How Long to Hold a Yoga Pose?

There are several schools of thought within the yoga community as to how long we should hold each yoga pose. Depending on the yogi and their chosen practice, the length of each pose could be as long as several minutes, or as quick as an exhale. Those who practice more active forms of yoga depend on their breath to dictate the pace of their flow, while some students find themselves holding poses for minutes at a time. It’s a little different for every yogi, but most find themselves on the spectrum between a single breath to around the 5 minute mark.

One Breath One Movement

As mentioned, the pace of Vinyasa yoga is more or less dictated by our breath. Those who practice Vinyasa regularly are likely familiar with the phrase, “one breath one movement,” utilized by many instructors. What this means essentially is you breathe in, you move, you breathe out, you move again. Each inhale and exhale dictates a change in position.

Generally, inhales indicate an expansion, while contractions happen on the exhale. For example, when performing a chaturanga, there are three motions.

• Exhale: Lower to pushup position
• Inhale: Open up to upward-facing dog
• Exhale: Flow back to downward facing dog

At first this may feel a little clunky, but the breath-lead movement becomes intuitive with practice. Eventually you may notice that utilizing the breath in this way deepens your stretch, and that the stretches are deepening your breath.

Outside the world of yoga, Vinyasa would likely be considered a form of dynamic stretching. Athletes across many sports utilize this kind of stretching to prepare for sporting games, weightlifting, and other forms of strenuous physical activity. This kind of stretching helps to get the body moving, increase your heart rate and warm up those muscles as you are stretching them. This improves flexibility and helps to prevent injury.

While Vinyasa is innately fast paced, there are still moments of stillness throughout class where we hold stretches for more extended periods of time. These moments on your mat are often at the beginning or the end of class, like holding a long child’s pose to start, sitting in a pigeon pose, or finishing in Savasana.

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Longer Holds

On the slower paced end of things, we have Yin Yoga. Named after the Taoist concept of Yin and Yang, it embodies the restorative, stable Yin as opposed to the active and dynamic Yang. As the name suggests, this yoga calls for stillness of the body and mind.

Poses in Yin yoga are held significantly longer than that of Vinyasa. Typically postures are held anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. This kind of slow moving approach reinforces the philosophy and ultimate goal of Yin yoga; a commitment to stillness.

In the same neighborhood, we find Restorative Yoga, where we hold poses for even longer stretches of time. Much like Yin yoga, Restorative yoga involves passive stretches and deep breathing to reach a meditative healing state for the body, mind and spirit. This form has a relaxing quality and many health benefits. Restorative yoga employs the use of many props like yoga blocks, resistance bands, folded blankets, and more. The purpose of these props is to achieve the most relaxed, passive stretch possible. The props and gravity are doing most of the work so you are free to relax into your stretch.

Similar to Yin yoga, in restorative yoga the poses are held at least 5 minutes or more. While the poses may be simpler than that of Vinyasa, the stillness holds a very different kind of challenge that many of us are not used to in this modern world. To be still and sit in discomfort is something we can all use a little practice in.

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Outside the sphere of yoga, the kind of stretching found in Yin and Restorative Yoga is also called “Static Stretching.” Static stretching is where you hold a stretch to your body’s furthest (pain free) allowance for an extended period. These stretches are often used by athletes as a cool down after vigorous physical activity. It is best to do static stretching after a workout when your muscles are warmed up and have more elasticity. The benefits of static stretching include relaxation, lowered risk of injury, and greater range of motion.

As a cautionary note, heat often gives a false sense of flexibility, and it is important not to over-do these static stretches. When your body temperature is warmer, we are able to push our limits, and while it may feel tempting to do so, over-stretching can cause serious damage to your body. It is important to be mindful of your limitations and listen to your body during your practice.

So, About How Long?

There are very few catch-all rules in yoga, and how long to hold each pose is no exception. If you want to hold your poses for ten minutes each to relieve stress, that is absolutely okay. If you are more of a speedy, 30 minute Vinyasa class go-getter, that’s okay too. Yoga is about fostering a relationship with your body and practice, and making these small choices for yourself only deepens that connection and trust with yourself.

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