Yoga practice generates a physical, mental and spiritual awareness in the practitioner. It helps you to develop the best version of yourself. Yoga has a variety of asanas which comprises the mild to vigorous exercise pattern. So, yoga may also prove to be an effective way to lose weight, by burning calories and suppressing your cravings, especially the active form of yoga. You will find that the awareness generated through the regular practice of yoga helps you to regain or retain your body shape.
Yoga is a science of well-being, the science of being youthful and science of rejuvenating your body, mind, and soul. Yoga is a holistic package. As day by day due to sedentary lifestyle and working patterns many people all over the world are facing issues about maintain their weight and keeping themselves healthy and active. But at the same time, many people are becoming more aware and cautious about their increasing waistline and about the various metabolic diseases that ultimately lead to cancer, diabetes, and many more. Many of the people don’t relate yoga as an effective tool for losing weight compared to the high-intensity workout in the gym. It could somehow take time for them to understand the mechanism of yoga and different asanas in burning the unnecessary fat, but the end results are affirming, enlightening, and gratifying!
Many experts agree that yoga shows it’s efficacy in helping you burn calories, build body muscles, and be youthful forever! Let’s take a look at the ways it helps you to lose those extra kilos.
Increased cautiousness and awareness
Yoga may not immediately show the results for weight loss, but the mindfulness generated during the practice of yoga helps to develop body awareness and cautiousness about your eating habits. The mental and spiritual aspects of yoga which help you to develop mindfulness increase your awareness on many levels. This mindfulness generates a better ability to resist unhealthy foods and cravings. The regular yoga practice motivates you to follow and stick to your diet plan, significantly reducing calorie intake.
The biggest obstacle in your weight loss journey is not finding the motivation to continue your efforts even if the results are not showing. You can lose weight significantly during the starting phase but the process may get stuck or may slow down, leaving you demotivated to continue the regime. Yoga helps you to keep motivated during the whole journey.
Induces better sleep
Experts say that good eating habits, regular exercise and adequate sleep are the main pillars of successful weight loss plan. No matter how healthy you eat, how much you reduce your calorie intake, or how rigorous exercise regime be, a proper rest for your body through 6 to 8 hours of sleep is necessary. Your body rejuvenates and refreshes during the sleeping hours. Regular practice of yoga regularizes the proper sleeping pattern. Loss of sleep causes the hormonal imbalance and difficulty in fat burn.
Yoga helps calorie burn
Active yoga forms such as power yoga or ashtanga yoga require rapid transitions from one pose to another, leading to rigorous exercise. Different muscle building poses, balancing, and body aligning positions help you to tone your body by burning the fat at specific parts of your body. Meditation and pranayama kriyas in yoga help you to have a positive attitude towards your body, thus developing a feel-good approach towards yourself.
Here are the simple yoga poses to start your weight loss journey:
Surya Namaskar
One of the most widely known yoga practices- Surya Namaskar literally means the Sun Salutation. It is highly practiced yoga asana comprising of the 12 different poses. Each pose focuses on the different body parts. The great thing about Surya Namaskar is that many individual yoga poses or asanas are involved in the single Surya Namaskar. Thus it is a great way to keep your body fit as it gives a good stretch to the entire body, helping to build the strength of the whole body and increases immunity. It also helps in removing the body stiffness and relieving stress and anxiety. Practice it at least 10 times preferably during morning time.
Complete 12 poses of Surya Namaskar
Veerbhadrasana
Veerbhadrasana also is known as the warrior pose comes in three variations followed one after the other. It is very helpful for weight loss. During its practice, your back gets stretched and it tones your thighs, buttocks, and stomach. It opens up your hips and stabilizes your core. It strengthens abdominal muscles and organs boosting your metabolism. Veerbhadrasana not only burns the calories but it also tones your muscles especially the abdominal and core muscles.
Purvottanasana
Also known as the upward plank pose. It translates to intense eastward facing stretch. It is a somehow difficult pose in for the beginner but builds the core strength including leg muscles, inner thighs, thorax to a great extent. It opens up the chest. The holding positions require quite a strength. Thus it tones the back, wrist, shoulders. It helps significantly in reducing the waistline and flattening the tummy.
Phalakasana
Phalakasana or plank pose is a transitional pose which forms the base for the other yoga asana pose. As suggested in the name it is the asana in which your body is held like a plank. It creates pressure on your core and shoulder muscles. The intense workout generates body heat thus burning the fat. It also helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles, boost metabolism, improves posture, and keeps spine aligned and healthy.
Naukasana
Naukasana or paripurna navasana also known as boat pose is a modern yoga exercise. This is a very good pose for those who are trying to lose the stubborn belly fat. It burns the fat from the belly as well as tones the abs. It improves the abdominal organ’s health such as liver, pancreas, and kidneys. It regulates your sugar levels and eases constipation by stimulating the abdominal organs and regulating digestion.