Yoga has become extremely popular in recent years, mostly due to being regarded as a consistent part of a healthy and balanced living trend. Hence, more and more people are getting interested in “ How long does it take to master yoga?”.
Basically, there is no single right answer to this question. It depends on a number of factors including how much time you spend practicing and if you have enough eagerness and patience to learn. Diligent and willing learners will surely get results.
In this post, we’ll answer the most common questions beginners usually have when they think about getting into yoga.
Can anyone get the hang of yoga?
Am I fit or flexible enough to do yoga? While contemplating this question, most people think about it as a physical practice and visualize it via asanas, stretches, handstands, and complex postures.
All of the above, though, is only one side of yoga since initially, it’s a spiritual practice aimed at achieving the state of the highest consciousness and the ultimate harmony of body and mind.
So, yoga embraces training a body to finally train your mind and soul. It’s much more than fitness and mere physical exercise to get more flexible and toned up or lose weight and get slimmer.
Hence, when it comes to exercising and fitness, yoga is feasible for nearly anyone to some extent, no matter the age. Speaking of spiritual techniques, though, you should be ready mentally for that and be determined enough. It might take a lot of time to perfectly align your body with your mind, and there’s no guarantee you’ll succeed.
How long will it take to become good at yoga fitness?
By and large, there is no specific timeline for learning yoga and reaping its positive effects. There are quite a few factors that impact the time it takes for any person to get into yoga postures and stretches including but not limited to the following:
- Practice frequency and consistency;
- Your personal persistence and desire to learn;
- Your body and muscle condition;
- Previous exercising experience;
- A good teacher capable of introducing you to the right techniques to drive progress;
- Your final goals.
Basically, most people would see noticeable improvements and results in yoga in about 3 to 6 months subject to practicing 2-3 times a week. Regularity here is key as with any other type of physical training.
How much time will it take to improve flexibility doing yoga?
While flexibility is rather yoga’s positive side effect, many people tend to treat it as their final goal when getting into this practice. One way or another, though, yoga techniques and exercises do improve muscle stretchiness and overall body strength and endurance. If that’s what you look for at the moment, yoga will help. Higher energy levels and healthier sleep will come as a bonus.
As far as flexibility alone goes, there is no unified plan that works for everyone as well. The first thing to remember here is that yoga is about practicing and learning. The more you practice, the sooner you’ll see the changes in your physique. Here is how it works in reality:
- People who did some sports or fitness will progress quicker in yoga than those who are new to exercising;
- Healthy diet and balanced lifestyle followers are easier to exercise and enjoy first results faster;
- Whether you have one or several yoga sessions a week, you’ll get the benefits anyway. Yet, those who train on a daily basis (even 20 to 30 minutes a day) will get better at yoga much quicker and improve their flexibility in about a month.
An approximate plan to achieve progress and enhance flexibility without compromising your overall comfort looks like this:
- Eating healthy foods to get enough nutrients, minerals, and microelements for body health;
- Drinking enough water to stay hydrated and maintain good muscle elasticity;
- Practicing 30-minute yoga sessions at least 3 times a week;
- Combining postures with breathing practices and meditations.
This way, you’ll give your body enough time to learn and hit your flexibility goals within 2 to 3 months.
How soon do I move from beginner to intermediate in yoga?
The thing with yoga is that there are no particular timeframes that define acquiring proper skills and mastering the techniques. It’s individual for each person. The same is true for upgrading from one level to another.
The beginner level implies being a newbie or newcomer. However, if you are going to attend yoga classes, in most studios, beginners are supposed to understand the basics and some standard postures. Hence, if you’ve never done yoga before, you’d better first visit an introductory session to grasp the essentials.
The period of getting from beginner to intermediate level in yoga is different for different people since everyone has different ranges of flexibility and physical strength. Thus, some might learn beginner postures within a month or so while others will need much more time to refine their practice.
If you visit studio classes, it’s reasonable to ask your teacher if you are ready to move on to the next level. Besides, there are a few clues that will help you understand that you are ready to give intermediate-level sessions a shot.
- You’ve made yoga a part of your habitual routine and show up on the mat consistently, whatever the external circumstances;
- You feel much stronger and confident on the mat and do poses flowingly and without much effort;
- Yoga terms and notions don’t sound weird and confusing anymore. And you seek to learn more about yoga philosophy, concepts, and principles to move from a rather superficial to a deeper practice;
- You understand that yoga is a complex practice that goes far beyond the mat and contributes to balance in your inner world and your relationships with the outside world;
- You’ve learned to focus on breathing and don’t struggle to simply put your body in the right position anymore. In a word, you can combine breathing practice with physical efforts.
How long does it take to become a yogi?
The answer will depend on how to view a yogi. A modern yogi is a yoga practitioner who fine-tunes their physique and strives to sync their body and mind via breathing techniques and meditations.
Primarily, though, a yogi is rather a state of mind that converts into certain physical practices and peculiar lifestyles. With a strong focus on the spiritual side, yogis strive to become one with Creator. For that purpose, they refuse family, wealth, and other common comforts, and practice ascesis to get enlightened via deep meditation.
Assuming that you ask about becoming a modern yogi who is more down to earth and doesn’t tend to deny common life, you can do the following to start your yogi journey (apart from doing physical practices):
- Get control over your emotions to learn acceptance and know how to regulate them;
- Cultivate a positive mindset to learn to tame irritation, anger, and aggression;
- Foster self-awareness to better understand your body and let it function in alignment with your mind;
- Balance your daily routines to have enough time for work, leisure, and rest;
- Keep an eye on your eating and sleeping regime.
Conclusion
Yoga is for everyone, yet, there is no one-size-fits-all solution or approach when it comes to mastering yoga. While much depends on your body strength, genetics, and overall physique, commitment, consistency, and diligent work are the major tips to getting better at yoga.
When it comes to improving body flexibility, you’ll notice the first results in about 21 hours of training. Meanwhile, to become an expert and get to the level of a yoga instructor, it will take you about 10,000 hours.