Ten Yoga Tips for Weight Management
Posted February 17, 2007 12:00 AM
1) Practice yoga in a quiet room without mirrors or reflection for you to see yourself in. It is not important for you to know what your movements look like and you should not be thinking about the imperfections of your body, but do remain attentive to the inner feelings and thoughts you are experiencing. This allows you to enter your own mind and let go of the outside world during your session. A peaceful mind leads to a positive experience during and after yoga.
2) As you change positions from one asana to the next, tune in to the movements you are making, especially the minor ones. By recognizing small movements, you are training your mind to observe details that you normally disregard. The reason why so many people overeat is because they forget to pay attention to the details of food: the calories, the amount they are consuming, and whether the ingredients of a certain food are helpful or harmful to weight loss.
3) While you are holding the postures, come to a point in your workout where you can challenge your body without hurting yourself. Yoga is not a competitive sport, it is a science to follow so one can improve their life. In order to increase your build and endurance you must push yourself, but not to the point of exhaustion or pain. The goal is to feel great after your yoga session, and overexertion during your workout will not result in this. As you make improvements in yoga by reaching goals - conquering difficult asanas, meditating for a longer amount of time - you will realize that weight loss may be easier if you set goals for yourself with your eating habits.
4) Yoga teaches yogi to respect their bodies by paying attention to the signals it gives them. When you become tired, allow yourself to rest. A few minutes of relaxation or a water break may be all that you need, but give your body what it asks of you.
5) Speak quietly or silently to yourself when you practice yoga. Learn to positively acknowledge your endeavors. Encourage your body to pull forward, and be grateful when it does. Yoga should not be taken for granted, nor should anything else you have in your life. Show yourself that this practice is good for you by recognizing your strength and positive thoughts.
6) When taking an instructional yoga class, mingle with others before yoga begins. When you are comfortable being around certain people, you learn not to hold back or feel self-conscious in any way. Attend your yoga class with enthusiasm, and try to clear all thoughts from your mind before beginning. Some people prefer to practice their pranayama before entering the yoga studio.
7) Purchase a yoga mat and comfortable attire to wear while doing yoga, whether it be with a class or alone. There are varying degrees of thickness in mats, and it is best to choose one that suits your individual needs. Wearing comfortable clothing enables you to feel great about your body while moving and sets the tone for a proper workout. If your clothing becomes a distraction to you, it takes away from the yoga experience.
8) Choose only to learn from a highly motivated yoga instructor that offers you insight and constructive criticism during class. If you are ever uncomfortable in a yoga class, attend a class at a different time or with another instructor, or practice yoga at home.
9) Look into the types of yoga that give you a vigorous workout, such as Power Yoga and Cy-Yo which combines yoga with cycling techniques. Focus on poses that boost the metabolism, including back bending poses, forward bend poses, inversions, and twisting poses. Often times, thyroid issues or hormonal imbalances are the reasons behind stubborn weight that seems impossible to rid the body of. The poses that promote hormone balance and a healthy thyroid are the Camel Pose, the Rabbit Pose, the Bridge Pose, the Plow Pose, and the Shoulder Stand.
10) Yoga is most effective as a tool for weight loss when one eats a yogic diet. Traditional yogi abstain from eating meat and consume raw fruits and vegetables, plenty of water, and nutritional low calorie foods. It is difficult to give up tasty foods that we often eat, but if they are unhealthy you are doing your body a disservice. You can do a search on my website for a yogic diet or yoga recipes that may help you onto the right path for eating healthier foods.
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The Effects of Yoga on Eating Disorders
Posted February 16, 2007 12:00 AM
It has long been theorized that eating disorders were caused by mental disorders alone, but doctors have found this conclusion to be false. Through numerous studies and a deeper look into disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, it has been discovered that other factors contribute to eating disorders. Social, psychological, and biological elements have a great deal of impact on people with these types of food issues.
Eating disorders, as well as other problems that stem from the mind, should be dealt with through the mind. Additional mental issues such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder are associated with eating disorders, and may be the key to why they manifest from thoughts to impulses. Psychiatrists and doctors alike agree that the key to ridding one’s obsessive thoughts of food, sadness, or other things is to practice controlling one’s own thoughts. To calm the mind and assess the thought process, yoga is an essential tool in healing people from the inside as well as the outside. This may reduce or eliminate the need for people to act on their food related impulses.
Numerous studies have found that yoga practitioners who suffered from depression before they began yoga had decreased symptoms of depression after taking up yoga. The mind and body work together to create a healthy balance that is present at all times, not just while doing yoga. Yoga students are taught to accept one another as well as their own bodies by becoming aware of their movements and the ways in which the exercises affect their body parts. Yoga invalidates the need that people have to constantly judge themselves. This is a natural way to heal the mind, and the harmony of the body and mind is the first step to recovery. Meditation is also essential to practice to recognize debilitating thoughts and rid them from the mind.
