Q+A: SHOULD YOU DO THE SAME YOGA POSES EVERY DAY?
This is a question I get a lot, but on social media, I don't really have the space to go into it fully. In today's video, I'm giving you the long answer to this question, and I hope it helps you to decide what is going to work best for you and your yoga practice.
If you don't want to watch the video, you can read the full transcript below...
“Q: Should I do the same yoga poses every day?”
A: To be honest, I really can’t make that decision for you. The answer to this question is going to depend on what your goals are and ultimately it’s going to have to be something that you decide for yourself as you get to know your body and what it needs.
Some people like doing the same sequence of poses every day because it helps them to feel grounded. It gives them a sense of routine and safety. If your someone who has a lot of anxiety or nervous tension, this might be a good option for you. Having that consistency can be really soothing for mind and body. It can also be beneficial if you’re using your yoga practice as a sort of physical therapy to relieve pain. If you have pretty consistent lower back pain, it would make sense to do the same poses each day to target that area.
Other people like to practice a different sequence of poses every day in order to give their bodies a diverse and balanced practice. This can be a good option too. If you’re someone who has widespread globalized pain, this kind of unpredictable practice can be good for your body as it works to release muscle tension and fascia. But even within this type of practice you’ll see foundational poses like child’s pose, downward dog, and savasana anchoring the practice.
If you’re just starting out with yoga and it’s been awhile since you’ve stretched or exercised, I would recommend starting with just one yoga pose each day and gauging how the pose affects you. When you’re in the pose, how do you feel? Does your breath feel restricted? Do you feel energized? Or do you feel fatigued all of a sudden? Also ask yourself how you feel energetically. We store a lot of emotions in our bodies so sometimes when we practice yoga those emotions get released and if we’re not ready for it, it can feel really intense. So ask yourself how do I feel right now? Do I feel anxious in this pose? Do I feel sad? Is this an emotion I can consciously sit with? Can I breathe through it? Or is the sensation too strong for me to handle right now? Maybe I need to back off and visit this pose again later.
There are no wrong answers to these questions.
It’s all about getting in tune with yourself and trusting your intuition.
I know that at first this idea can seem really abstract. Like okay how do I actually connect with myself? How do I “listen to my body?”
And this is actually what we’re going to be talking about in my yoga membership program this month. Really going deeper into the idea of connecting with the body and really getting in touch with our inner wisdom. If you’d like you can try a week free and see if the membership is something you’ll benefit from. I’ll leave a link in the description box below and I hope to see you there.
