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How long should you hold a yoga pose is one of the most frequent questions people ask. There's no clear-cut answer to that, though.
The length of time you should hold a yoga pose varies depending on many factors, which we will discuss below.
The objectives of your yoga practice for the day determines how long you should hold a yoga pose. Yoga can be used as a warm-up, for strength training or rehabilitation, to increase flexibility or even for a rapid energy boost. All of them require varying hold times.
Determining Factors for Yoga Pose Length
In general, there isn't a specific duration to hold a yoga pose for. Although it varies from person to person, there are some principles that can give you an idea about how long you should try to hold each stance.
Yoga positions can be held for anything from a few seconds (one or two breaths) to five minutes.
Yoga can be done in a variety of ways. It depends on how you feel on any given day and how long you should hold a yoga pose. On certain days, you might wish to begin your day with a fast yoga sequence in which you simply hold each asana (position) for one breath.
On that note, let's have a look at a few factors that determine the length of a yoga pose:
1) Style of Yoga
The duration of how long you hold a yoga pose can vary depending on the type of yoga you're doing. There are many forms of yoga. The type of yoga you wish to practice — from Ashtanga to Vinyasa, Yin to Hatha and others — determines how long you should hold a pose.
Let's evaluate some swift yoga styles like Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and power yoga. Each of these yoga practices promotes flow and movement rather than holding positions for extended periods of time. That means throughout these yoga poses, you will probably hold a pose for shorter periods.
Yoga forms like Yin, Restorative, Hatha, and Iyengar, though, place a greater emphasis on the pose and less on the flow. They assume each stance individually and requires you occasionally maintain it for a few minutes at a time.
While faster flow yoga styles place more emphasis on movement and coordinating the breath, the aforementioned styles place more emphasis on connecting with the breath, extending the muscles, and sinking into the posture.
Therefore, how long you maintain a yoga pose will depend on the type of yoga you choose to do.
2) Type of Pose
The time duration to hold a yoga pose depends on the type of pose you are performing.
For instance, you generally won't have as much difficulty holding the downward facing dog than chaturanga. The reason for that is: Chaturanga is a harder pose that calls for a lot of strength and stability.
Of course, that doesn't mean you don't possess strength and stability, but it's usually not very pleasant to hold the Chaturanga for more than a breath or two. To move appropriately when striking various postures, pay attention to how your body feels.
3) Listen to Your Body
When it comes to the duration of holding a position, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. While there are variables that determine how long you should hold a pose, the key is to pay attention to your body and follow your intuition.
An instructor would typically ask you to hold a pose for three to five breaths (around 30 seconds). However, if you're enjoying the posture and want to hold it for a while, go for it.
Yoga aims to unite the body and the mind. It's important to pay attention to your body, and design a practice that works for you. For that reason, you ought to listen to it and, if you are in the mood, stay in a pose for a while.
Takeaway
There are numerous ways to practice yoga, and whatever feels best for your body at any given time is what matters most. Yoga allows for creativity, which can significantly increase the fun of doing it.
How can you tell when to come out of a pose? It's determined by how it makes you feel, not by a defined time limit or set of rules. Therefore, try holding your pose longer or shorter than usual because the best pose is always the one that feels the best at the time.
