Roll out your mat, bow to the morning sun and feel the connection between your body and mind. This is not only the beginning of a new day, but it could also be the beginning of a new you! This is what Yoga classes at home can bring to you. And here’s the best part- if you are looking to lose weight with Yoga, you won’t have to sweat it out! Does it mean that you can go into ‘savasana pose’ (shah-VAHS-anna), also known as the ‘corpse pose’ and lose weight in your state of relaxation? Nope, sorry but if you chose to use yoga to lose weight, you will certainly see the magic if you keep on with the practice and make a commitment to yourself.
Ready to burn that fat away? Follow these five simple, practical solutions to rebalance your body and shed those extra kilos!
1.FIGHT BACK EMOTIONAL HUNGER
We all know that stress leads to poor diet and binge eating. The most common cause of gaining weight is emotional eating, and if you do Yoga it can help you lower your cortisol levels. Yoga is a great stress buster! Putting yourself into a practice of calming your mind can help your brain to go in a positive mode. Different yoga breathing exercises such as Ujjayi pranayama (Ocean breath), Kapalbhati pranayama, (Breath of Fire) and Kumbhaka pranayama (Breath Retention) etc. are techniques to consciously relax your mind. It eases your anxiety, fears and concerns that can lead you into feeling emotionally hungry. By regularly trying to achieve deep relaxation, you can fight back the negative emotions and overcome emotional eating habits.
2.POSES TO DO AT HOME
Yoga is touted as the best form of exercise to burn calories without breaking a sweat! Among the several ‘asanas’ (pose or posture), here are a few poses that you can easily do at home if you don’t have time to do a full session.
- Sun Salutations
A perfect way to get that heart rate going… make this one your morning starter workout! Do at least 10 Sun Salutations ‘surya namaskaras’ and feel the heat by speeding up the pace and increasing the intensity in this systematically sequenced asana.
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- Warrior Pose
Rise up and release your arms! This is the ‘virabhadrasana II ’ also known as the Warrior Pose II. Among the other warrior poses, this one will help you improve your Focus, Power and Stability. It also strengthens and stretches the thighs, calves and ankles. Hold the pose for 3 minutes or 10-12 breaths.
- Plank Pose
Engage your core, arm and leg muscles in this pose. There are several variations of plank pose. You can try the popular ‘makara adho mukha savasana’, the Dolphin Plank pose. Hold this position for at least one minute every day.
3.FAST FORWARD WITH POWER YOGA
Sometimes called ‘power yoga’, ‘Ashtanga’ is a fast-paced, aerobic style yoga for those who like to sweat it out. It is an energetic workout, synchronizing breath with movement and is great to build core strength and toning the body. The real aim of power yoga is to maintain focus throughout the practice. It is typically recommended to those who prefer a more rigorous style of yogic practice. A perfect cardio workout that even the pop star Madonna follows and swears by! So if you are into hardcore workouts, power yoga could be the best style for you to not only fast forward your fat burning process, but to also move with rhythm!
4.FIND A YOGA GURU
The most important thing while working to lose weight is to continue your healthy routine hire fitness trainers for weight loss and body building. And that can be more easily done if you have a good teacher. There may be plenty of YouTube videos and Instagrammers to follow but specialized classes with qualified yoga instructors are becoming more popular. These teachers are trained to work with differing abilities and different body types too. If you get the opportunity to find your Yoga Guru, nothing like it! You can have the most positive experience in your class as your teacher can guide you at your own pace. You will want someone who can make you feel welcome and encourage you to continue.
5.FIND YOUR OWN FLOW
As you are on your way to weight loss with yoga, it is easy to lose track with too many options to choose from. You’ve googled your way into the world of yoga and your head is now spinning with all the search results! Should you try Ashtanga Yoga or Iyengar Yoga? What is the difference between Hot Yoga and Vinyasa? If you are a newbie, this is sure to scare you off your mat but you don’t have to feel that way. Many yoga classes offer a first free session or you can find videos/DVDs too. You can try out different studios, new styles and techniques to see what fits you the best. Finding your own flow can encourage you to slowly but steadily stay on the path of burning the calories!
You could take up other online classes for professional guidence - Book for health & fitness experts and try out other type of activities like zumba classes and aerobics, etc. What’s your takeaway from this? Well, to lose weight with yoga- think positive, deepen your practice, focus on healthy eating habits with nutritionist and set modest goals. What else? Just inhale, exhale and let’s roll out our mats now!
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