Yoga is so much more than just a weight loss program. It is a combination of physical, mental and spiritual practices. Studies show that a complete yoga program including asana (poses) practices, breathing techniques, and meditation act as a effective long term weight loss solution for people with all ages. It has helped many people to shed extra pounds, even some who have spent years trying to loose weight with other ways without success.
How exactly does yoga help in losing weight:
As I said earlier, yoga is so much more than a weight loss program. Being over weight is an indicator that something is out of balance. We must understand the three layers that our bodies are comprised of the mind, body, and soul. Each layer depends on and affects the other two.
When one layer is unbalanced, other two gets affected. One cannot have a healthy body and pure soul if the mind is overactive, unbalanced or stressed. Luckily, yoga creates harmony among these three key decision makers that rule our life.
Patience is the key:
Instant weight loss is not good for our health. Many people follow crash diets and other weight loss programs and do get results, but these methods have negative effects on the body and makes us nutrient deficient which lead to other ailments in our body.
When you stop following these instant weight loss programs, you put on almost twice the weight you previously had. Some people also go into a depression after a failure of these fast weight loss programs. Weight loss should be thought of as a long term lifestyle change rather than a quick way of losing a few pounds for a party, beach trip or wedding.
Effects of regular practice of Yoga:
1. You will be stress free.
Our lives are becoming increasingly stressful and there are many reasons for this. People who always worry about something or have a stressful work life, the level of Cortisol stays high in them. Cortisol is a hormone which rises in our body when we are stressed. It is also called as a ‘stress hormone’. Elevated cortisol levels not only stimulate eating, but also ensure that any additional calories available are efficiently converted to fat.
Under the influence of cortisol, this excess fat tends to get deposited in the abdomen. Belly fat is linked to insulin resistance which causes diabetes and other serious health disorders including heart diseases. Yoga helps normalize the cortisol levels with the combination of different asanas, breathing techniques and relaxing meditations.
2. Increased awareness.
Regular practice of yoga also connects our mind with our body. This awareness helps us to detect not only our habits (good and bad), but also lets us know when our stomach is full and when to stop eating. Many people with weight problems have little awareness of their hunger, which leads to all sorts of cravings and overeating.
3. Yoga helps us to release blocked emotions.
Being overweight almost always has an emotional component. You must have heard about the term ’emotional eating’. Emotional eating or ‘stress eating’ is nothing but using food to make yourself feel better. Often in the busyness of everyday life, we squash down our negative feelings with food or other addictions. Left unaddressed, these feelings can become stuck in our body and we continue follow bad habits to suppress those bad feelings, and to feel good at least for sometime. This leads to unnecessary weight gain.
People who practice yoga learn to examine their emotions. It also helps them to connect with their inner power and they get the courage and confidence to express how they feel. Expressing how you feel is the key to feeling good about yourself and is an important aspect of losing weight.
4. Yoga detoxifies the body.
Being overweight is a sign that your body is high in toxicity. Detoxifying your body can help you to lose weight, for good. When your body is toxic, it means that your detoxification organs (such as your liver and kidneys) may not be working effectively. When these organs aren’t working optimally your body will tend to hold on to excess weight in the form of toxins.
Doing yoga is an excellent place to start detoxifying your body. Yoga tones up the inner organs and helps them to work optimally again. Yoga includes some breathing techniques (Pranayama) and some specific yoga poses that also assists in effective detoxification.
5. Yoga’s effect on soul.
Yoga practices connects you with your inner being, your spirit. When you are in touch with your spiritual nature you come to understand that the destructive habits no longer serve your ultimate goal. This awakening directly affects weight loss because it encourages you to eliminate bad habits.
If you are serious about losing weight permanently and peacefully then learn yoga and start doing 60 minutes of yoga at least 5 to 6 days per week. Make sure to follow natural diet for optimum and permanent results. Eliminate junk food completely which will speed up your weight loss.
Let’s roll out the mat. Fall in love with taking care of yourself. Detach from that destructive inner voice. Tune in to your spiritual nature. Liberate the soul.
Get ready for all the positive changes that are coming in your life.
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