I am asked this question a lot — when is the best time to practice yoga and meditation?
If you look online at other blog posts and articles, many claim to have the right answer and the only answer. I’m not quite so sure…and I am naturally always skeptical of a single answer for such a complex world.
Often it is suggested that early morning yoga, before the sun rises and on an empty stomach, is best. I do this some with a few private clients, and I always enjoy practice and starting my day this way. However, if I were not arriving to work with clients, I would not get up and practice this way. When I do, I enjoy it, but if I tried to start a new practice and new habit with this plan, I would fail spectacularly. It’s not enough to motivate me when the alarm goes off. I know myself well enough that I would hit snooze and miss practice and then be frustrated with myself that I wasn’t reaching my yoga goals.
Therefore, I think there is room for tailoring in this question. We all have different natural inclinations and work schedules and lives. Some find that early morning workouts ARE the best, that it wakes them up, sets the tone for the day, and is not something they need to worry about later in the day when they are ready to unwind.
However, yoga is a little different. Yoga can be an ideal way to unwind, an ideal practice to set after work as a way to decompress and close the day before home life begins. Maybe it’s something practiced at home with family. Maybe meditation is part of the evening routine as a way to prepare for bed and quiet the mind.
I am an afternoon/early evening person. That is often my prime time and when I love to exercise. Mid-day is my jam. I love mid-morning, and I love mid-afternoon/evening. It’s enough to set the tone for the remainder of my day if mid-morning, or a great jumpstart for my evening and a way to close out the work day and be ready to rest and relax.
If you are beginning a yoga practice or working to make your practice more consistent, take a step back and reflect on your current lifestyle. When would your practice best, most easily, fit in? THAT is when you want to schedule it. Feel free with trying out different times of the day and see how you feel and when you feel best, how the practice at that time impacts the rest of the day or your evening.
Finding the time that works for you — that is when you should practice.
And to help you enjoy the yoga you want, on the schedule that is best for you, I have 24/7 access to all of my yoga flows. With my membership you have the comfort of knowing you can pull up a meditation or yoga sculpt flow or short audio file of a Vinyasa flow at any time of day, anywhere around the world from a yogi you can trust. Your practice will be even more nourishing by having the familiarity and consistency of delivery — my style of yoga and my voice providing you with your practice on your schedule. It’s also a small investment in your self-care and less than a drop-in studio class in many areas of the country.
And don’t worry — you won’t miss out on the community of the studio. Your online community is ready to welcome you with encouragement and motivation. Check out the membership here. Join us today! 🙂
