Let’s face it, sometimes you’re in the mood for some vigorous exercise, while other times, it’s hard to get motivated to get out of bed. It’s only natural that you’d adjust the rigors of your exercise routine to fit your current mood or energy level.

If your exercise of choice happens to be yoga, there are plenty of ways to sync your mood with your yoga practice. Read on to learn how to match your yoga practice to your mood.



Low Mood

It’s Friday after work and you’ve had a very long week. Each day was more stressful than the last and the open-office noise was deteriorating you. Now that you have a break, it’s a great time for some gentle, relaxing yoga poses. You’ll find that these poses will be just the thing to relieve some of the accumulated tension of the work week:

• Child’s pose
• Downward facing dog
• Mountain pose

Hold each pose for a minute or two and repeat the sequence three times. Make sure to breathe deeply and evenly, and you should find the stress seeping away. Go ahead and embrace the weekend now that you’re in a calmer, healthier mindset.

Energized Mood

Alternatively, if you’re feeling energetic or even if you’re so stressed that you’re wound-up instead of exhausted, try some more physically challenging poses, like those found in power yoga, including:

• Big toe pose
• Extended side angle pose
• Revolved triangle pose

With power yoga, you’re more likely to build up a sweat, so it’s a good idea to carry body wipes and other cleaning essentials in a reusable travel bag, like the ones available from YUNI Beauty. They make it easy to go from yoga straight to your next activity.



Suited for Any Mood

No matter what type of yoga you decide on, you’ll need to determine if you’re happier in a class or at home in front of a television screen. If you’re looking for a mood boost after (or during) a lazy day, then a class full of other yoga aficionados may do the trick. On the other hand, if you’re feeling lousy and unhappy with others, then roll out your yoga mat, hit play on the DVD, and enjoy some alone time.

The beauty of yoga is that it can be done almost anywhere, including at home.

Whether you’re just starting out with yoga or you're an old pro, be mindful of your reaction to each session. It will be helpful to you going forward if you learn which series of poses improve your mood and which ones extend your already good mood.

Ask yourself if you need to burn off calories and blow off steam or if you need to calm yourself in order to summon your inner strength and carry on. There’s a yoga pose for that.

Even if the yoga poses don’t work miracles, you’ll still be ahead of the game because you practiced vital and strengthening yoga poses. Exercise helps your brain release chemicals that regulate—and in some cases, improve—your mood. In other words, by practicing yoga, you’re making yourself stronger physically and more mentally balanced, and that should put a smile on your face.


Author Bio:
Carolyn Clarke is a freelance writer and a practicing yoga enthusiast from Los Angeles, California. She enjoys finding her inner zen by doing her yoga routine at the beach during sunrise each morning and going for a run by the water. During her free time, she enjoys writing informative articles to publish.