How often can I practice yoga in a week? There is no hard and fast answer to this question, but there are general guidelines that give an indication depending on the type of yoga you are doing and the intensity of the yoga practice.
Yoga Practice Considerations
If you take the broadest definition of yoga practice which includes breathing exercises and meditation, you can practice yoga all day long, seven days a week. However, if you are really working hard at advanced asanas or you practice a special kind of yoga such as hot yoga, there are certain limits that you should try to incorporate into your weekly yoga practice.
Hot Yoga
Hot yoga is advisable to limit in your weekly routine. It is possible to practice hot yoga every day, but practicing hot yoga more than once a day is, for most people, not advisable. While hot yoga has many benefits, it also takes a toll on your body. Those who enjoy hot yoga and appreciate its benefits can practice this type of yoga once a day for an hour to an hour and a half without negative effects.
Health Conditions
If you are pregnant, or have some sort of chronic health condition, you should speak with your healthcare provider about the optimal weekly workout schedule for you. In addition to deciding on a schedule and intensity level with your doctor, be sure to tell all of your yoga teachers if you have specific guidelines from your doctor. Before a pregnancy is showing, be sure to verbally tell your yoga instructor.
Advanced Yoga
For students of yoga who are working on very advanced poses, it is more effective to practice them in one or two daily yoga sessions than to practice them repeatedly at one moment in the day. Slowly and steadily working through the poses will have the greatest effect.
Beginner Yoga
For those just coming to yoga, it is advisable to work with an experienced yoga teacher to get a good start on proper posture and placement. For this reason, it is a good idea to attend a class to do yoga. Ideally, you should attend class two to three times per week in order to get the most benefit and to move quickly and effortlessly into a yoga routine. There is no actual limit on beginner yoga, but a daily practice is more than sufficient for beginners.
After having learned a handful of basic poses and learned the principles of yogic breathing, you can increase your yoga practice at home by doing sun salutations in the morning and meditation or breathing exercises in the evening. Even if you start practicing at home, it is good to stay with your yoga teacher until your technique is solid.
General Advice: How Often Can I Practice Yoga in a Week?
There is no strict answer to this question, but the following weekly schedules give an idea of a few possible weekly yoga schedules that work well.
General Yoga Week
- Monday evening: Yoga class at the studio
- Tuesday morning: Sun salutations at home
- Thursday morning: Meditation at home
- Thursday evening: Yoga class at the studio
- Friday morning: Sun salutations at home
Moderate Yoga Week
- Monday morning: Sun salutations at home
- Monday evening: Yoga class at the studio
- Tuesday morning: Sun salutations at home
- Wednesday morning: Early class at the yoga studio
- Thursday morning: Meditation at home
- Thursday evening: Yoga class at the studio
- Friday morning: Sun salutations at home
Intense Yoga Week
- Monday morning: Sun salutations at home
- Monday evening: Yoga class at the studio
- Monday night: Evening meditation
- Tuesday morning: Sun salutations at home
- Tuesday night: Evening meditation
- Wednesday morning: Early class at the yoga studio
- Wednesday evening: Asanas at home
- Thursday morning: Meditation at home
- Thursday evening: Yoga class at the studio
- Thursday night: Meditation at home
- Friday morning: Sun salutations at home
- Friday night: Yoga class at the studio
Increasing or Decreasing Yoga Practice Time
Ultimately, you are the person who knows best how often you should practice yoga in a week. Every month, ask yourself, "How often can I practice yoga in a week?" Compare the previous weeks to see what works best for you. For some people, a once-daily practice is ideal; for others, two or three classes a week are enough.
