When you perform your yoga routines is individualistic and should be done when it best fits in with your daily schedule, lifestyle and body signals. Some yogis champion for morning workouts; others prefer to practice yoga mid-day; still others swear evening is the best time.
Your Daily Schedule When You Practice Yoga
If you have the time in the morning or can make the time, right after you get up is a good time to practice. Because yoga is best practiced on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning is a good time to run through your yoga routine. With an early morning routine, when you ate last is not an issue, as it can be at other times of the day. Because you are fresh, you can practice a variety of active energizing poses and perform a full workout, but realize the downside is your muscles may be stiff during the first few poses.
If midday is your best time of day for yoga, you may prefer to concentrate your practice on seated bends and twist poses. It can drain away the stress from the morning and prepare you for the afternoon.
For many yogis, the best time of day is in the evening. The workday is over, you most likely have not eaten since lunch (outside of a small mid-afternoon healthy snack) and your muscles are loose from the daily grind. It can be the perfect time of day to practice calming and relaxing poses.
Split yoga practices are also popular. Some yogis do a short routine in the morning to get them ready for the day and a longer routine of different poses in the evening to relax them. Regardless when you practice, finish with the Corpse Pose.
Your Lifestyle When You Practice Yoga
You may be one where the time of day does not drive your yoga practices, but instead your lifestyle. These people fit in yoga practices where it best fits in with their daily schedule. If you take yoga classes, most studios offer several classes throughout the day, so finding one that fits your schedule shouldn’t be too difficult. You may start out with some energizing poses and wind down at the end with calming and relaxing ones.
Listen to Your Body Signals When You Practice Yoga
Once you have been doing yoga for a while, you will find yourself in better tune with your body. If you listen to what it has to say, you may find out that you are practicing too often.
Our bodies are sensitive also to the change in seasons. You may find a select group of poses work well in summer, but not in the winter. However you may also find that certain poses work well both in the spring and fall because of the likeness in temperature during those two times of year.
You will find some great yoga demonstration to help you get started right here http://myfitnessnut.com/hatha-yoga-poses but regardless of which poses you do or when you practice yoga, the important part is reaping the benefits of doing yoga to improve your health and well-being.
