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1. How Gentle Yoga Can Help You Lose Weight
2. Naomi's No-Diet Diet Tips
3. Reduce Stress to Weigh Less
How Gentle Yoga Can Help You Lose Weight Naomi Judith
Years ago, while living in New York City, I was looking for a place to go
for a much-needed vacation. A friend told me about a Yoga
Ashram on Paradise island in the Bahamas. On a whim, I went.
It was called the Sivanada Yoga Vedanta Center, and I hoped
no one would ask me to pronounce it! For four days, we ate
healthy foods, practiced yoga, and experienced deep relaxation—an
integral part of the practice of yoga.
After those few short days, I felt like a new person! I found
deep calm and inner peace within myself that I could tap into
whenever I felt the need. Yoga was definitely what I needed
for my own mental health. I determined to make it a part of
my life.
As I continued my studies in the Yoga Centers, I learned
that yoga was developed thousands of years ago by monks to
facilitate and insure harmony in the body and mind. No wonder
it felt so good! The focus and concentration on spinal flexibility
and on breathing help create a calm nervous system.
One thrilling benefit was my loss of weight with the regular
regimen of yoga. After having tried every diet and weight
loss program available to womankind—all to no avail—I found
that including yoga made the successful difference.
Weight loss is not a mathematical formula. X calories does
not equal X weight loss or gain. Many people put themselves
on a strict diet of carrot sticks and cottage cheese without
appreciable results. Modern medicine indicates a yo-yo syndrome
of dieting for weight loss and gaining weight back may cause
overall weight gain. To successfully regulate body fat, one
must have healthy immune, endocrine and nervous systems.
Through correct breathing, the brain and other cells receive
proper oxygenation, aiding the nervous system. The brain and
nervous system communicate better, allowing better body communication
overall. This improves the endocrine system, which produces
the body's hormones. When hormones are balanced, stress is
manageable.
Managing stress is key to managing your diet. Most eating
problems are a result of emotional or physiological imbalance,
not hunger. Achieving the proper balance in your body brings
harmony and control. This helps you make the right decisions
about how and what you eat.
For optimum effectiveness, you need regular, sustained yoga—as
little as 15 minutes a day, and preferably at the same time
each day. Establishing a rhythm and expectancy creates lasting
benefits for your health and weight mastery. The completion
of a yoga session includes a progressive relaxation in which
all parts of the body are tightened and them released. Your
body experiences the feeling of renewal and rejuvenation.
From this state, a deep healing can begin, which is the basis
for a refreshing day and long-lasting benefits to your entire
system.
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