Using Yoga for Weigh loss
In today's society carrying excess weight is becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Lifestyles are increasingly sedentary, peoples diet is becoming increasingly processed and fatty and
food contains more and more calories, additives and preservatives. Children prefer television over
playing with their friends, which is perhaps a direct reflection on parents who prefer television over
socializing or even making time for their children. This only scratches the surface of the social
move towards a sedentary and unhealthy society which is making more and more people fat.
Yoga is a discipline designed to make the body strong and flexible and enhance the overall health
of the digestive system as well as the hormonal and circulatory systems. It also assists us in
controlling mental stress and achieving peace and clarity of mind. Yoga also has strong spiritual
benefits which will see you becoming more content with yourself and more comfortable with who
you are, all aspects which will lead to emotional stability. This mental component is often
neglected in a physical approach to weight loss, but it is critical and should not be overlooked. So
called "Comfort food" is a frequent problem for people who yo-yo diet(rapidly lose and gain
weight) and the ability to be happy with your health and who you are reduces the need for this.
Yoga is based on deep and controlled breathing which is a method for enhancing our oxygen
intake. This allows oxygen to travel to the fat cells in our body and assist in their processing. One
has to ask given the benefits why more people don't practice Yoga?
Many people think of Yoga as a passive or mystical discipline - something for hippies - not them.
This is a shame as Yoga improves the physical body as well as our mental health. While it is
practiced by a great many people in Eastern Populations only about 2% of the population in the
United States has clicked on to the many benefits.
Yoga considers all the aspects that contribute to obesity - not just the physical but also the mental
and spiritual reasons behind them. regular Yoga is not only relaxing but it does bring the body back
towards it's ideal weight and at the same time enhance strength, flexibility and stamina. Yoga nuts
tend to end up slim, agile and efficient in everything they do and what's more it is suitable for
people of all ages.
A more active form of Yoga, Kundalini, was introduced to America in 1969 by Yogi Bhajan. It is a
more active form of Yoga combining different methods of breathing, meditation and movement to
compensate for the fact the American population has been conditioned to see exercise as requiring
sweating.
Yoga can also be used to resist the temptation of snacking between meals. techniques learned from
yoga can be used to suppress impulses such as that we think of as hunger between meals(if you eat
proper meals you cannot be hungry between them - merely bored or restless).
Yoga is not just a method of losing weight, it is actually a method which restores a natural balance
to our body and moves us towards our natural state. This has an interesting consequence with
weight. It we are overweight then yes, regular Yoga will cause us to lose weight. However if we
are at our ideal weight we will not drop weight, and if we weight too little we will gain weight until
we are at our biologically natural size.
Learn Yoga - Step by Step
The benefits of Yoga are well know to everyone who has ever tried the discipline but if you are
new to Yoga let me recap. Yoga is a fantastically popular and effective way of strengthening you
physically as well as mentally and spiritually. This last 'spiritual' aspect may turn some people off,
but it's not something that needs to be associated with religion. Really the best alternate word for
the spiritual strength of Yoga is contentment or happiness. It allows you to be a calmer person and
more happy with yourself. Put like that it sounds pretty great doesn't it?
So you've probably heard a little about Yoga and wondered what it's all about. you probably have
a few preconceptions and maybe an image of an old man with a long beard sitting in the lotus
position springs into your head in automatic association with the word. Let's go through step by
step what you can expect in a typical Yoga session.
Step One: The Introduction and Preparation.
Most Yoga classes begin in a standing position. There are both mental and physical reasons for
this and they are closely connected. The standing position is the most natural Human position there
is. Leonardo Da Vinci produced a famous scientific picture of the symmetry of the human body
when it is in it's natural standing position. The outstretched arms and legs can have a perfect circle
drawn around them and this is true of everyone regardless of their height or weight. What this
means is that a standing pose comes naturally to us - we are not worried about getting it wrong and
we can concentrate of the state of the body. Breathing exercises will be a key part of the warm up
stage for your routine. This is the only time in your life you will be 'taught' to breath and it's a skill
which allows people to restore calm to their bodies and thoughts.
Step Two: The Main Routine
This is the art of your Yoga session which will vary the greatest depending on what forms of Yoga
you are learning. While the individual exercises you will be doing are going to be quite different,
the nature of them will be very similar. This will mean moving into certain poses and positions and
holding those poses to allow the body to stretch out muscles and muscle groups that in many cases
haven't been given much attention during the week. Some Yoga teachers will talk to you about
energy points of chakra's. These are important junctions in your body where congestion occurs and
stretching them out allows energy to flow freely around your body.
