People often promote the benefits of practicing yoga first thing in the morning. To get up early and begin with the sunrise. They find a morning practice to be refreshing, energizing and inspiring — exactly what they need to begin the day.

But what if your schedule doesn’t allow for morning exercise? Or what if you just have a difficult time waking up early? Practicing yoga in the morning can be an inspiring way to start your day, but there are plenty of benefits to practicing yoga after work or before bed. 

Relaxes your body

Practicing yoga at night promotes muscle relaxation by releasing the tension often created from your workday. It also helps you destress by releasing your mind from the “fight-or-flight” mode caused by a stressful day.  

After relaxing your mind, yoga poses combined with deep breathing and meditation helps you develop mindfulness instead of poor late-night habits such as snacking or mindlessly scrolling on your phone. 2:1 breathing has been shown to naturally slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure, and induce a deep state of relaxation, making it easier to fall asleep.

Promotes deeper sleep

Practicing yoga before bed promotes deeper, more replenishing sleep. The relaxation effects of any yoga practice are wonderful for soothing you into sleep mode at the end of your day. In addition to helping you get to sleep faster, 2:1 breathing is shown to help you stay asleep.

Allows you to mindfully experience the benefits

In the evening after work is the perfect time to let go of the day. You can forget about difficult situations, uncomfortable conversations, or any other stress you’re left considering after the workday.

During the day, you’re more likely to be distracted by what comes next. But at the end of the day, you’re free of a schedule and less likely to be thinking about your next activity. An after work or before bed practice allows you to savor all the wonderful benefits of yoga.

Allows you to avoid the morning rush 

Yoga should be a peaceful, mindful practice. Our mornings are often anything but peaceful. Instead of rushing to fit another thing into your morning, it might be more effective if you did it after work.

One of the practical benefits of practicing yoga at night is that you get to avoid the busy, morning rush. Most likely, your studio will be quieter at night, and you will be able to enjoy smaller, more intimate yoga classes. 

The peaceful atmosphere is the perfect setting to ready your mind and body for a restful night’s sleep. 

Daily yoga practice provides many health benefits! If you prefer to do it at night, use it as a  relaxing sequence, allowing for your body to unwind before bed.