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Time of day definitely affects your yoga practice. Body and mind are just so different at different points in the day. Doing appropriate exercise at different times of day can be effective in regulating body functions and can improve mental performance in the daytime and restful sleep at night.
Morning and evening yoga are often recommended for their health benefits. These are times of day when the body can face the most challenges; in the morning feelings of fogginess, stiffness and confusion are common, and in the evening anxiety, difficulty unwinding and muscle strain are common complaints. These symptoms can be improved through just a few minutes of yoga at these vulnerable times of day. But in today's busy world, going to a studio yoga class is often too time consuming and expensive.
Yoga at home once used to be only for experienced yoga practitioners, but not any more. More and more, online yoga is now providing a way for all of us to get all of the benefits of yoga!
In the mornings a vigorous practice to wake up your body and to focus your mind can be very beneficial. Even if there isn't much time, a short sequence can really make a difference in your day! More and more people are turning to online yoga so they can do yoga in the comfort of their own home. A morning class you might choose could be around 25 minutes long and of a difficulty level high enough to be challenging but gentle and comfortable (beginners always stick to the easiest difficulty levels, sometimes called Restorative).
In the evening, winding down the day with a slower paced Restorative class can slow down the autonomic nervous system and promote restful, deep sleep. Yoga promotes detoxification and healing, and slipping into sleep after a gentle yoga practice will enhance this health benefit. Our recommendation from Guided Yoga would be a 20 minute restorative level class for maximum relaxation and sleep enhancement.
Even if you don't have time for a long practice, between the two shorter sessions you will have practiced around an hour of Yoga and you will receive all of the health benefits of yoga without ever setting foot in a yoga studio!
(Beginners should remember that yoga, like all physical exercise, puts strain on the body and people with health concerns should consult a physician before starting a new exercise routine.)
©2010 Guided Yoga LLC
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