When Is The Best Time To Do Yoga? 

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Doing yoga at the right time of the day is highly beneficial. So, when is the best time to do yoga? We discuss the matter here in details and try to answer all your questions on the timing of Yoga.

Yoga is a very popular workout in recent times. It has evolved from years of experience and modification by those who practiced it. Basically, it is a combination of breathing, synchronized movement, and meditation.

If you list all the benefits of yoga, you will find out that there are quite a few major ones. Moreover, you can do it anywhere, any time, and still enjoy the good effects it has on the body and mind both.

However, in spite of all the benefits, you may need to find out the best time to do yoga. We all have a biological clock within us, which is dependent on weather, temperature, etc.

Depending on that, there are some specific time periods, when you can practice and gain optimum benefit from this practice. Although it is dependent on you to some extent, we will discuss here the best time to perform yoga in general.

When Is The Best Time To Do Yoga 

Traditional Yoga Timing: Is Early Morning Yoga A Must? 

According to the common belief, you should do yoga in the early morning. Get up from the bed and do it before breakfast. After that, take a bath and start your day. While there are some people who prefer the afternoon.

Hence it can be a bit confusing, to find out which is the best time. As it turns out, the matter is relative. It actually depends on you, your own preference and time schedule, your needs, and your daily routine. Based on that, and a few pointers, the best time to do yoga can be decided.

Of course, doing Yoga in the morning is a great option. It helps to energize you, rejuvenate the body. Also, it stretches the muscles and joints. So, you would be ready for all the challenges of your daily life.

On the other hand, if you do it at the end of the day, it can remove the stress and tiredness of the day. Also, if you get bored in the middle of the day, you can opt for yoga even in the break. 

It depends on personal choice to that extent. Also, another factor that helps to set the best time to do yoga is which type of yoga you prefer, spiritual or physical-oriented or for overall growth.

Traditional Yoga Timing

Deciding On The Best Time To Do Yoga

An integral approach to yoga is highly beneficial, and so, you should mix and match the elements of practice. It can help to enhance the growth of the body and soul. Depending on the type of yoga, the time can be determined.

The Asana can be performed at any time of day barring two to three hours after a meal. However, you should not do the hyper-active postures before bedtime or else it will hamper the sleep.

The Asanas should be followed by pranayama or breathing exercises. It helps to reduce stress, so you can do it when under pressure or not enough space for asanas. It is followed by meditation, but you should not do it when you are drowsy.

The best time for it is when you are relaxed yet awake. Fresh air and ample light are good for meditation. You can opt for daytime in the outdoors, but sitting in direct sunlight is harmful while doing yoga. So, decide accordingly. Now, let’s discuss the different times of the day and the benefits of doing yoga then.

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Early Morning Yoga

Early Morning Yoga

It is the best time to practice for some specific school of yoga, like the Ashtanga tradition. The best time is before or just after sunrise. Leave the bed, clean your bowels and you are ready for early morning yoga, as it can make you energized for the whole day ahead.

PROS

  • At the crack of the dawn, the air is fresh, the temperature is low. It is the perfect ambience for practicing yoga.
  • It makes a habit of regular bowel movement, which is good for the body.
  • If you do Pranayama and meditation in the morning, it will increase your attention and concentration span too.

CONS

  • If you are a working professional and have an early morning shift or class to attend, you cannot make time for yoga at the start of the day. But that does not mean that you cannot practice yoga at all. For that, choose other slots of time during the day.
Evening Yoga Routine

Evening Yoga Routine

Evening practice is good if you return around 6 or just after the sunset. After spending a grinding day of the daily routine, yoga can help you wind down. The muscles get relaxed and you can leave behind all the stress. It has a calming effect on the tired mind and body.

PROS

  • It is good as a relaxing practice after a day of work.
  • Yoga in the evening calms you down, and you can enjoy a sound sleep at night.

CONS

  • In this case, when you are approaching the end of the session, try to focus more on Pranayama and meditation.
  • Do not go for the challenging yoga poses which may leave you hyper-energized. It will affect your sleep pattern and lower the energy level the next day.

Have an early lunch, at least 3 hours before the break time, so that there is enough gap between the meal and yoga practice time. Still, you should not do any high activity yoga workout. Only Hatha Yoga poses and Pranayama can be done in the middle of the day.

Conclusion

Every individual in this world carries a uniqueness within, and a result, no one can set a universal best time for yoga. Even if there were some ‘perfect’ time, practising yoga at one’s convenient time is better than having no yoga at all. Still, there are a few key benefits in every time of the day.

If you practice yoga at sunrise, it can be the best possible start of the day. Yoga energizes and recharges you more efficiently than any cup of coffee or tea. The poses will keep you flexible for the day, and relax the stiff muscle and joints. The pranayama will clear your mind and confusion.

When you top it up with a morning dose for meditation, it will increase concentration, confidence, and memory too. At the same time, working out when you come back home, can wash away the strain of a whole day, and transform you into a relaxed avatar.

For this very reason, when you go to a yoga studio, you will find that they have sessions throughout the day. They generally have a 6 am class as the morning session, a 6 pm class for the after-work professional session, and even a mid-day or lunch-hour quick session. Yoga is an inclusive workout, for everyone, anywhere.

So, do not worry too much about finding the single ‘best’ time to do yoga. The secret is, there is no exclusive magical hour for it. The thing that matters most is doing yoga, any time you can manage.

Of course, doing it in specific times have specific benefits. But, to gain the most of it, you have to experiment and find out the time frame you can manage.

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