As we know, yoga creates our well-being. This lies its yoga’s ability to lower excess weight thanks to burning calories, improving metabolism, and supporting a healthy lifestyle. Yoga is not a very fast fix, however it can be a perfect long-term holistic approach to reducing excess weight and keeping it off. Furthermore, yoga brings about a lot of other positive alterations; it boosts self-esteem, raises mental focus, lowers the level of stress, promotes flexibility, and raises physical and mantal strength and balance.
There are a lot of various causes of weight gain, and due to this the best method to lower excess weight with yoga requires an individualistic approach using a combination of proper techniques. The standard weight loss formula of lowering intake and increasing output is essential, but it frequently doesn’t address the deeper disharmonies or root of the cause, particularly if weight gain has been a long-term problem. An overall yoga practice will help you reduce your weight, but a routine of yogic practices based upon and person’s specific disharmony will be even more effectual. The poses of yoga, breathing exercises, and meditations may be used basis upon their ability to adjust and balance hormones, emotions, and/or metabolism.
Metabolism inculdes the chemical processes generating energy in the body. These processes are controlled by the endocrine system, particularly the thyroid. Yoga brings the great effect on the endocrine organs that is both stimulating and strengthening, and thus can improve metabolism in order to burn more calories. The twisting and compressing of the yoga poses massage the endocrine and abdominal organs, controlling their function, boosting local circulation and cleansing them of old stagnant toxins. Standing postures, particularly the warrior and lunging postures, boost metabolism. Moreover, they tone the muscles and make them stronger, build stamina, and warm the whole body. Taking up the Sun Salutations will be particularly supportive in improving the body’s metabolism as will move very fast (vinyasa) between any series of postures. Use Kapalabhati Pranayama (breath of fire) and Ujjayi Pranayama (ocean sounding breath) in order to warm and strengthen the body and further improve your metabolism. Perform Kapalabhati before of after the yoga practice, and use Ujjayi whilst moving between and holding yoga postures.
Twisting postures, back bends, forward bends and inversions are used for the stimulation of the endocrine system. If the weight gain is caused by a hormonal imbalance, poses affecting the thyroid in the neck will be supportive: camel, shoulder stand, rabbit, plow, and bridge. Use Dirga Pranayama (the three part breath) to massage, tone and control the endocrine organs and to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, that regulates hormonal imbalances. Emotional eating is recognized as the practice of eating food as a reply to feelings instead of hunger. The effect on harmonizing, balancing and calming the mind and emotions that yoga provides are able to neutralize overpowering emotions before they lead to overeating or bingeing. Yoga postures, pranayamas and meditations all give the consciousness to see emotional consuming as a harmful habit and give the skills to process and resolve our emotional suffering successfully. Yoga consists of a variety of calming and nurturing poses to make use of, such as child, yoga mudra, bound angle, seated head to knee, and seated angle. Nadi Sodhana pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) is particularly powerful to calm the mind and lower the level of stress, nervousness and worry. Uncomplicated meditation practices that concentrate on the breath and body sensations boost self-awareness and self-reflection, considerably lower stress and encourage equanimity.
Combining a yogic diet and yogic lifestyle will produce a holistic weight loss program and positive long-term alteration. A yogic diet is high in fiber, whole grains, legumes and veggies. Furthermore, it is low in fat, animal protein and processed foods. A yogic lifestyle promotes awareness and consciousness, compassion, self-knowledge, and the practice of the principles of right conduct and lifestyle of the yamas and niyamas. Yama, admiration for others, comprises lack of violence, truth, sincerity, moderation, and non-covetousness. Niyama, positive self-action, comprises purity, contentment, discipline, self-study, and loyalty. Yoga is a journey and ought to be approached as such. Concentrate on slowly increasing your commitment to the yogic practices sketched in this text and enjoy the steady alterations that emerge. Do not try a quick paced vinyasa until you have attained a basic understanding of the postures. Being overweight can lead to difficulty in forward folding postures and inversions, you may be willing to avoid or minimize these at first. Most significantly, take pleasure in all of the wonderful benefits practicing yoga will bring into your whole life - body, mind and sprit.
Twisting Squat (Parivritta Utkatasana)
This pose is a stimulating and refreshing pose, strongly strengthening the lower parts of the body, massages the endoctrine and organs of abdomen and improves metabolism.
1. Stand still with the feet together and inhale the palms together in front of your heart in namaste position.
2. Exhale and bend your knees, squatting down. Reach the hips down back as if you were willing to sit on the rim of a chair, moving your weight to the heels of the feet. Never bring the hips lower than the level of your knees.
3. Keep your palms together, bring the left elbow to the right knee and look over the right shoulder at the back corner of the ceiling. Use the arms to roll the left shoulder up and back to feel a deep twist in the upper back.
4. Breathe and hold for 3-6 breaths.
To release: inhale some air and press down into the feet straightening your legs and inhale the arms up toward the ceiling.
Pranayama (Yogic Breathwork) Resources include:
Light on Pranayama the Yogic Art of Breathing, by B. K. S. Iyengar, Yehudi Menuhin
The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama, by Richard Rosen
Pranayama: The Yoga of Breathing, by Andre Van Lysebeth
Yogic Pranayama: Breathing for Long Long Life, by K. Joshi
Pranayama: a Conscious Way of Breathing, by Ranjit Sen Gupta [Resources gathered by New Life Journal]