Practicing yoga on a regular basis tones and strengthens the body as well as the immune system. Anorexia nervosa is a dangerous health problem that can affect the heart, bones, and stamina which yoga will improve. The constant reminder of balance also offers bulimics insight to maintain better eating habits and consuming as much as they need instead of large amounts of food.
In yogic terms, eating disorders are directly related to the first chakra, which is an energy level in the body that can become unbalanced. Certain asanas can help to return this energy level back to normal including Pigeon, Full Wind, Staff, and Crab. Other postures such as Goddess, Mountain, Prayer Squat, and Standing Squat allow a person to feel bold and courageous once again. Poses that can specifically help anorexics are back and forward bending poses for happiness and a steadier mind.
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Yoga and Anger
Posted February 15, 2007 12:00 AM
Time and again anger is viewed as something tangible, as if it were a substance in our lives. The expressions “letting anger build” or “letting off steam” makes anger into something that can literally be built up, vented out, or fizzled out. The idea that anger holds a place in this world, in every human’s mind, is a nonexistent theory. Anger is an emotion that can be controlled, ignored, and separated from each person who the feeling affects.
Although there is no part of the body that harvests anger and it cannot technically build up, it is still necessary to discuss your feelings to release negativity from your body. Anger should be a thinking process, where you first decide what is bothering you and why, then how you ought to handle the situation. Anger can serve to be a dangerous emotion if not handled properly.
Anger can be an emotion on its own, or sparked by another such as jealousy, frustration, or hurt. There will never be a way to get rid of the things that cause negative emotions, but there are ways to control yourself when you have negative feelings. The tools that allow this control can be found through meditation and the teachings of yoga.
Many people view yoga as an exercise regimen, but it is so many other things: an ancient belief system, a method for positive thinking, mind-awareness, and the list goes on. Meditation is an excellent way to calm your nerves because you learn patience. It is not easy to sit quietly in one position while you try to free your mind of thought. If you learn to tolerate the difficulties your own mind creates, you are more able to tolerate the verbalized thoughts of those around you.
Meditation also teaches one to separate themselves from their emotions. You are not angry, it does not define you, but when the feeling is present you should immediately recognize it and send it on its way. There are so many other wonderful things that denote who a person is, and anger should not be listed as part of your make up.
Another great release of anger is through asanas. These yogic postures are held for specific periods of time, and require a lot of concentration which leaves no room for anger or other negative feelings. The pranayama, or special breathing, is essential during this time and relaxes the body if any tension is present.
Yoga refreshes a person’s entire being. This ancient practice has the ability to change people’s lives, and it does. If you are having a difficult time dealing with anger or negativity in your life, I urge you to try yoga.
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Spiritual Tourism
Posted February 14, 2007 12:00 AM
Tourism in the capital of India, New Delhi, has become a great source of income for the city of nearly 300,000. The outskirts of New Delhi houses millions - between 12 and 14 - and with so many people visiting this place, whether they be tourists or natives, attractions of this city truly captivate all. Attractions include visiting the Ganges to touch holy waters, praying in the Golden temple, and a visit to Ajmer Sharief. India’s two main religions are Hindu and Muslim, which add additional interest to potential visitors. The country of India is known for its spiritualism, and new elements have been added to the tour: Vedic chants and Yoga.
Spiritual tourism is one great way to experience India and all of its diverse cultural resources. During past years, this type of country guidance consisted of visits to temples and sacred sites, but now other events have been added to this cultural mixture. Practicing yoga, listening to Vedic chants in a serene setting such as a quiet hotel room, and learning more about the culture associated with these practices will broaden the minds of visitors, and give the people of India a chance to share their spiritual way of life.
Western practices that involve spiritualism are generally associated with religion. The hustle and bustle of city life, the stress of a career, and many other factors can contribute to a person’s level of happiness, and sometimes the decline of it. Spirituality is presented in Indian tourism as it should be, in the most raw and original form. Yoga and spiritual practices have grown in popularity around the world, and Westerners are especially interested in learning this new way of life.
Yoga centers and Yoga facilities are built into hotels or visited by tourists during a stay in India. Hotels encourage their guests to visit places in which they can practice Yoga and Vedic Pranayama for their enjoyment, and these already existing practices and places of practice are inexpensive for Indian natives to provide to their visitors. Although it is suggested by some that Yoga be practiced on a mat while wearing a certain type of clothing, material items are unnecessary to invest in. Most tour guides and brochures do not ask their visitors to purchase any kind of equipment for Yoga.
The government is now playing the greatest role in creating spiritual tourism. In development are advertisements over the internet and in print, in efforts to create a spiritual destination for tourists. The Tourism Ministry is also working on organizing guided tours through temples in southern India. Yoga and Vedic chants will also play a great role in attracting world visitors.
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