Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga: best time of day to practice certain poses

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Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga:
best time of day to practice certain poses

izzy
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Apr 8, 2005, 2:49 AM

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best time of day to practice certain poses	Can't Post

Hello fellow yogis and yoginis,

I would like to know when is the best time of day to do poses such as sirsasana, saavangasana and halasana.

I like to do sirsasana in the morning at the end of my practice because it makes me more alert. I assume sarvangasana would also be beneficial in the morning and less appropriate in the evening (as it tends to 'wake you up'). However, halasana may be too strenuous in the morning (unless it's done after a very long session, but I can only manage a half hour in the mornings). Does sarvangasana have to be followed by halasana?

Thank you for any insights!

michellet
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Apr 9, 2005, 4:17 PM

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Re: best time of day to practice certain poses [In reply to]	Can't Post

hi.. I practice my inversons in the following order: headstand, shoulderstand, then halasana. sometimes i do halasana also before shoulder stand. i have been taught that headstand should always be followed by shoulderstand but that sholderstand can be practiced alone & I have found this sequencing most soothing in my practice as well. sirsasana alone brings a lot of heat and action and shoulderstand balances this... headstand alone makes me irritable.

in general, i think that both halasana and sholderstand bring calm and quiet, especially as one becomes used to them (& perhaps with support, like a chair in halasana). I have sometimes done my head stand morings and then sholder stand evenings. i find shoulder stand to be such a boon that on some days i've done it am and pm (not that i claim not to have times when i struggle with shoudlerstand too-- i DO!) ..

i think the iyengars write a lot about these poses and their expereince with them and with sequencing them and my experience with teachers of this methodology is that these poses are perhaps the most essential, especially because they regulate the hormonal and adrenal system, and i hav e also heard again and again that the order is imparitive..

as for am and pm-- in general i find my own practice and its presence in my heart and mind works stongly when i have a consisent and regular pracitce --meaing the time of day is generally the same.. for me this time is always best as am. however, if i pracitce pm, i amend my practice to be softer and less strenuous as a rule of thumb..

although, i do think it is always important to try different things out and see/expereince what we see/expereince there, even if we trust a methodology or a teacher -- so that our practice comes out of our own understanding..

okay.. enough already.. .. all the best!
michelle

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