![]() ![]() So, weirdly enough, does sitting a lot.) How frequently you do yoga, what kind of yoga you do, your own unique physique, and so many other things also come into play. (Running a lot often means tight hamstrings. It depends on where you begin and what other things you do. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see improvement, but we hate to put any kind of timeline on it because there are too many variables. What’s the big hurry? As with all of yoga’s benefits, positive results come over time with consistent practice of a wide variety of postures. How Long Does it Take to Become More Flexible? Awareness is one of yoga’s greatest tools because it takes us out of our monkey mind and allows us to reset, reducing stress and anxiety. We also learn to use the breath to return to the body in the present again and again. Often, the physicality of yoga asana practice is enough to keep us anchored in the now. No one else is in your body so only you can make that call.Īwareness means that you remain completely focused on the present moment throughout your practice. This helps cultivate the body awareness necessary to distinguish between the discomfort that may arise in using your body in a new way and the pain that is the body’s signal to back off. An experienced teacher helps bring alignment to the fore, as does using a yoga mat with alignment guides.Īttention means you are not zoning out or just going through the motions but rather feeling each pose to the fullest. Practising with the insight of alignment helps ensure that you aren’t compromising one area of the body in an attempt to focus on another area. This may include using props to support tight areas as they begin to open up. The yoga difference can be described with three 'A's: alignment, attention, and awareness.Īlignment is the precise way that each pose is done to maximise its benefits and minimise the risk of injury. Yoga is different from “just” stretching by virtue of its emphasis on safe form and the duration and variety of stretches that address both major muscle groups and deep-seated stealth muscles you might not even know you have (like the psoas and piriformis). ![]() That’s one of the reasons yoga is so good at reducing stress, alleviating insomnia, and increasing a sense of well-being. When you let go of physical tension, you also let go of mental tension. When you stretch, you relieve stress by releasing tension. Flexibility is improved through stretching and stretching feels good. We must also mention the mental benefits of increasing your flexibility. When they do, the treatment frequently involves stretching tight muscles that are limiting range of motion and putting stress on vulnerable areas like the joints. Cardio and strength training are on most people’s radar, but flexibility often isn’t until pain or injury arises. The person who improves their flexibility safely over time wins (at life!).įlexibility is a key component of physical fitness. The person touching their nose to their knees does not win (at yoga). Flexibility is not a prerequisite it’s a result. If you have tight hips, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, whatever, yoga is exactly what you need. Shout this from the rooftops: Yoga is not reserved for people who are already very flexible. It’s a common misconception that you need to be naturally flexible to even attempt to do yoga. ![]() Often, they need to work on their strength to complement all that bendiness, build support muscles, and make sure that they are practising safe alignment.įear of flexibility, or, more specifically, a lack of flexibility, also keeps a lot of people out of the yogasphere. In fact, people that come to yoga with a lot of flexibility must be careful not to rush into advanced poses just because they can. However, yoga is a lot more than flexibility. On the blessing side, increased flexibility is an enormous benefit: it promotes the range of motion and joint health that help prevent back pain, repetitive-use damage, and sports injuries. Flexibility could easily be described as both yoga’s blessing and its curse.
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