JANUARY 16, 2011

Do You Fancy Practicing During Sunrise Or Sunset?

Posted by Dorothy under Philosophy2 comments

I would like to start off my first blog post of 2011 by exploring the question of when is the best time to practice yoga. Where I come from, we only have TWO seasons: Sunny Or Rainy! Therefore it is less complicated as compared to the FOUR seasons of Winter, Autumn, Spring and Summer. So I will discuss only with the TWO seasons in mind.

Before I explore into the seasons, I will look into the benefits of practicing during sunrise or sunset.

1) When we wake up in the morning, most of us have a list of 101 things to do ( whether we are single or married with  kids ). So it will be inconvenient to try to fit in some yoga practice  while our mind is planning the day. Whereas in the evening, when all the chores are done or you have gotten off work, your mind would have stopped racing and you can get yourself to settle into some yoga.

2) On the other hand, some people prefer a morning session because it kickstarts their mind, body and spirit to face their busy schedule for the day.They become more focused and physically energized. And as the sun turns down, their energy level goes down and yoga will be too much of an effort.

3) Our muscles have been resting the whole night and we will be stiffer in the morning. I personally cringe with the thought of stretching as soon as I get out of bed, but with such limitations, one will have to bury “EGO” and be satisfied with modified versions rather than full poses ( ie: bent knee in a forward fold rather than full extension of the legs ). There will also be more awareness if there are pains and aches in the body.
An evening practice will be lesser of a struggle as your limbs have been moving around the whole day and therefore your muscles are more “warmed up”. You can stretch further and are more agile.

To conclude, everyone has different preferences and daily schedules. No one can tell when you should practice. Just listen to your body and follow your heart. Allow yourself the pleasure of choosing either a morning or evening yoga session depending on your day. It is also up to you whether the practice should be calm or invigorating. Besides that, remember that your yoga practice can be as short as 15 minutes on a busy day and longer when you have time. The key is consistency, rather than to miss out by being too rigid or idealistic. The same principle applies whether the sun is shining or rain is pouring:)

“Anyone who practices can obtain success in yoga but not one who is lazy.  Constant practice alone is the secret of success” Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika

**Our next Langkawi Yoga And Nature Retreat: 17 – 21 February 2011

back to category