This is the only case where 20 must be greater than 120. I mean 20 minutes of yoga everyday is way better than 2 hours of yoga once a week. Keeping 20 minutes aside to move the joints of the hips, knees, shoulders, ankles, spine makes a big difference for me. Until a year back, I would always go for intensity and the sweat. Now I realize I cannot keep 2 hours aside if I work full time and have a meaningful yoga practice. Sometimes, I cannot even take one hour for yoga, either it is a goof up with the alarm clock or the day is really tight. I have noticed that I can always find 20 minutes.
More than the time factor, it is important to repeat the action on the joints everyday. Like in Surya namaskar, the same actions are done quite a few times. The connective tissue around the joints learn to give in by repetition. Intensity is fine too, but repetition is more important. I have understood this after I started practicing the KYM style. In a week, I practice many styles that appeal to me. KYM, Vinyasa flow, Aṣtanga and my own style. When I practice the KYM style, I notice that my joints relax way more and I can go deeper into all the poses. KYM style is where a simple sequence is repeated about 6 times, coordinating the movements with the breath. The breath is never hurried, it is really slow long deep breaths. And, the bonus is that I always want to meditate at the end of the session, which does not happen with any other style. Meditating even for a few minutes was always a challenge for me, it was an alien concept. But nowadays I am getting the hang of it.
It is not just the joints and the muscles that learn by repetition. Even the mind is supposed to learn only by repetition. The Surya namaskar mantra, gayatri and many other prayers associated with the Sun are chanted every day to greet the Sun and to purge the mistakes of the previous day. The yamas (Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, Aparigraha) and niyamas (Saucha, Santosha, Tapas, Swadhyaya, Ishvarapranidhana) of Yoga are also to be practiced all the time and one can get to this only by repetition.
Shampoo. Rinse. Repeat. Good advice.
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