Morning Yoga vs. Evening Yoga Benefits
I have had issues with regular yoga practice. This was not a motivation issue, it was just a matter of timing. I used to listen to gurus who glorified the salutations at sunrise, my body was like a heap of bricks at 6 am. Then I would attempt to have one evening session and again my mind flies throughout the day. I had a sense that it was a fight that I could not win.
It was only after I applied the real advantages of morning yoga benefits over evening yoga benefits that I understood it all. I had ceased struggling with the natural rhythm of my body and I began to collaborate. I want to tell you what I have learned and you will be able to discover your ideal flow, as well.
My Morning Yoga Ritual: Waking up on Purpose.
My interest in the morning yoga style actually yielded the hype when I finally took it seriously. It does not require much acrobaticism but establishing a strong mood of the whole day.
It is normal that my body is stiff in the morning. A soft exercise does not impose on it, but entices it into waking. The main aim of this is to get rid of sleep inertia, lubricate the joints and create a base of mindful energy.
The effects of a morning practice on me include:
Heats My Fires and My Energy: A couple of Sun Salutations are able to warm me and increase the supply of oxygen in the body. This is more efficient than a cup of coffee and this gives clean energy that is not jittery and has a long time.
Hones My Mind: Waking up on my mat, the first thing is that I get on my thoughts. I set a purpose for my day. This silent hour makes my morning fog considerably lighter and gets me and my brain ready to work.
Develops Unshakable Discipline: To be frank, it is not easy to get out of a warm bed. It is a mental muscle building decision to make the decision to do my practice first thing. It is a little victory that makes the other difficulties of the day less daunting.
Bolsters My Spirit: Movement, breathing, and a moment of thanksgiving cause endorphins to be released. I get out of my mat in a better mood, patient, and prepared to communicate with the world.
My Perfect Morning Routine: I leave it at 15-30 minutes. It’s a dynamic, gentle flow. Cat-cow, soft twists, and Surya Namaskar. I do not practice deep and restorative holds and heavy inversions.
My Evening Yoga Unwind: putting the weight of the day away.
My evening practice is a totally different but an equally holy experience. Yoga mat is my escape after a hard working day, when I am tired of screens, the mess in my mind.
Where morning yoga is energy-building, evening yoga is recycling this energy. It is my mechanism of combating the stress of the day and letting my nervous system know that it can relax.
That is why I love my evening classes:
It is The Ultimate Stress Melter: Sitting in a Pose supported Child or a mild forward bend will tell my body to go off fight-or-flight mode to rest-and-digest. I can just feel the tension oozing off my shoulders and my jaw.
Much Improves My Sleep Quality: The game-changer to me. An evening restorative or Yin practice will calm my mind and it becomes much easier to drift into deep restful sleep. My sleep comes quicker and I wake up rejuvenated.
Processes the Emotions of the Day: My therapist is my evening mat. I am able to physically expel the frustrations, anxieties, or ecstasies I have had through longer poses. It gives a distinct line between the work mode and the home mode.
Improves Body Awareness: As the body is more relaxed and warm due to the movement of the day, I am able to stretch more deeply with safety. This assists in bending the physical kinks that come about due to sitting on the desk, as well as enhancing my flexibility.
My Ideal Evening Session: I want to have 20-45 minutes. It is deliberate, self-reflective, and earthy. My practice is centered around hip openers, mild hamstring stretches, supported backbends and Yin poses. I never, never do without extended Savasana.
The Verdict: Which Heart did I win?
Then, which one between morning yoga benefits and evening yoga benefits did I prefer in the conflict between them?
I chose both.
However, not the way you would expect. I learned to listen to my body. On other days I rise full of life and a brisk morning shower is just the thing. On other days, I force myself to get out of bed, and even 10 minutes is the maximum I can do. There are evenings when I require an energizing Vinyasa to help me to shed off the stress of the day; and there are nights when I badly need Restorative yoga.
It was not the true advantage that lay in selecting one above the other. It was in knowing that my yoga mat is something I can utilize all day long, and come back to my body and mind at the point where they both stand.
My simple advice for you:
When you want to be energized and focused, incline towards a morning practice.
In any case, an evening practice is more aligned with your objectives of relaxation and improvement of sleep.
Above all, however, simply begin. Test your mat at one time or another and determine how you feel. The answers will be given to you by your body.
Short Questions: Frequently Asked Quickly.
Q: Can one do yoga before going to bed?
A: Not at all! In fact, I highly recommend it. Only make it soft and healing. Shun vigorous, warm streams which could be exciting you unduly.
Q: I’m not a morning person. Is a morning practice to be enforced?
A: I would believe that I had to but no. Coercing it leads to resentment. In the evening begin a practice. It may also happen to you that, as your body adjusts, you get more inclined to move in the morning.
Q: What if I only have 10 minutes?
A: Ten minutes is immeasurably better than none! Even a few poses (3-4) will re-energize you or help you relax. Never mind the unless the good is the enemy of the perfect.