The Best Yoga Practices for Balancing Your Big Five Personality Traits

Modern minds tend to view yoga as a wellness trend that promotes flexibility and relaxation, rather than what it truly is: an ancient and comprehensive science of self-discovery and holistic well-being.

The goal of yoga is to unite and harmonize the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of ourselves. This works because, in yogic philosophy, all dimensions of life are interconnected and dependent on prana – the Sanskrit term for vital life force energy. In other words, the condition of the body and mind is seen as a manifestation of our energetic state. By consciously cultivating and directing prana through physical exercises, mental observances and lifestyle adjustments, we can influence – or completely redefine – our physical health, thinking patterns and emotional tendencies.

Let’s take a look at how yogic practices and principles can guide us towards balancing various aspects of our personality. This will help improve our connection to ourselves, others and the way we interface with the world.

How Yoga Affects Personality

According to age-old Indian philosophy, the key to wellness is balance, which we can achieve through consistent, intentional thought and action. Traditional yoga practices include not only physical postures, but also breathwork, meditation and a set of ethical guidelines. Following these techniques and recommendations encourages us to enhance our natural tendencies while balancing behaviors or mindsets that cause us to suffer or experience unnecessary conflict.

The following suggestions for influencing personality through yoga are based on the Big Five personality traits. According to the Big Five, we each possess a balance of five inherent traits that exist on a spectrum: Openness, Consciousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism. Our combination of these traits contributes to our personal strengths and, inevitably, our blind spots.

Although there’s no straightforward “good” or “bad” when it comes to personality, research suggests that cultivating certain qualities supports aspects of life that we consider positive, such as joy, optimism, excitement and a sense of success.

These recommendations – suitable for people of all ages, cultures and belief systems – encourage us to reflect on, support and balance each of the five main dimensions of personality to encourage personal growth and vitality.

Yoga Practice for Openness: Asana (Physical Postures)

Our degree of Openness expresses how we relate to new ideas and measures how likely we are to explore the unknown. Qualities associated with Openness include adaptability, open-mindedness, curiosity, creativity and tolerance.

The concept of openness is also a major theme in yoga asana, the physical practice of yoga postures. In yoga, openness in the body corresponds with both openness of mind and openness to new experiences. Thus, if some area of life feels closed or restricted, we can use specific poses or practices to release related energetic blockages.

For example, yoga teaches that hip-opening postures release stagnant emotional energy and stimulate creativity since, according to yogic theory, we tend to hold these qualities in the area surrounding the sacrum and hips. Similarly, if we feel closed to love or out of touch with others, we can focus on heart-opening positions, cultivating the connection between the heart center and the space that surrounds us.

On the other hand, those on the high end of the Openness spectrum can use asana to balance challenges like indecisiveness, emotional vulnerability and lack of structure. In these cases, grounded and contracted positions (like Child’s Pose, seated postures or forward folds) help us stay focused and present.

Yoga Practice for Conscientiousness: Tapas (Discipline)

Conscientiousness is the dimension of personality connected to self-control and discipline. Examples of Conscientious behavior include creating and sticking to plans, setting and achieving goals and following through with commitments.

Through yoga, we can increase Conscientiousness by practicing yamas and niyamas – the personal restraints and observances that provide yoga’s ethical foundation. One niyama in particular, called tapas, specifically refers to the concept of self-discipline. Practicing tapas is associated with cultivating our inner fire, willpower and ability to transform ourselves through consistent and patient effort.

We can apply tapas to any aspect of life that requires dedication and perseverance. However, in a yoga practice, observing tapas might look like committing to a fixed sequence of postures each day to increase strength, flexibility and resilience – both physically and mentally.

Personality theories typically see Conscientiousness as a positive quality. However, imbalanced Conscientiousness could take the form of challenges such as stress or rigidity. In cases where excessive discipline creates challenges, it’s helpful to rest, relax or recalibrate goals.

Yoga Practice for Extraversion: Karma Yoga

Extraversion is the aspect of personality linked to experiencing energy through external activity. Our degree of Extraversion is strongly associated with how we interact socially, but it’s also related to cheerfulness, excitement and overall enthusiasm about life.

In Eastern philosophy, karma is a concept that describes either seeds we plant or debts we accrue due to the cause-and-effect nature of life. However, the word “karma” directly translates to “action,” and karma yoga is the practice of performing an action for its own sake – rather than to achieve a specific goal or outcome.

Karma yoga, also referred to as selfless service, is one of the four paths of yoga. It offers an alternate perspective of how to engage with work, community and our sense of “doing.” Karma yoga often consists of volunteer work, but it’s important to distinguish that not all volunteer work is selfless; whether an action can be considered karma yoga is dependent on the intention and motivation of the doer.

We can perform any duty with the attitude of practicing karma yoga. For Extraverts and Introverts alike, working without a desired result creates a refreshing sense of engagement and presence with our daily responsibilities and interactions. To balance challenges related to extreme Extraversion, a person can practice keeping attention inward while working with others. On the other hand, a strongly Introverted person could find balance from focusing on community rather than self.

Yoga Practice for Agreeableness: Partner Yoga

Like Extraversion, Agreeableness is a dimension of personality that we experience through relationships. Qualities associated with Agreeableness include cooperation, compassion, trust, forgiveness and consideration.

In a physical yoga practice, we can enhance our capacity for Agreeableness through partner exercises (including Acro Yoga positions). Partner yoga requires attuning to the body and breath of another being, and the depth of each pose or stretch depends on connection and trust. Thus, practicing postures with a partner increases both our awareness of others and our ability to go with the flow. Regardless of whether our partner is a friend, lover or stranger, we can increase our degree of Agreeableness through surrendering to joined efforts and shared moments.

Although Agreeableness is a useful personality trait, we can look to yogic qualities to balance its associated setbacks (such as people-pleasing or avoiding confrontation). Practicing two of yoga’s yamas – sathya, or truthfulness, and ahimsa, or nonviolence towards self and others – can guide us to maintain personal boundaries and a peaceful state of mind during conflict.

Yoga Practice for Neuroticism: Meditation

Neuroticism is connected to how we tolerate stress, and high Neuroticism is related to worry, overthinking and negative responses to challenges. Although Neuroticism has its advantages, it’s a quality that most people seek to reduce rather than increase.

Regardless of our degree of Neuroticism, meditation, an integral component of yoga, is an invaluable tool for balancing neurotic tendencies and increasing mental and emotional resilience.

Research on the benefits of meditation demonstrates that taking time each day to observe the mind helps reduce negative thought patterns associated with Neuroticism like stress, anxiety and shame. In fact, a study published in the International Journal of Yoga and Allied Sciences concluded that a month of regular yoga practice, including simplified postures and meditation practices, improves personality in general.

Free meditation guidance is readily available, and meditation techniques exist to suit all personality types. For beginners, practicing for 5-10 minutes each morning or evening is sufficient. Though it doesn’t seem like much, this simple routine balances the nervous system, regulates stress and promotes positive thinking.

Final Words

Our unique combination of the Big Five personality traits – Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism – governs the way we relate to ourselves, others and our surroundings. However, through yoga, we can gradually change our neurological composition and the way we respond to thoughts and actions. A complete yoga practice helps us understand and find balance in the various dimensions of our personal constitution, guiding us to see life’s gifts and challenges through a healthier, happier and more peaceful lens.