From the point of view of practicing on the yoga mat, yoga, as we know, is the composite of three main practices – asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing) and meditation. In fact, when we look at the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali, he prescribes eight limbs of yoga – yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Yamas and niyamas present moral, ethical and social guidelines that help us cleanse the mind and prepare us for other limbs of yoga. Pratyahara is the ability to turn the senses inward. Dharana, dhyana, and samadhi are a continuum of deepening meditation practice.
The definition and goal of yoga is to subdue the constant chatter that goes on in the mind (sutra 1.2)1. The key practice to attain that goal, as prescribed by Patanjali, is meditation. All the other limbs of yoga help and prepare us for attaining deeper states of meditation and ultimately attaining the final goal. The sequence mentioned by Patanjali and the one most people tend to follow is to practice asana, then pranayama and finally meditation. However, given the importance of meditation, you should give the highest priority to meditation.
Patanjali strongly emphasizes the need to practice on a regular basis, without interruption and with a sense of devotion and deep faith (sutra 1.14)2.
In this article, I am presenting some important guidelines that can help optimize the benefits of the yoga practice.
Setting the intention
You have attended a few yoga classes and have started realizing the benefits of yoga at the physical, mental and deeper levels. Now you are ready to make a commitment to allocate time to your yoga practice on a daily basis. Setting the intention and making a firm commitment for your daily yoga routine is the key to experiencing all the benefits that yoga promises.
Yoga is practiced on an empty stomach
When there is food in the stomach, the various components of the vital life force called prana, are engaged in digesting the food. For our yoga practice to be focused and energizing, we need undivided vitality that prana can provide us. With prana engaged in digestion, we’ll be deprived of much of the pranic energy that is needed for the yoga practice.
Moreover, with food in the stomach, even a mild inversion like the downward facing dog can make us feel very uncomfortable. We might even get an urge to vomit or feel light-headed.
It is recommended that you give a gap of at least three hours after a big meal before practicing any aspect of yoga. After a light breakfast, give a gap of about 1.5 hours before yoga. After a cup of tea/coffee/milk etc., a gap of about 20-25 minutes is recommended. Moreover, after finishing the yoga practice, allow about 20-30 minutes before having your meal. This will allow the body to attain the state of homeostasis where the pranic energy in the body has attained a stable and balanced state.
Practicing yoga early in the morning is highly recommended
There is a time period early in the morning known as “brahma-muhurta” which loosely translates as “divine time”. It is defined as the time that starts 96 minutes before sunrise and lasts until sunrise. In one of the well-known Ayurvedic texts called “Ashtanga Hridaya” it is stated, “One should wake up in the brahma muhurta for sustaining perfect health and for achieving a long life span, as desired.” This time period is also referenced in our ancient texts called “Puranas”. This is considered to be the most auspicious time for any spiritual practice including yoga. At that time, the environment is calm and peaceful, the wind is also calm. After a night’s rest, the body is rejuvenated, mind is calm and peaceful and one can practice yoga with full awareness and focus. As the day progresses, you begin to go through the daily stresses and strain of your day-to-day life and by the evening you may feel too stressed or otherwise exhausted to do any of the yoga practices. Many of us have other social commitments in the evening which may prevent us from maintaining regularity of practice. We have much more control over time in the morning. If needed, you can even wake up a little earlier than your usual wakeup time and make time for your yoga practice. Once you start practicing yoga on a regular basis, you will realize that your need for sleep goes down because yoga provides the much-needed relaxation for the mind and body.
Of course, as defined above, this period of Brahma Muhurta poses a practical problem since it is tied to the time when the sun rises. As we know, the sun rises at a different time every day. But our daily schedule is not aligned that way. As such, it is recommended that you fix a time early enough in the morning and dedicate it to your yoga practice. Before beginning the yoga practice, it is best to do the morning duties of going for bowel movement, emptying the bladder, brushing the teeth, even taking a shower, if convenient. Once you fix the time that is most convenient for you, you should try to do the practice at the same time and place every day.
What if I don’t have time in the morning?
As mentioned above, if you cannot allocate the morning time for yoga, you can practice yoga any time during the day when the stomach is empty. From this standpoint, the best times to practice yoga are before breakfast, before lunch or before dinner as these times offer the longest gap between the previous meal and the yoga practice. You can even split the practice and do different components at different times. For example, you may choose to practice pranayama and meditation in the morning and asana in the evening or any other combination that you find convenient for your schedule.
Place of practice
It is important to pick a spot in your home which is quiet, free of clutter and generally congenial for your yoga practice. Having picked a space, try to practice yoga at the same spot all the time. Many people, especially those of Indian origin, have a small temple, an altar or a puja room in their home. If such is the case, and if you have enough space for your yoga practice in that area, that may be a good choice. Try to clean your yoga mat often. I have been using a spray of 50-50 mix of vinegar and water to clean the mat. In cold weather, you should keep a blanket handy to cover yourself during pranayama, meditation and yoga nidra.
These days, we tend to use a large number of electronic devices for various purposes. In order to maintain a quiet environment for the yoga practice, you should turn off all sound notifications on these devices. Otherwise, they will become a constant source of distraction for your practice.
Many people have young kids and pets in their home that also can be a source of distraction. In order for you to stay focused on your yoga practice, it is best to keep kids and pets away during the practice. However, if that is not convenient, it is OK to have them around while doing the asana practice. However, for pranayama and meditation, where you need to stay deeply focused, presence of kids and pets can be very distracting and should be avoided.
Duration of practice
As mentioned earlier, your practice should include a combination of asana, pranayama and meditation with the highest priority allotted for meditation. How much time you want to spend on the total practice depends largely upon how much time you can allocate depending on your other commitments. In this article on my blog, titled, “Home Practice Options – Bare Bones to a Full practice”, I have presented my recommendations on how to allocate time between these three practices depending upon the total time you are willing to spend. Ideally, in my opinion, to do justice to all the three practices, you should allocate at least one hour for your practice (asana: 30 min; pranayama: 15 min; meditation: 15 min). As mentioned earlier, if convenient, you can split the practice and do different components at different times during the day.
In a subsequent article, I plan to present guidelines specific to the practices of asana, pranayama, and meditation.
[1] योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः॥२॥ yogaś-citta-vr̥tti-nirodhaḥ ॥2॥ “Yoga is the cessation of the modifications (vrittis) of the mind-field (chitta)” (1.2)
[2] स तु दीर्घकालनैरन्तर्यसत्कारासेवितो दृढभूमिः॥१४॥ sa tu dīrghakāla nairantarya satkāra-āsevito dr̥ḍhabhūmiḥ ॥14॥ “This (practice) is indeed firmly grounded when it is persistently exercised for a long time, without interruption, and with earnest, reverential attention and devotion.” (1.14)
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