I never really understood what yoga was about until I tried it. At first, I didn’t know why people made such a big fuss about it.
I could never comprehend why some people were talking about yoga as if they were addicted. How could anyone practice these poses and feel so relaxed afterward? How could they shut the voices in their heads amidst all this silence?
It all changed the minute I finished my first yoga session. I felt energized, yet paralyzed. It gave peace to my mind and resilience to my body.
I felt connected to my soul and I felt as if I was one with the universe. I was floating on a cloud and I wanted its effects to never wear.
However, when I started doing yoga more often, I noticed that sometimes I don’t get that same feeling of serenity. So, when I connected the dots, I knew that timing is everything.
I knew that forcing myself to do yoga first thing in the morning does not give me the same feeling when I do yoga at night. I wasn’t a morning person by all means and I hated losing a minute of my sleep, and I knew that I wasn’t putting my heart and soul into those morning sessions.
I was grumpy and cranky and kept snoozing my alarm; it felt like torture so I couldn’t enjoy my sessions. But, when I was doing yoga at night, it felt so peaceful and relaxing; I enjoyed every second of it and I was involved in every move.
Really, there is no best time to do yoga; the best time has to be the best time for YOU. What works for you might not work for somebody else.
No one can decide when is your perfect timing but you. There are many factors that you need to take into consideration that will be discussed below.
1- What Does Your Daily Schedule Look Like?
Doing yoga should not feel like a chore; you should look forward to it every single time. You could easily lose the will to play yoga if you can’t seem to fit it into your schedule.
For instance, a mother decides to squeeze her yoga session first thing in the morning. She sets the mood for yoga, lights a scented candle, puts some relaxing music, rolls her yoga mat on the ground, and hops in her yoga pants.
The minute she starts her breathing exercises, one of the kids wakes up and comes crawling to the mat she’s sitting on. How frustrating would that feel? Her moment of “zen” is interrupted and she feels bad throughout the rest of the day.
So instead of forcing herself to practice yoga first thing in the morning, it’s better for her to squeeze in this session while the kids are in school.
Moreover, if you’re working the night shift, it can be difficult to wake yourself up just to do yoga. It would be more tempting to stay in bed because you want to get every minute of sleep. In this case, it would be easier to do it in the afternoon.
2- When Do You Mostly Feel Energetic?
Some of us rejoice in the mornings and think that the morning hours are the most glorious of the day. While other people –the night owls– swear by the night and believe it’s when they feel most energetic.
Some people can work all day and still have the energy to do yoga at night, while others just want to take a warm shower and get cozy with their favorite blanket. Just like there are people who love doing yoga in the morning because it’s when their mind is the clearest and their energy levels are the highest.
Again, it’s all based on when you feel energetic; you know your body better than anyone. There are no right or wrong answers here!
3- What’s Your Purpose?
Your timing could also be connected to the reason why you want to do yoga. For instance, do you do morning yoga because it fills you with energy for the rest of the day? Or do you practice yoga at night because it helps you unwind and washes away the days’ burdens?
Is your main goal to help calm your anxiety and prepare you for a hectic day ahead? Or is it to give you peace of mind at night and help you sleep like a baby? Or is it to improve your physical health and increase your flexibility? Maybe you have chronic back pain and your doctor recommended yoga.
I loved my afternoon yoga sessions because they helped me distress after a long day at work. It helped me in detoxing and in letting go, which made me sleep like a baby all night long.
Why do YOU practice yoga?
4- When Are You Likely To Commit?
Ask yourself: “When am I most likely to commit?”
Finding the best time for you is important because it can help you stay on track; it’s important because it will increase your chances of committing. Is the best time to do yoga when your kids are at school? Or is it better to do it before the sun rises because it’s the first thing to do and you’re not likely to lose track of time?
Moreover, don’t try to force yourself to play every single day. It’s a great start to squeeze in yoga sessions three times per week. If you force yourself to do it every day from the very beginning, you’re more likely to quit. You will feel like it’s overwhelming to squeeze this session every day.