Well the annoying answer is it sort of depends on what results you want to see. Perhaps you're looking to tone up and increase your strength, maybe even lose weight. Or perhaps you're after the mental side effects of yoga and wondering how long it'll take before you feel more peaceful. Maybe you're after coping mechanisms to help ease conditions such as anxiety or depression or looking for a positive lifestyle change and heard yoga is good for that. How long these changes take to show up really vary.
Let's start with the body. Using yoga as a fitness class or exercise routine can be super beneficial. A well rounded practice that stretches and strengthens all areas of the body will not only tone and strengthen muscles, but also tone inner organs and help with bodily functions such as digestion. The inner physical changes are immediate - you'll notice if you take a yoga class for the first time your muscles may ache afterwards. This is due to the muscle fibres breaking down and forming new connections. Or if you take a class full of twists you may notice your digestive system kick into gear. Yoga is an amazing way to connect to the body and observe what it is that you as an individual need. With mindfulness techniques such as body scanning you can identify and observe which areas of the body require focus. Don't forget the body is connected from one area to another. So while you may have pain in the hips that could be down to misalignment or weakness in the spine. Yoga can help strengthen and tone all muscles, big and small to help you enjoy a balanced and strong body. Enjoying a well rounded practice a few times a week will let you feel change immediately. Visually, change may take anywhere from 6 -12 weeks. Please remember that a healthy balanced diet is crucial to see physical changes from any exercise regime.
Some of us come to yoga simply to try and find peace of mind. To quieten the cacophony or worries and to-do lists that fill our mind. Yoga is incredible for this. Asana (poses) is a moving meditation, where you can move the body and connect to the breath and have the only thing your mind think about is those two things. Now, to see change in the mind will take a regular practice of yoga and meditation for several weeks before consistent change can occur. You may notice short term effects immediately from practicing but then give it an hour or two and the mind may revert back to overthinking. Meditation, mindfulness, and pranayama techniques as well as asana all take time to settle into the body and become natural. To quieten the mind takes huge amounts of effort and rewiring the brain. But it can be done. Regular meditation (even just five minutes every few days) will help you see and feel a positive change within weeks. Sustained practice will help these techniques and practices become second nature within a few years.
Many of us turn to yoga to just simply feel good. And the great news is that if the results you want to see is just that, it is instantaneous. Yoga increases circulation, tones and stretches muscles, quietens the mind as well as brings lots of fresh oxygen into the body. So whether you opt for a vigorous vinyasa class or a peaceful yin you're almost guaranteed to feel great afterwards. Yoga not only helps you to feel good but also become comfortable in your body. While yoga strengthens and tones, it also teaches us what is possible in our bodies which often ends up surprising us. Yoga allows us to become more in tune with our bodies in a non-judgemental way, paving the way for improved body image and feeling great in your own skin. While this process may not be instantaneous for most, it can happen fairly quickly or take longer. So whether this takes weeks or months or even years this process is very personal and there is no right or wrong timeline. To read more about yoga and body image click here.
Learning coping mechanisms and techniques for off mat life can start from your very first yoga lesson. From breathing techniques designed to keep you calm through to mindfulness techniques to help you stay present. This is something that can and will have long and short term effects. It may take a while before these techniques become second nature, but with regular practice they will. You'll notice one day that something that used to send you into a spiral or made you overthink and worry no longer has that effect because yoga has taught you coping mechanisms with which to reframe your mindset. You may notice after a couple of months that walking long distances has become easier or picking up your pet or child has become easier. You may notice after a few weeks that any persistent aches and pains are gone. There are lots of benefits to be had from a regular yoga practice and plenty of time to enjoy them. Some results can take one class, others can take years to develop. I suppose one of the good things about yoga is that it's great at teaching patience.
For more information on classes or to book a class click here and if you have any questions about yoga lessons please don't hesitate to contact me.
By Laura Carey
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