Morning vs Evening Yoga: What's the Best Time for Your Body and Mind?

Whoever thought that a 5,000 year old ancient tradition would become the healing source for millions of people across the globe? Yoga, a practice of exercise originating from India involves consistent coordinated movements of the body and mind to help people improve not only their physical but also mental and emotional health.
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It has become so popular and effective that in 2014, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the
. While some love beginning their day with yoga, others prefer ending it with exercise.
While the forms of yoga remain similar, the time differs. Does it matter and which time is better for your body and mind- morning or evening? Let's find out.
Why morning yoga ?
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Beginning the day with an hour or more of yoga makes people feel energized and active to tackle the rest of their busy day.
'Starting your day with yoga in the morning is a guaranteed way to activate your muscle groups, energize your whole body, as well as stimulate the mind. Surya namaskar, or sun salutations, in the morning, are considered the best wake-up call for your body and mind. This ensures that you remain alert and focused throughout the day, translating into better productivity.
" said Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar, yoga guru and founder of Akshar Yoga Kendraa.
Benefits of morning yoga
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Doing yoga in the morning is known to awaken the body and the mind as it activates the circulation of oxygen throughout the body and increases alertness and readiness.
It also improves digestion and metabolism by burning calories early in the morning.
Mindful breathing practices in the early morning channelise your thoughts and clear brain fog.
Mornings are much calmer and less noisy than evenings, thus you can build a routine of yoga every day and do it without any distractions.
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Lastly, doing yoga around dawn, which is known as the Brahma muhurta aligns with yogic wisdom.
Why evening yoga ?
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When compared to morning yoga, evening yoga is aimed at relaxation rather than energization. At this time, your body has moved around a lot and the mind has worked in ten different aspects. Thus, for a more relaxed feeling and sleep, people practice yoga to calm down.
Benefits of evening yoga
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One of the biggest benefits of evening yoga is that at this time you can try out a lot of big stretching postures as the body is flexible after a day of movement.
It relaxes tight and sore muscles and helps centre the mind.
Most people practice yoga in the evening to deal with restless sleep as it helps lower the cortisol level, thus ensuring a deep sleep and a more energized and active morning.
As mentioned before, yoga is not only effective on physical and mental health but also emotional health. After a long day of stress and anxiety-inducing events and conversations, balancing your emotions with an hour of yoga, helps you deal with them in a positive manner.
Morning yoga or Evening yoga: Which is better?
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It all depends on your routine. For people who have more time in the mornings, morning yoga can be a good start for the day. However, for those who have rushed mornings and are more comparatively free during the evening, evening yoga is great.
For people who like discipline and routine, morning yoga can be a better option as it aligns with a consistent routine and can be done every morning. But for people who thrive in the evenings, evening yoga can be perfect.
Ideally, one should practice both morning and evening yoga. You can experiment with the timings depending on your needs for energization or calmness.
If you don't have the time to do both, then try practicing in the morning for one week and evening for another and see which makes the mind and body feel better.
No matter what the time is, it is more vital to practice yoga regularly as it ensures your positive health.

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