Yoga For Weight Loss

(February 24, 2009)

Can practicing Yoga actually help me loose weight?

Yoga can definitely help you lose weight, but only if you practise regularly and diligently. In fact, barring serious viral illnesses and the serious chronic ones such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, there is hardly any area of ill health that Yoga has not touched – successfully.

No one Yogasana (pose) or Pranayama (breathing exercise) will help you lose weight. But if you practice all the prescribed poses you will, definitely, lose weight. This includes a routine of Yogasanas (physical poses), Pranayamas (breathing exercises), Kriyas (cleansing techniques) and a Yoga diet. For starters you should do all the Yogasanas (physical poses) in the following positions:

Asanas (poses)

Standing

Ardha Chakrasana (Half Moon pose)
Padahastasana (Forehead to knee pose)
Padangusthasana (Toe to hand pose)
Parvatasana (Mountain pose)
Tadasana (Palm Tree pose)
Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)

Sitting

Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fish pose)
Gomukhasana (Cow face pose)
Janu Sirshasana ((Forehead to single knee pose)
Marichyasana (Pose dedicated to the sage Marichi)
Paschimottanasana (Forehead to both knees pose)
Simhasana (Lion pose)
Ushtrasana (Camel pose)

Supine

Single Leg and Double Leg Raises
Chakrasana (Wheel pose)
Halasana (Plough pose)
Matsyasana (Fish pose)
Navasana (Boat pose)
Pawanmuktasana (Wind relieving pose)
Purvottanasana (Inclined Plane)
Sethu Bandhasana (Bridge formation pose)

Prostrate

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog pose)
Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
Dhanurasana (Bow pose)
Shalabhasana (Locust pose)

Inverted

Viparita Karani (Legs against the wall pose)
Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand)

Balancing

Garudasana (Eagle pose)
Kakasana (Crow pose)
Vrikshasana (Tree pose)

Pranayamas (breathing exercises)

Kapalabhatti (Skull Cleansing)
Anuloma-Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
Suryabhedana (Right Nostril Breathing)
Bhastrika (Bellows Breath)

Kriyas (Cleansing techniques)

Jala Neti (Cleansing Nasal passages with water)
Sutra Neti (Cleansing Nasal passages with rubber catheter)
Vaman Dhauti (Cleansing stomach by vomit water on empty stomach)

Yogic Diet

For obese people seeking to shed weight, there is no alternative to a strict Yogic diet. This means that your diet must be Sattvic (light and predominantly vegetarian). It should include generous servings of green leafy vegetables, sprouts, seasonal fruits and daily salads. Please avoid all fatty foods, milk products such as yoghurt, butter and cheese and junk / fast foods. They will only slow down your slimming process.

If, however, you abide by a pure and light vegetarian diet, maintain a daily routine of waking and early sleeping, avoid late nights and do your Yogasanas (poses), Pranayama (breathing exercises) and Kriyas (cleansing techniques) regularly, in due course, you will definitely see the desired results. It all depends on you. So, start now and practise with continued regularity till you are fully satisfied.

Submitted by A on February 24, 2009 at 04:03