Yoga is all about bringing balance to your life and promoting physical and mental wellbeing through strength, flexibility and breath exercises.
If you’ve just started yoga, or you’re looking to enhance your yoga experience, you may be wondering the best time to practice your poses.
The simplest answer is: whenever is best for you!
Ultimately, yoga is designed to help you clear your mind, so it makes sense to do yoga when it best suits you. Avoid feeling stressed by trying to cram a yoga session when you don’t have time, just because it’s the morning!
Differences in Yoga Poses
However, it also depends on the type of routine you do. Some poses are energising, while others are calming, so there may be particular yoga routines you follow in the morning that you wouldn’t do in the evening.
For example, backbends and sun salutations are energising and invigorating – perfect for morning routines, but probably not what you’re after for the evening when you need calm before bedtime.
Instead, in the evening, you probably want forward bends to calm, as well as twisting poses to help relieve tensions that have built throughout the day.
Practising Yoga in the Morning
If you’re a morning person, or you tend to have a few moments of peace to yourself in the mornings, then it makes sense to enjoy yoga at this time. A morning routine can help you clear your mind and awaken your body for the day ahead.
A key benefit to morning yoga is that an early morning session can help to refresh the body if you tend to feel stiff after waking up. Doing yoga first thing also offers the additional benefit of an empty stomach – no one wants to be twisting their body round or lying tummy-down on the floor after a meal!
Another argument in favour of morning yoga is that not only does it set the tone for your day, but it can also ensure that you get it done! If you decide to do an evening routine, then it can be tempting to push it back or let other chores and activities get in the way of your relaxation time.
Finally, some choose to enjoy yoga in the morning because it tends to be cooler then. By doing yoga in the morning, you may be able to work out for longer, as you may not get as hot.
Practising Yoga in the Evening
If you use yoga as a way to help you unwind and relax, then it might make more sense for you to practice it in the evening before bedtime, as a way to settle your body and mind ready for sleep.
By enjoying yoga in the evening, you are giving yourself time to free your mind from the stresses of the day, making drifting off to sleep a little easier!
If you often find falling asleep difficult, then there are other supplementary things you can try to help you relax in the evenings, such as CBD oil. This can also be useful to help soothe sore muscles if you find you’ve stretched yourself too much trying a new yoga pose!
Practising yoga in the evening has additional benefits, too. If you find yourself rushed in the morning trying to fit in a routine before work or school, then the evening may provide you with more free time.
A further benefit of evening yoga is its ability to help break ‘bad’ habits. If you are prone to sitting in front of the television and snacking all night, then breaking this time up with a yoga routine can help to promote healthier choices in your lifestyle.
Same Time Every Day?
When it comes to yoga, consistency is important, but it generally refers to consistently practising each day, rather than at a set time. As long as you get a chance to enjoy yoga each day, the exact time shouldn’t matter.
It is more important that the time you set out for yoga won’t leave you feeling rushed, stressed or overly tired, as trying to cram a routine for the sake of it may cause you to lose enthusiasm or abandon yoga.
As such, you can even practise in the mornings some days and in the evenings on others, if that works best for you.
When do you find is best to practise yoga? If you have tips for finding the right time to do yoga and making space in your day, then leave us a comment on our social media channels!