Step Three: Ending the Session
While the main session is about releasing pent up energies, this stage of your Yoga workout is all
about allowing that energy to flow around your body. Many people have trouble with thinking
about some strange mystic force that is flowing through you and driving it to certain parts of your
body. If you are one of them just mentally substitute the word 'energy' with the word 'blood'. We
know that the job of blood is to carry nutrients and oxygen around our body, and we know that if
any part of our body is lacking in this supply that we will become ill, so it's not a huge stretch to
think of blood as the mystic energy force that brings health around our body, and exercises such as
Yoga as being the method of ensuring the smooth and successful flow of that blood.
Different Yoga Poses and Asanas
Classical yoga has developed over time to include many different styles for a range of situations,
needs and preferences. However the majority of Yoga styles still fall neatly into either the
therapeutic or the meditative category. Both categories have many hundreds of different Asanas,
(poses or positions) and all of these are designed to benefit both the body and the mind.
Yoga takes the five 'prayer' positions and uses a corresponding yoga position to activate the seven
chakras in the body. A Chakra is a type of energy field or is sometimes thought as a key position in
the flow of energy throughout our body. Each different type of Yoga and each different Yoga
position will have a different chakra as it's core emphasis. All of these positions, which we tend to
think of nowadays in Western Yoga as exercises, were in fact originally the preparation for the Yogi
to enter a state of meditation.
The actual positions or poses of Yoga are known as Asanas and they may seem complicated or
difficult to a new Yoga student. It's important not to forget that all of the basic positions of Yoga are
designed to improve the bodies strength and flexibility, and as these characteristics are improved it
also makes the positions more comfortable and easier to settle into. The deep stretching that is the
basis of most Yoga positions is beneficial for trauma disorders, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome
and tennis elbow amongst others.
Before you begin you may find it beneficial to attain a basic knowledge of the philosophy and
theory behind Yoga, however this is not a requirement or essential to your success. It does assist
with being comfortable settling into and performing the poses associated with Yoga, and it should
be remembered that if you cannot do this then you will probably not benefit from Yoga.
There is a common misconception about Yoga that it is only for the tremendously flexible who can
contort themselves into weird and wonderful positions. Chanting is often also associated with a
Yoga class in people's preconceptions. Neither of these ideas is true. The Yoga positions are
generally quite easy to get into but they do have several different depths in many cases. This means
that a completely beginner can move into a position and still benefit from it at a great level after
many years of Yoga. There are some advanced positions that a beginner should probably not bother
themselves with. Just as you are not going to compete with top marathon runners on your first day
jogging, but can still get benefits, you are also not going to be able to ease into some of the
positions that an instructor is capable of. Likewise if you are pregnant or perhaps have an injury
such as a bad back you should inform your Yoga instructor before you begin. There are some
positions that can actually be detrimental to certain conditions. Twist exercises with a recurring
back injury is one of these.
Yoga is something that is most beneficial in a comfortable environment, as the muscles will stretch
better when they are still warm. It's important to learn the discipline to enter and leave each new
pose or position slowly. Not only does this help avoiding injury but also the movement from one
pose to another is often part of the program. Don't hold the poses and positions longer than is
natural for you either. As you become more used to practicing the Yoga positions each day the
benefits will allow you to hold a position with more ease for longer periods of time.
When practised correctly the benefits of Yoga are many. Lubrications of the joints, ligaments and
the tendons will result directly from performing the exercises best suited to you. Posture will
increase dramatically and you will also experience a sense of wellbeing. There is also a deeper
spiritual level to Yoga (it actually has it's own philosophy and code of ethics) that you will move
closer towards and enhance each time you stretch and go through the breathing exercises.
3 Common Mistakes by Yoga Newcomers
Whenever we start something new we have a certain feeling of trepidation and uncertainty of the
unknown and in most cases it is completely unfounded and we get on with things very quickly and
easily. Sometimes it isn't and a simple little thing can cause us to have an entirely negative first
impression and perhaps even never want to try that activity or passtime again. Yoga has so many
health benefits, on both a physical and spiritual level, that it would be a tragedy for anyone to miss
out on them because they made a silly avoidable mistake on their first day. With that in mind this
article addresses the 3 most common mistakes of new Yogi, and how to make sure they don't
happen to you.
Mistake One: Not knowing what you want from Yoga.
The reality is that there are numerous different styles and forms of Yoga and each has it's different
attractions. Ask yourself what it was about Yoga in general that attracted you and then you can
investigate a style that caters more specifically to that. You may like to set goals, be they physical,
mental or spiritual. If you do then it's a good idea to discuss them with the instructor of your class
before you begin. Yoga instructors are usually very approachable and happy to talk about their
passion. They will be able to talk to you about your goals for the class and let you know if you are
being realistic, aiming too high or too low. Make sure you goal includes a timeframe so it becomes
something that is measurable.
