Mixing It Up (or Why Not to Practice the Same Sequence Every Day)

by Nina

Bouquet of Mixed Flowers by Henri Matisse

When I first started practicing yoga at home way, way back in the previous century, I really was just practicing poses. That is, I didn’t think about doing sequences; I was just focused on improving my ability at doing certain poses, like Handstand, Headstand, and Upward Bow pose. So I tended to do the same poses every day—the ones I was working on—gradually adding in some warm up and cool down poses as my sequence seemed organically to grow in length. It wasn’t until I started working with Rodney Yee and really started learning about sequencing that I started doing different types of practices on different days so I could cycle through the main categories of poses: backbends, forward bends, twists, inversions, etc. So I understand the how natural it is to think that doing the same practice every day would be the easiest way to have a home practice. And certainly getting started with the habit of practicing —no matter what you’re practicing—is a wonderful idea. 

But I’m here today to tell you that in the long run doing the same sequence every day is not the best idea. Here’s why:

1. Doing the same poses in the same order every single day means you run the risk of repetitive stress injuries. That’s not yoga’s fault; it’s just the nature of the human body. Any joint is vulnerable if you over use it. For example, doing too many standing forward bends can cause back strain, just as too much gardening can.
2. You’ll be missing out on yoga’s other benefits. It’s like eating the same thing every day—even if its healthy food you’ll still be missing out on some of your important nutrients. For example, if the only sequence you do is an active one, you’ll be missing out on the many benefits provided by restorative or quieting sequencing. Or, if the only balance pose you do throughout the week is Tree pose, you’ll miss out on challenging your balance in other important ways. 
3. Mixing it up keeps you from getting into a rut, which can lead to getting bored with your practice. Moving out of your comfort zone in your practice is the best way to keep your mind stimulated (good for brain health!), and to learn something about your habits and thought patterns while you’re at it.

So if you’re not already doing varying your home practice, now is a good time to start mixing it up! If you’re stuck for ideas, you can find lots of new sequences on our blog (search under “Featured Sequence”), as well as in various yoga books and yoga videos. And if you want to change up some of your current sequences, see Stuck in Rut for some simple ways to do this.

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