How Long to Hold Yoga Poses For Beginners
If you are new to yoga, how long should you hold poses for? This is a common question that people have when they start trying out this healthy and relaxing practice. One of the reasons why beginners worry about how long to hold poses is because many people who have been practising yoga for years will tell them how much time they should be holding each pose.
How long to hold yoga poses for beginners
In truth, there really isn't a set time on how long to hold poses in general. There are some guidelines that can help you get an idea of how long you should aim to hold each pose for, but it varies wildly from person to person.
Generally speaking, you can expect to hold yoga poses from anywhere from about just a few seconds (one or two breaths) up to five minutes.
There are many different ways to practice yoga. The length of time to hold your yoga poses comes down to how you feel on any given day. Some days you may want to perform a quick yoga routine to get your day started in which you simply hold each asana (pose) for a single breath.
Other times, you might want to hold a pose for up to 5 minutes. This is common in restorative yoga styles such as Yin Yoga.
The best way to determine how long to hold yoga poses is by listening closely to your body and stopping each pose when you start feeling discomfort or fatigue. Remember that this isn't a race, it's all about taking time out of the day in order to relax through practising yoga.
Guidelines on how long to hold a yoga pose
There are several factors to consider when determining how long you should be holding your yoga poses. As a starting point, each pose should be held for at least one complete inhale and exhale, making sure that each breath is long and controlled.
Below are a few guidelines to help you determine how long you should hold yoga poses:
Your level of flexibility - If you are new to yoga, it's important that you don't hold poses for too long because this may make things worse by stretching the muscles beyond their limit.
The intensity of your practice session - The longer and more difficult a pose is, the more time should be allowed in order to avoid fatigue or over-stretching.
The type of yoga you are practising - Vinyasa or restorative, for example. Some styles require longer holds than others do. For instance, vinyasa classes involve flowing between poses and may allow only one pose to be held at a time while in other types like Hatha Yoga the same pose is typically held much longer.
The time of day you practice yoga - Early morning or late at night, for example. If you're a beginner and trying to get into the habit of practising every day then it's best that your first session is short as opposed to dragging it out by holding a yoga pose too long which can leave you feeling tired and sore afterwards.
How long you've actually been practising yoga - If you're still new at this then your body will be less flexible than someone else who has been practising for years. It's good to build up both your body awareness and the way you work with holding poses over time so that they become more natural, fluid transitions without feeling too strenuous or uncomfortable.
Note: If you've only been practising for a short amount of time then it's best to hold poses for a shorter amount of time. You might not yet have the flexibility and strength to hold a pose for five minutes straight after only one week of practice.
Pain tolerance - The length of time you hold a pose is also dependent on your pain tolerance and the level of difficulty. If it's too painful to continue, simply release out of the pose slowly with control so that you don't injure yourself.
How you're feeling - Finally, listen to how your body is feeling and adjust the length of time you hold a pose accordingly. If it feels too strenuous or difficult then release out of the pose as soon as possible so that you don't injure yourself.
Benefits of holding a yoga pose for longer
Clarity - If you hold for a long time then your mind will become very clear and relaxed when coming out of the pose. This can be an excellent way to start or finish your day, depending on when in the sequence that you choose to practice this particular yogic breathing technique.
Endurance - Also, holding yoga poses longer helps to build your strength and endurance, which can be very beneficial for those who are looking to improve their yoga practice. It also helps you to progress more quickly through the various poses of a Vinyasa Yoga session if you have good stamina.
Adjusting Your Pose: Some people find holding a pose easier than others so don't feel discouraged or if you need to stop and readjust during certain poses (particularly balancing poses such as tree pose).
Benefits of holding a yoga pose briefly
Strength - The more time you spend in the pose the stronger your body will become. This is because yoga poses are designed to help build strength, flexibility and endurance through stretching and holding of postures.
Stability - If you hold for a long period of time then it's much easier to gain stability in that particular yogic breathing technique since there won't be any muscular strain involved with trying too hard or forcing yourself into an area where your muscles haven't had enough time to stretch yet.