Mistake Two: Jumping in Feet First.
Having decided that they will give this Yoga thing a try many people take a running leap and jump
in to a 12 month stage by stage class. These classes are usually an upfront payment arrangement
and progress from one level to the next as the weeks progress. They are a fantastic way of learning
Yoga and becoming very good at it, but it's quite possibly you will choose a class that is not ideal
for you.
The best way around this is to join a Yoga beginner class, also known as a drop in class. If you do
these classes for a few weeks you will notice a high turnover of students as new people join and old
people move on. These classes are designed to give you a very broad feel for the different types of
Yoga. The level of the students in the class usually varies greatly so you can expect the instructor to
keep the classes quite tame. The other key benefit of doing this is that the classes are pay as you go
so there is no big financial outlay for you while you decide the type and style of yoga that best suits
you. You are also not obliged to attend every class. With the longer courses you can fall behind
quickly if you miss a week or two in a row. With the pay as you go classes you will find that while
each class is different the level stays quite low to cater for the newer people joining in.
Mistake Three: Choosing the wrong teacher.
Traditionally a Yogi had to be an apprentice to a skilled Guru for many years before he could teach
even the simplest of Yoga technique. Nowadays a 3-day course over a long weekend is considered
enough by some people. There is a big difference in what you will achieve depending on the skills
and abilities of the person teaching you. Yoga is starting to make a regular appearance on the sports
injury list and a large reason for this is instructors who have been taught just enough to be
dangerous. A qualified teacher won't necessarily be fantastic and an unqualified teacher won't
necessarily be terrible - but the odds are certainly cast in that direction, so it's a good idea to check
your instructors background and qualifications before you begin studying with them.
Frequently Asked Questions On Yoga
Yoga has been around for an incredibly long time and over that period different practitioners have
added their own refinements and styles into the basic Yoga discipline. There are so many different
styles now it is nearly impossible to count, but they all stem from the same core philosophy and
methodology. Unfortunately the multiple different styles often lead newcomers to the exercise
discipline to become very confused as to what they are doing and what they can hope to achieve
with Yoga. In this article we answer some of the common questions.
What is Yoga?
This question is the most common from newcomers. Most people have a general idea but they are
not sure where Yoga fits into the world. Is it an exercise? Is it a philosophy? Is it a form of
physical therapy? Is it a spiritual process? The answer is that to different people Yoga is all of
these things. At it's core it is a group of exercises and poses which are very low impact and work by
strengthening the body and increasing it's flexibility through static exercise. This means that each
pose will 'stretch' a certain area and the body benefits from this stretch by increased blood flow and
energy release. Many of the exercises release tension from areas of the body that regular activities
do not cater to. Because Yoga is performed slowly and with a strong emphasis on correct breathing
patterns there is also a strong mental and spiritual element to the exercise. It is seen as a way of
cleansing mind, body and spirit.
Do I Need To Be Religious To Get The Most Out Of Yoga?
As mentioned above Yoga is different things to different people. There are many people in the
world who perform Yoga purely for it's spiritual benefits. There are many others who perform Yoga
purely for the physical benefits associated with it. What you get out of Yoga will depend largely on
your mindset, your openness to new ideas and your ability to let yourself fall fully into a meditative
state. For some people this is very difficult at first, but that is still not going to prevent them from
getting the physical benefits associated with Yoga classes. You will find that even if you do not
have any strong spiritual base you will still benefit from an increase in your self-confidence and
personal contentment.
Where Can I Do Yoga?
Practically anywhere. Many people practice Yoga in their homes every day. Others will go to the
local park and practice Yoga with a group of friends. To begin with it's a good idea to inquire at
your local gym about Yoga classes, many of them will be holding Yoga every day. Even if they
aren't they will be able to tell you where the best place to learn Yoga is. Some local councils
sponsor Yoga classes in their area in recognition of the benefits to people who exercise regularly.
One of the big advantages of a Yoga based exercise regime is that there is no expensive equipment
to buy and then store around your house. Some poses are assisted by cushions to support the body,
but in general the only thing you need is your body.
I'm Not Very Fit - Is Yoga For Me?
Yes. Very much so. One of the fantastic things about Yoga is that the exercises and poses you will
learn can be adjusted to your level. Fitness isn't usually a problem because the exercises are slow
and often static, but your body will become better at performing them over time as your strength
and flexibility improves. Knowing your limit and ensuring that you don't 'ease up' out of habit gain
the best benefit. Hopefully you will now have a good understanding of what yoga is and why you should be doing
it. Remember that Yoga is something that once learned can be practiced anywhere you like and as
often as you like. Indeed, this is one of the key components of Yoga's popularity.
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