Can You Do Yoga Every Day?
Yoga is an ancient physical and mental practice for better health, happiness, and peace. It's been around for centuries and shows no signs of slowing down thanks to its incredible results. It's traveled from its origins in India to reach practically every corner of the earth where people now practice countless different styles.
Modern-day yoga done in the Western world has largely transformed into a form of exercise, but its benefits are still unique and holistic. It can help with mental issues like anxiety and depression, and it can also increase athleticism, mobility, and longevity.
There's no such thing as a "cure-all", but it seems yoga may be as close as we can get. Because of all the incredible benefits, you may be wondering if it's recommended or even safe to do yoga every day.
The answer is sometimes yes, and sometimes no. It depends on each person's individual circumstances. Keep reading to find out more.
Is Yoga Right For You?
Before questioning if you should start a daily yoga practice, perhaps you should first examine if you should be doing it at all. While yoga is a wonderful tool for better health, it's not for everyone.
The first group of people who should be careful before deciding to try yoga are those with injuries. While some injuries are able to be accommodated during yoga, it's best to work with a knowledgeable practitioner to avoid making injuries worse.
Certain styles of yoga can be quite intense, so it's also better to start off with a gentle version such as restorative yoga or chair yoga if the body is in a compromised state. This can be done in person or from the comfort of home by following along with a video or using a chair yoga app.
Another demographic that shouldn't dive headfirst into yoga without careful consideration is women who are pregnant. Although pregnant women can certainly do yoga and reap benefits from it, they will need to modify their experience to accommodate their growing baby and avoid any dangerous poses. Doing a mild version of yoga or a prenatal class is a safe option.
Last but not least, some people with serious psychological issues may want to be selective of the type of yoga they do, and what environment they do it in. Yoga often involves delving deep into awareness, and this may not be something a highly traumatized person is expecting or ready for.
What Type of Yoga Should You Try?
If you feel confident that yoga is right for you, you'll next have to select a style. There's an ever growing list of yoga styles, but some of the most well-known ones are:
Hatha
Vinyasa
Ashtanga
Chair Yoga
Bikram
Power Yoga
Aerial Yoga
Yin Yoga
Restorative Yoga
Iyengar Yoga
Kundalini Yoga
These styles of yoga can be drastically different. Some are athletic and intense, while others are gentle and relaxing, and still others are a mix of both. All types of yoga focus on moving the body with awareness and control while cultivating mental awareness at the same time. It's a very mentally engaging activity, so much so that many yoga instructors refer to it as a "work-in" rather than a workout.
Another common feature in all types of yoga is a focus on the breath. The breath is known as our life force, and working on breath control can help both our physical and mental symptoms. It's used as a tool to link our physical experience in the practice to what's happening inside of our minds while doing yoga.
Some types of yoga also add techniques like singing, chanting, or rhythmic movements. It can almost look like dancing at times. This is especially common in Kundalini Yoga, but many other styles incorporate it to an extent.
With all of these various features in mind, it's important to remember to link the type of yoga to try with the benefits you're seeking. If you're looking for improved athleticism, you'll likely want to try a challenging style like Ashtanga or Bikram.
If you're instead seeking relaxation, you may want to do Yin, Restorative, or perhaps even aerial yoga. If you're seeking a well-rounded combination of effects, Hatha or Vinyasa are a great place to start.
Getting Started With Your Yoga Journey
Yoga can be done in public group settings, or in private at home. It can be done with an in-person instructor, an online instructor, a recorded video, or even self-led. These options all give a very different experience. It can be a social activity or a solo exploration done without any interaction with people at all.
The most important thing is to find an option you're comfortable with and enjoy. Once you've gotten started, the important question of how much yoga to do comes up.
For most people, yoga can be done every day with great results. Daily practice can help with forming a habit to improve consistency, and it can rapidly provide effects thanks to the volume. That being said, it doesn't have to be done daily for good results, and each person should always listen to their own body to determine what's right for them.
The biggest indicator of overdoing it with yoga is whether or not the body is recovering fully from each session. If you have sore muscles, achy joints, or even low energy, it may be time to take a break. Bypassing these warning signs can otherwise lead to injury and make yoga end up doing more harm than good.
If you're not ready to give up practicing yoga every day when feeling these symptoms, it's best to at least mix up the intensity and opt for a few days of gentle and restorative yoga to aid in recovery.
It may also take some time for the body to adapt to yoga and become resilient to the types of stress it puts on the body. In the beginning, many people need longer breaks in between sessions, but over time a daily practice is reasonable for most people to work up to.
Conclusion
Yoga is an incredible tool and while a few rare people can go overboard with their enthusiasm, most people are safe to do yoga every day. As long as you're not injuring yourself and you're getting adequate rest, more yoga is likely to do more good.
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