The Benefits of Yoga for Weight Loss

The science of yoga has always been avowed for the miraculous benefits that it brings to the practitioners. Weight loss is one of the most enticing reasons to practice the discipline of yoga for many individuals.

Weight gain is not simply a matter of taking too many calories and burning none. Psychological stress, imbalanced functioning of the major body organs and overload of toxic matters within the body are also symptomatic of unhealthy weight gain.

The indulgence in the practice of yoga under the experienced guidance of yoga teachers can help you gain optimal weight. The yoga practices address the underlying cause of the weight gain ensuring tangible results. Not only you will shed the excess weight, but your health will also be restored.

1. Strengthens Liver: The liver organ is a potent detoxifier and cleanser. It purifies the blood and processes fat, both good and bad. The optimal processing of the fats (disposing of bad fats and putting good fat to use) happens only when the liver is healthy. By performing certain yoga postures, you can restore the strength of this vital organ bringing it to a state of optimal functioning. During yoga in Nepal, you can learn the steps of the below mentioned yoga poses:

• Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)? Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)? Wheel Pose (Chakrasana)? Seated Spinal Twist (Matsyendrasana)

2. Effective Stress Management: Higher levels of stress results in an eating disorder named ‘Binge eating.’ In this disorder, the person feels the urge to eat large quantities of food (often very quickly) due to experiencing stress, guilt, shame and other psychological factors. The positive aspect of binge eating is that it is treatable. The performance of yoga poses and yoga breathing techniques help in lowering the body-mind stress. With a calm mind, you listen to your body’s needs and hunger cues more attentively. Yoga styles like Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Bikram Yoga are preferable to practice for weight loss. On yoga holidays in Nepal, you get the opportunity to practice some of these yoga styles.

1. Healthy Metabolism: High metabolism is required for burning excess fat from the body. For a healthy weight loss metabolism, it is imperative that your thyroid glands function properly. They secrete hormones that regulate metabolic rate. Many people who suffer from weight gain have hypothyroidism (meaning low metabolic rate). The practice of Shoulder Stand Pose (Sarvangasana) and Fish Pose (Matsyasana) can help correct the thyroid imbalance in the body.
2. Mindfulness: The yoga harbors the ability to foster inward focus and connection. It does so through its core practices of asanas, pranayama and meditation. When you commit to these practices on a daily basis, you feel more connected to your body, how it feels, etc. The self-awareness brings about a shift in thinking pattern, such as eating when you are hungry, stopping when full and not overeating. Yoga is also the advocate of sattvic food that keeps the body in ideal shape.
3. Stretch and Strength: The yoga poses demand activeness. In the yoga postures, you move every organ of your body that helps in weight loss. The movement stretches the tissues and makes them active. And active tissues consume fat as fuel. In yoga, you move the body with strength which is good for weight loss. Some effective poses for stretch and strength are:

• Crow Pose (Bakasana)? Plank Pose (Kunbhakasana)? Scale Pose (Tolasana)

Say goodbye to stubborn fat in a healthy manner with the discipline of yoga.

Manmohan Singh is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveler. He loves writing and reading the books related to yoga, health, nature and the Himalayas.