“How long is it advisable to stay in a yoga pose?”
I have now started doing yoga, and I like to stay in a pose for a long time since it helps loosen me up. Should there be restrictions on how long I should stay in a certain pose?
4 Answers
Got to listen to what your body feels and then pace yourself.
There are no restrictions established for yoga. It is recommended for beginners to practice around 20-30 minutes and increase your time of yoga gradually up to 1 hour. In order to develop flexibility, you must hold a yoga pose for at least 30 seconds to one minute. If you are practicing yoga for therapeutic purposes, then normally you will aim to hold the poses for longer as your body becomes familiar with each pose, which could be between 2 and 5 minutes.
Staying in a yoga pose for prolonged periods is equivalent to what happens when you practice Thi Chi. The effect is similar to anaerobic exercise, which builds up lactate in muscles that upon clearing gives limbering effect. A similar effect is experienced by taking a hot sauna bath, and afterwards jumping into a cold pool, or rolling in snow if such is available. The only limit to how long it is advisable to stay in a single pose is the amount of time that you can stand it without feeling uncomfortable.
It is not recommended to stay in a fixed, constant position for a long time. Staying in a constant position for a long time (more than few minutes) can irritate or injure your nerves, vessels and muscles.
