What is the Best Time to Do Yoga?
There is no specific time of day to avoid in terms of practicing yoga, as long as it isn’t after a meal. While performing yoga in the morning can have many positive influences, there are reasons to practice in the afternoon or evening and ways to enhance the experience based on when your yoga session takes place. Choosing the best time to do yoga is based completely on the individual!
Morning Yoga
Doing yoga in the morning is a great way to stretch your body out in preparation for the day. By doing yoga you are stimulating blood circulation and many organ functions, which is a great way to start the morning before a long day of work or relaxation. Also, clearing the mind and meditating in the morning using deep, mindful breaths will help reduce stress levels and increase focus. Additionally, practicing yoga just before dawn is a traditional method, thought to be the best time for spiritual practice.
Afternoon Yoga
If you feel that your muscles are very stiff in the morning, practicing yoga can be very rewarding and help stretch out your muscles. However, if you find this too uncomfortable, waiting until later in the day will allow you much more freedom of movement as your body will have warmed-up throughout the day. Feeling more comfortable in your movements will relax you, making it easier for you to clear your mind and relieve stress. Also, if you feel that yoga helps aid in digestion, performing later on in the day may help deal with pains you expect to feel at night or in the morning.
Evening Yoga
Practicing yoga in the evening can be incredibly relaxing if you create an evening yoga regime. If you feel tightness in your back and have trouble falling asleep at night, certain asanas can really help relieve the tension in your lower back and legs for a more restful sleep. There are even poses that are safe and comfortable to perform while laying bed! Performing yoga at night can make you feel more comfortable if you experience nausea or discomfort in the morning. Some people just feel more motivated to exercise at night — honestly, whatever time works best for you will yield positive results regardless!
Other Factors
Lastly, another factor to consider is the weather. In the winter, performing yoga early in the morning may feel uncomfortable on your muscles and your lungs if the air is dry. In the summer it may be too hot to practice in the middle of the day, so you may want to move your routine to the morning or evening after the sun goes down. The key is to be comfortable, because otherwise your focus and attention will waver throughout the session, and you may begin to feel burdened instead of relaxed.
