Yoga’s physical form of poses or asana sequenced properly can be as vigorous, rigorous, and as cardio as you like. We all know calorie burning can be a helpful tool in weight loss. Well, contrary to some beliefs, you’ll be able to burn as many as you’d like! To many, yoga doesn’t seem like the go-to exercise for weight loss – but it should be. Here’s how yoga can help you lose weight.
Yoga is a physical exercise that can be as dynamic as you want. It is also multi-faceted, making it the ultimate cross training and leaving you feeling like no other exercise will. What other exercises include cardio, stamina, strength, balance, and flexibility all in one session. That’s five in one–the whole fitness paradigm in one session! The combination of deep breathing, the release of endorphins, the dissolution of tension and the quietness in your mind creates an ultimate feeling of wellbeing. Kind of like you are a fortress of calm completely drained of any toxicity! Looking at the world from a realm of tranquility as opposed to being caught up in the swirl of it all. Yes, you can call this detachment, yet this detachment doesn’t bar empathy and compassion. It enhances these qualities. Yoga challenges you to stay calm or less reactive to the challenging situations and stimuli that can normally be stressful. Therefore, strengthen your ability to do so. This nonreactive-ness can be a helpful tool in the fight to not allow old eating patterns to overtake us. It’s a very empowering feeling like you are the master no longer succumbing to petty cravings that were previously dominant. It’s like the power was taken away from food and placed back within you. Yoga also teaches moderation which is the key to all real health. So over exercise is not necessary for weight loss. As the quantity of food we eat becomes more moderate there is no need to burn unwanted calories as those unwanted calories were not stored in our bodies in the first place.
The meditation aspect of yoga not only creates calmness, it also gives us the tools to stay calm no longer needing to use food to pacify our stress and anxiety.
But remember, yoga can help you lose weight, but it is much more than a weight-loss tool. That is a by-product of this uplifting, life-affirming, healing, and wellness practice designed to strengthen benevolent qualities that enhance all relationships in our lives including and most especially the one we have with ourselves. While simultaneously eradicating self-degrading malevolent qualities that poison our minds and bodies. These malevolent qualities like fear, anger, sadness, regret, and self-doubt and the thought patterns that propagate them are at the very foundation of dis-ease. These qualities cannot co-exist with the benevolent qualities we choose to develop as darkness cannot coexist with the light.
Most weight loss programs are short-lived and ephemeral due to the fact they are only dealing with food and/or exercise. They are not dealing with the root cause of sickness and dis-ease which exist in our minds, thoughts and learned behaviors. When addressing all this our endeavor to be healthy and lose weight becomes holistic and life-changing. This is the purpose of yoga and specifically Power Yoga.
Aloha,
BK