Focus and clarity - If you hold a yoga pose for as long as possible then the simple act of concentrating calms your mind.
Endurance - If you hold for long periods of time then your muscles will naturally adapt, grow stronger and increase endurance levels which can be very useful when trying to do more advanced poses such as the crow or
How long to hold yoga poses based on the style of yoga
The amount of time you should hold each posture to get the most out of your practice is also determined by the style of yoga you practice. Each style can be adjusted to suit your needs, so take these as suggestions for your practice.
Yin Yoga : 3 - 7 minutes per pose
The practise of yin yoga is based on holding poses for longer periods of time, typically between three to five minutes. This style focuses on the soft tissues in your body such as ligaments and tendons, not just the muscles. The length of each pose allows you to move deeper into them while also allowing enough time for adaptation by increasing circulation through passive stretching which helps break up adhesions in connective tissue.
Vinyasa Flow Yoga: 1 - 5 breaths per pose
A vinyasa flow class will have a steady pace with little rest or repetition so it's important that you are able to hold postures comfortably without losing focus or energy throughout the entire duration of class - about an hour-long depending on what level you're at. Each pose is usually held for just 1 - 5 breaths.
Ashtanga Yoga: 5 breaths per pose
In Ashtanga yoga, each posture is held for about five breaths. If you're at the early stages of practice then it's best to keep this number in mind and not push yourself too far into any stretch or pose that causes you discomfort as this may result in injury.
Restorative Yoga: 5 - 20 minutes (longer if necessary)
A restorative class will give your body time to relax completely so make sure you are able to hold poses comfortably without losing focus or energy. You can expect to hold each pose for anywhere from 5 - 20 minutes.
Power Yoga: 1 - 6 breaths per pose
If you're looking to increase your strength, flexibility and endurance then power yoga might be the style of choice for you. With this type of yoga, it is important not to hold poses too long as this can reduce its benefits. Instead, focus on breathing deeply through each pose so that energy flows freely through both body and mind.
Bikram Yoga: 90 seconds (or more) per pose
Hot yoga is extremely intense with an emphasis placed upon perfect form over-speed or intensity which means you'll need plenty of time to hold each posture without discomfort before moving onto another one. This type of yoga is ideal if you want to improve your cardiovascular fitness and endurance levels.
Hatha Yoga: 30 seconds - 1-minute per pose
With this style, you'll hold poses between 30 seconds up to about one minute before moving onto the next one with little or no rest periods in-between each posture unless instructed by an instructor during a yoga session. It might seem like not very long at all but when performed regularly, benefits are achieved quickly so be patient!
Iyengar Yoga: 5 - 30 minutes depending on the yoga pose
Iyengar yoga uses props such as straps, blocks, and blankets to help you achieve poses more easily. Poses are held for a longer period of time with the use of yoga props but fewer repetitions usually take place in order to prevent overstretching or injury.
Sivananda Yoga: 1 - 3 minutes per posture depending on the pose
This style focuses mainly on taking slow deep breaths during each yoga pose which is effective if you're looking for a calmer type of workout that's ideal before bedtime since it helps promote better sleep patterns!
In truth, there really isn't a set time on how long to hold poses in general. There are some guidelines that can help you get an idea of how long you should aim to hold each pose for, but it varies wildly from person to person.
How long to hold yoga poses for beginners
When it comes to the length of time you hold poses in yoga, there's no set rule. But luckily for us yogis out there, we don't need a strict guideline on how long each pose should be held when trying to practice this mindful art form.
There are many different ways to practice yoga and all that matters is what feels right for your body at any given moment. This leaves room for creativity which can make practising much more enjoyable!
How do you know when to end a particular pose? That depends on how it makes you feel - not by some arbitrary timer or pre-set guidelines. So next time, experiment with holding your poses longer or shorter than usual because whatever feels right at that moment will always be best!
