Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Power Of Yoga For Losing Weight

By Amber Stewart

Many people in the West are attracted to yoga because of its ability to relax both the body and the mind. Yoga is also a wonderful way to get in or stay in shape. The purpose of the postures is to keep the body healthy and fit.

The Physical Benefits of Yoga are Considerable, including:

  • Improved levels of fitness
  • Increased dexterity and sense of balance
  • Feeling more healthy, alert, vibrant and energetic
  • Developed great strength stamina and flexibility
  • Better, more attractive posture
  • Ease in breathing
  • Untroubled digestion
  • Improved self-esteem
  • Improved sleep quality
Many people who practice yoga view it as being a great way to improve their health or improve the function of their minds.

Yoga is an ancient practice that places stress on having full control over the body and the mind, and isn’t that exactly what we need for losing weight?

From the balanced, peaceful state of mind that yoga can bring you to, it’s a lot easier to tackle problems in your life, such as being overweight.

Because it helps burn calories, using yoga for weight loss is ideal. Think about it, have you ever met an obese yoga practitioner? I don’t think it’s possible to be overweight and perform yoga exercises on a regular basis.

By doing yoga, like doing any other physical exercise you will burn more calories and increase your metabolic rate. So it works like any other weight loss program that includes physical activity. But yoga also helps you to increase the wonderful ability to focus, concentrate and at the same time relax your mind. Combining yoga with a healthy eating plan is really a powerful combo for a healthy lifestyle.

If you start doing yoga, lifestyle changes will have to take place – the more yoga you’ll do, the more aware you’ll become of your body, your body’s reaction to foods, drugs and stress.

Yoga places a great deal focus on controlling your breath and how you can use your breathing patterns to help purify your body and mind.

Yoga involves a variety of positions and techniques. All of these postures will be stimulating different glands in your body and your internal organs. Yoga can help reinstate a healthy, balanced hormonal environment in your body. And it helps stimulate your metabolism.

Does yoga for losing weight really work? Definitely. And more than just losing weight, you’ll be improving the function of your circulatory system and creating a healthy balance within your body and mind. In conclusion, can yoga be very effective as one of the many ways for losing weight? Yes, it definitely can!