to regular daily practice. Furthermore, many people feel they have more energy for exercise in the morning than towards the end of the day. Some people may practice yoga on an empty stomach to avoid cramping or indigestion.
Morning energetic practices are suitable for keeping you aware and energized. You may attempt vinyasa flow courses that include rounds of sun salutations, or you could try energizing backbends like wheel pose or inversions like headstands.
The Advantages of Afternoon Yoga
Yoga in the afternoon before dinner may assist you in relaxing after a long day and working up an appetite for your next meal. If you like to practice between meals, wait at least 2-3 hours after eating before doing yoga.
Furthermore, your muscles may warm up later in the day than in the morning, when you may feel stiffer. While your muscles are looser later in the day, you can focus more on developing flexibility than when they are stiff.
You typically get the best of both worlds when you do yoga in the afternoon. It is an excellent time to engage in hard, energetic practice if you have extra energy. However, it might be more therapeutic if you need to relax at the end of your work day.
The Advantages of Evening Yoga
B.K.S. Iyengar recommends performing yoga early in the morning or late in the evening in his book “Light on Yoga,” noting that both have merits. “Morning practice improves one’s performance at work. It relieves the exhaustion of the day’s strain in the evening and leaves one feeling refreshed and tranquil, “He stated.
An evening yoga program can help you unwind by relieving stress and promoting relaxation. As a result, evening yoga can be part of a peaceful nighttime ritual to help you prepare for sleep.
To relieve tension and obtain a good night’s sleep, try standing wide-legged forward fold, garland posture, goddess pose, sitting spinal twist, or happy baby pose.
When Is the Best Time for You to Practice Yoga?
Everyone has a different optimum time to practice yoga. The essential thing is to pick a time that works for you and your body. If you practice yoga at home, find the best time when you can focus only on yourself and practice yoga —when you don’t have other people or tasks to interrupt.
Most yoga studios have courses available at various times, such as a 6:00 a.m. class for early risers, a fast lunch-hour flow, and a 6:00 p.m. class for the after-work crowd. Many online yoga courses are also accessible on demand, so you can fit them into your schedule whenever convenient.
Examine how different poses feel at other times of the day to identify the optimum time for yoga for you. It will ultimately come down to personal preference. You may notice that you have more energy in the mornings but are also tighter. You may feel more limber in the evenings but also more exhausted.
Finding the best time of day is significant if you want to start a home practice. The morning or evening is often the most convenient for people who work typical business hours. A morning ritual might help you ease into your day and get it off to a good start. Evening practice can help you de-stress and relax.
How to Begin a Yoga Practice at Home
Questions and Answers
When is the best time to practice hot yoga?
Although hot yoga courses are available in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings, many practitioners prefer doing so on an empty stomach; this might make mornings more convenient, especially since you’ll probably want to shower before heading to work. If your schedule allows, you can practice in the afternoons or evenings, depending on your preferred time.
When and for how long is the optimal time to practice yoga? The time of day you practice yoga is up to you. How long you practice depends on your schedule, degree of physical activity, and any workout goals you may have. Although most yoga courses are 60 minutes long, 45, 75, and 90-minute classes, as well as shorter options if you’re short on time. According to research, 20 minutes of yoga every day is sufficient to get the benefits of the practice.
You can also benefit from a short yoga regimen that includes positions such as a downward dog (adho mukha svanasana), standing forward bend, and cat-cow stretches.
Is it safe to perform yoga before going to bed?
Before going to bed, doing some gentle and restorative yoga poses is a good idea. Active classes, such as vinyasa, may increase your energy levels and make it harder to fall asleep. While this may not be true for everyone, it’s a good idea to consider practicing yoga at night to wind down from a stressful day.
Finally, we may say
Whatever time of day you choose to practice yoga, make it a relaxing time that you can commit to practicing. It’s too easy to put it off in favor of more essential matters. Because most people are creatures of habit, if you want your schedule to stick, you must commit to sticking to it.
Don’t be too concerned with what other people think is the “ideal” time to practice yoga. Determine the optimum times of day for you—even if it’s a combination of mornings, afternoons, and evenings throughout the week.