If Yoga was a form of exercise designed to work on the surface only, a bit of technique and experience may lead us to expect immediate and visible results.  However, Yoga is more than this and seeks to change us at all levels.  Its influence can reach deep into our mind, breath and way of being.  Hence in order to allow Yoga to do its work in depth and in turn for us to do our work in Yoga, we must be prepared for sustained practice over time.

Of course, it is possible to see positive change in our wellbeing, even after one or two sessions of yoga poses and after six months of correct and gentle posture practice, we should find ourselves calmer and more balanced in body, breath and mind.  For deeper benefits, we must be prepared for a lifetime of practicing Yoga in its entirety – from learning simple principles even to enlightenment!   There is an element of inner work that needs to happen and this is our work and responsibility as no-one else can achieve this for us from the outside in.

What is the work?  It is entirely individual – possibly to let go of old, no longer useful patterns of thoughts, behaviours and find new pathways in our mind and body.  This should take time and some effort.  We will get out of our Yoga what we put into it, remembering always that ease and comfort needs to be incorporated too.  If all we want is a trim waistline or mobile hips, we can certainly accomplish this through regular practice of the yogic poses.  But if our sights are is set on a bigger picture enabling our practice to also free us from discomfort and find balance in all levels of our being, we must cultivate practices and attitudes that give us self understanding and self belief without ego.  Yoga is the distilled wisdom of thousands of year and thousands of yogis – it can furnish us with everything we need to succeed whether our wished for outcomes are simple or more complex.

Clearly there is a time element here so it would be good for us to learn patience with ourselves and others and also to develop the habit of steadfast practice early on – on and off the mat – whether just breathing or practicing yoga poses.  Every time we apply ourselves in a way that’s appropriate to our practice,  we create more momentum for our journey.  At a certain  point, our work or rather our practice, becomes so easy and natural and that can spread to everything becoming easier.  In that journey, we begin to experience greater freedom of thought and action and joy – our life becomes Yoga.