Question:
All my life I have held 72 minutes but now my children as well as myself find it very hard to continue holding it are we allowed to switch to holding 60 minutes?
Answer:
Thank you for your question.
If this is your family minhag, you should keep it, and not change it. However, if you don’t want to, you technically can be matir neder. By the way, if you only keep 72 regarding Shabbos, but for Kriyas Shema you do daven before 72, you can do that on Motzei Shabbos keeping 72 doesn’t mean that you can’t daven maariv until then, it just means that you won’t do melacha until then.
Sources:
Piskei Teshuvos 293- 35,47,50.
