I think that doing yoga can definitely help. Yoga strengthens your body and, depending upon the type of yoga you're doing, can be a really great workout. Even Jennifer Aniston (whom we all know has a great shape) is a huge advocate.
Yoga, as it was traditionally taught in India, is an entire lifestyle including vegetarian diet, holding yoga postures as a form of exercise, relaxation, meditation, chanting and breathing. If you really do yoga the way it was developed over thousands of years, you would easily and effortlessly lose weight until you attained your body's ideal weight. However, if you think of yoga as just another form of exercise and you do certain postures for brief periods of time, you will be loosening up some constricted neuromuscular patterns but you will not be engaging your mind, body and spirit.
The yogic vegetarian diet is based upon thousands of years of tradition with an understanding of how different foods affect the mind, body and spirit. Yogic relaxation allows you to unstress you thinking and relax your internal organs so that they can function at their optimal level. Yogic breathing increased oxygenation of all your body cells, enhances the flow of blood into all your organs, and increases your mind's ability to focus on what you really want to attain in your life, including attaining your ideal weight. Yogic chanting facilitates the release of old mind habits and is another way for your body to let go of tension and for you to gain clarity of thought. Meditation brings you to an even higher level of concentration, contemplation, visualization, and clarity which helps you to attain whatever goals you aspire to.
So, to answer your question, can yoga help you to lose weight. The answer is "Yes" if you do yoga with an understanding of the full complexity of this practice and if you approach your practice with real dedication. The answer is "No" if you just hold some postures for brief periods of time and do not understand the messages in your own body and mind.
There are some forms of Yoga that are more intense than others. Ashtanga or power yoga (as used by the New York Runners Club)is very intense, as the participant jumps from one position to another, this form would have a greater effect on the cardiovascular system and increase the energy output of the body, thus creating a caloric deficit. Of course with any exercise program, if accompanied by proper diet choices the effects of weight loss will be greater.
In peace, t
1 month ago
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