Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Yoga for Weight Loss


Yoga for weight loss is a very gentle way to stretch and tone the body and makes it suppler again. Yoga might not be the best option exercise-wise if you want to lose weight quickly and mainly through excercising, but yoga can help you on your way to a slimmer and more toned body. Yoga weight loss means losing weight that stays off, if you keep practising yoga after losing weight.
Even though yoga has been around for ages, a new type of yoga focusing on toning and slimming the body down has surfaced. More geared towards the western world where weight gain and obesity is such a big problem, yoga can be applied in this area of life too.

Losing weight with yoga means focusing on yoga postures that help raise the metabolism and helps to burn calories and reduce stress at the same time, as yoga is a relaxing way of exercising. Yoga does burn less calories than other sports such as jogging or swimming, unless you practise ashtanga or power yoga. However, yoga should be practised within a certain frame of mind.

Your Mind and Losing Weight with Yoga

Utilizing the spiritual and mental side of yoga when you are trying to lose weight is imperative. Changing your mentality and gearing your mind towards feeling better about yourself and being convinced that you will be successful in changing yourself for the better is necessary to be successful when you opt for yoga for weight loss.

Which Yoga Techniques Are particularly useful In Weight Loss?

There are two main yoga techniques that can be applied when you are trying to lose weight. Yoga and weight loss can go together very well but you do need to pick the right kind for yoga and exercises to be successful in your endeavour to lose weight successfully. Both Bikram yoga and Astanga yoga appear to be the most suitable methods.
Bikram Yoga
Bikram hatha yoga is the kind of yoga that most athletes and celebrities prefer as it helps to lose weight by burning lots of calories if you do the exercises at least ten times a month, on a regular basis. Bikram yoga weight loss occurs as this type of yoga is a mix of calmer yoga exercises with a complete cardiovascular, aerobic and fat-burning workout.

It might take you a while to get into the speed with which these exercises are performed as Bikram yoga does not leave much time for relaxing during its exercises. But then again, raising the heartbeat and burning fat for at least twenty minutes is absolutely necessary to lose weight quicker.

Bikram yoga will make you look and feel better and as you are losing weight this type of yoga will also help lower your stress levels. While training the body you are also training the mind with this type of exercise as Bikram yoga helps to build self control, patience and concentration.
Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga yoga is a type of yoga that helps make doing yoga and losing weight at the same time easy. This system of yoga focuses on synchronizing the breath with a series of different, fairly complicated, postures.

The result of doing Ashtanga exercises regularly is a healthy body with a strong and clear mind. This is a very effective type of yoga for weight loss.
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Introduction to Yoga

Introduction Yoga' means not only contemplation but also communion and yoking all powers of the body, mind and soul to God. It is a very ancient and efficient system of disciplines and controls designed to produce the integration of the body, mind and spirit. It also achieves higher states of awareness and self-realization by methodical efforts to attain perfection. The therapeutic benefits obtained by performing the asanas are well known. The circulation of the blood is improved; tensions can be removed, and a feeling of well-being is induced. The muscles are strengthened, nerves soothed and physical endurance is increased. One important aspect is that blood vessels and nerves for the internal organs are "massaged" by the twists and bending, ensuring proper functioning. Ageing bodies can have fewer aches and pains, stiffening of joints can be healed and depression alleviated. 1. Hatha Yoga Concerned, primarily with the body and the asanas. 2. Bhakti Yoga Path of love and devotion. 3. Mantra Yoga Recitation and repetition of words and verses. 4. Karma Yoga Service through action and work. 5. Jnana Yoga The intellectual path. 6. Raja Yoga Synthesis of Bhakti, Karma and Janan. 7. Laya Yoga The secret path, the 'Yoga of Dissolution'. What is Yoga? Yoga is a philosophy brought down diligently through the ages. And, it has acquired more significance now because of the “stressed out” way of life that we live in this fast paced world filled with pressure, anxiety and energy consuming routine. In ancient times, the seven stages of yoga consisted of : 1. Eyama – Good deeds 2. Niyama – Stoping bad habits 3. Asanas – 4. Pranayama – Breathing 5. Pratikaharan – Special diet 6. Dharana / Dyanam – Concentration 7. Samadhi – Submitting oneself to die What we are trying to do here is not drill into your head that it is some kind of an exercise that has to be done. IT is certainly not so because it is just not some form of an exercise or some form of a routine that has to be rigidly followed. It is more of a philosophy and it has to become a part of yourself as much as eating, brushing your teeth, combing your hair or even breathing. And, once it pervades your system there is no way that any thing can take its place. It becomes so much of a second nature to you that you find it difficult to even imagine that how you had lived without it for so long. And this, is no exaggeration – it is the pure and simple truth itself. Yoga Reduces heart beat Charges energy leading to less food requirement Reduces tension Leads to calm and composure Exercise Enhances heart beat Discharges energy leading to increased food requirement Increases tension Gives went to aggression