YOGA AND OBESITY

We all know that obesity in this country is escalating. The rate among adults has more than doubled in the last 30 years. Obesity is categorized as a disease, an addiction and a mental illness. Yoga shows promise in treating it as an addiction and as a mental illness. It provides not just physical exercise but the means to address psychological and emotional underlying causes contributing to this condition. Studies have proven the effectiveness of yoga for weight loss.

A 2006 study of teens found that those who practiced yoga regularly over a three-month period lost an average of six pounds and 6 percent of body mass index (BMI). Also in 2006, a study done in London showed that 56 percent of participants in four yoga camps lost weight and 66 percent showed decreased cholesterol levels. The hypertensive participants had normal blood pressure after one week of practice.

A recent study done at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that those who practiced yoga for at least 30 minutes per week lost weight. The study, which was published in the "Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine", followed 15,500 men and women for a ten-year period of time. It reported that study participants who were overweight who practiced yoga lost approximately five pounds, and those who did not practice yoga gained about 14 pounds during the same period of time. The study attributed their findings to yoga's increasing metabolism, which led to losing weight and gaining muscle. Also, they thought that since yoga increases body awareness and mind/body strength it assisted in weight management issues such as over-eating.

Negative emotions contribute to food addiction and binge eating when not dealt with properly. Yogic meditation and breathing techniques help food addicts and binge eaters learn to confront negative emotions and to self-soothe without eating them away.

It's true that yoga is not about sweating, straining and pushing the weight off. Most yoga does not provide an intensive cardiovascular workout. However, putting yourself in a supportive environment, such as a yoga class, is a great motivator. You will become strengthened by the postures which will build more muscle which increases your metabolism which leads to weight loss.

Overweight people are frequently at odds with their bodies. The practice of yoga strives for union of mind, body and spirit. Each asana (posture) offers a way of positive connection with the body. Practitioners are taught reverence for their bodies and self-care.

Yoga offers gentle exercise for overweight individuals whose bodies are under physical strain. It is low-impact and can be adapted to any level of fitness. It does not pose a risk to the circulatory or respiratory system.

The manner in which calories are burned depends on the individual. The rate of metabolism is dependent on the hormones. The thyroid gland is primarily responsible for the rate of metabolism. It does this by secreting a hormone that controls it. If the amount of this hormone is increased, then you can more easily burn the fat in the body and reduce your weight. There are poses in yoga that work primarily on the thyroid gland, thus enabling weight loss.

After you grow comfortable with your practice of yoga, you may want to increase your activity level to lose more weight. You can choose a more athletic style of yoga such as hot yoga or Bikram which is very intense, or power Yoga which will also burn calories quickly.

Kundalini Yoga works on the seven primary chakras that are located along the spine from the base to the crown of the head. The work done with Kundalini Yoga is about dissolving granthis (blockages) in these areas which introduce disease (such as obesity) and imbalance (such as obesity) into the system. Kundalini is energy whose flow allows all levels of consciousness. It enters those regions and heals, nourishes, rejuvenates and balances them.

Any physical activity will help you lose weight. Yoga's twisting and turning of the body breaks up fat deposits and rids them through the body's natural processes.
Yoga builds muscle tone which is a necessary component for fat burning.

If you are someone who eats because of stress or tension, yoga will definitely reduce the stress that causes the overeating and thus reduce weight.

Yoga weight loss may not be as straightforward as the heart pounding aerobic exercises that we think of as exercises for weight loss, but if you have any doubts that it is effective, just look at your average yogi or yoga teacher.