Have you ever asked yourself ‘How long should a yoga pose be held?’. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this question. Some challenging poses can be held a little longer to boost your confidence, build stamina and to tonify your muscles. Depending on the style of yoga practiced, the time in each pose can vary.
Vinyasa Yoga: 15 to 30 seconds
Ashtanga Yoga: 5 to 10 breaths (30 seconds to 2 minutes)
Hatha Yoga: Approximately 1 minute.
Bikram: Up to 1 minute.
Yin Yoga: Between 1 and 20 minutes.
Restorative Yoga: 5 to 20 minutes.
Iyengar Yoga: Between 5 and 30 minutes
There are multiple benefits to hold a yoga pose. For example, if you hold Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) for a few minutes, not only will you challenge the muscles in your arms and legs, but you will only have more time to feel the pose. You will feel your feet rooted into the ground. The alignment of your knee and your toes. The straight line of your arms. Your gaze above and beyond your hand. Your core engaged. In other words, holding a pose provides time to readjust.
Holding a pose for a long period, more than 5 minutes, becomes a mental challenge as you will become totally immersed in the sensations of the pose.
In the end, the best and simplest answer to the question ‘How long do you hold a yoga pose?‘ is ‘How long does your body and mind want to stay in this pose?‘
The pose begins when you want to get out of it. – Baron Baptiste