What’s the Best Time to Do Yoga?

Yoga is a disciplined method for attaining a goal. It includes both physical and spiritual methods to control the body and mind. Yoga has gained a lot of popularity over the past few years. It has a lot of benefits and a few or none side effects. Yoga is a widely discussed topic, but the best time to do yoga is almost never discussed. A very few people know that the time of yoga has a lot to do with its effectiveness. Let us discuss the best time to practice yoga.

The day is divided into four parts in yogic science:

1. Brahma muhurta
2. Sunrise
3. Noon
4. Sunset

What’s the best time to do yoga?

Brahma Muhurta And Sunrise

The Brahma muhurta is about one and a half hours before sunrise. This is the ideal time for spiritual practices and prayers. So, if you want to practice yoga to elevate your spiritual being, then the Brahma Muhurta is the best time for you.  According to Vedic texts, one should wake up during the Brahma muhurta for sustaining perfect health and achieving a long lifespan. This time is also considered the best time to do yoga and for attaining eternal happiness. This is because, at this time, the environment is calm and soothing and the mind is fresh after sleep. If the Brahma muhurta does not suit your lifestyle, then the time of sunrise is equally beneficial.

If you practice yoga at the time of sunrise, then yoga should be the first thing you do, and it should be practiced before breakfast. There are a few good advantages to this. It can be the perfect way to start your day with mindful awareness. If the first thing you do in the morning is connecting with yourself then it will provide you mental strength. It loosens and energizes your body. Practice in the morning makes a person work better for the whole day.  Other benefits of morning yoga are as follows:

Severity and frequency of morning joint stiffness can be reduced by early morning exercise, especially stretching. Morning yoga boosts mood and mental sharpness. The severity of anxiety and stress triggers reduces for the whole day as the mind remains calm.

It is effective in stimulating the metabolism and promoting better digestion. Practicing yoga on an empty stomach during early morning hours is the best for digestion as the food has already been digested during sleep and the body would expend lesser energy on digesting the food.

You can conquer the day with confidence and lesser distractions. You can connect peacefully with your inner self before getting indulged in the everyday chaos.

Noon

Noon is definitely not the best time to do yoga. This is because your lunch meal requires a gap of at least 1-2 hours after eating. Therefore, if you do Yoga at this time, the body will spend less energy on digestion and more energy on holding poses. Moreover, during noon, there is more sweating because of the heat which can lead to dehydration.

However, if there is no other suitable time for you, you can practice yoga during early afternoon before lunch or in the late afternoon 2 hours after lunch. It will improve your appetite for your evening meal.

Sunset

While early morning practice has a lot of things to recommend, it might not be practical for the working folks of today’s modern life. So, if you don’t want to wake up early, that does not mean you cannot practice yoga. You can practice yoga later in the evening at the time of sunset and incorporate it as a routine in your lifestyle.

• The various benefits of evening yoga are:
• Removal of fatigue from the body after a long day of work.
• It makes one feel fresh and calm
• Yoga helps your digestive system to assimilate the food you ate during the day
• Yoga decreases the chances of bloating, gas, diarrhea and stomach cramps.

It relaxes your mind after the completion of the day and can be a natural cure for insomnia and other sleep-related disorders. Ending your day with a peaceful state of mind will help you in waking up fresh and rejuvenated.

When is Not the Best Time to do Yoga 

The only time when yoga should not be practiced is immediately after meals. This is because the body will need more energy for digestion after meals and hence you may experience fatigue. Moreover, practicing some poses immediately after meals will not be a pleasant experience. Try to put a gap of at least 2 hours after meals to practice yoga.

Conclusion

Yoga is a holistic practice that benefits you physically, mentally, and spiritually at any time of the day. You can choose the best time to do yoga according to what suits your lifestyle. It is better to choose a time that is convenient for you. What is important is to procure the best from each yoga session and enhance your experience. Whenever you choose to practice yoga, consider it a sacred time to honor your body.