Yoga is aimed at calming the mind, promote tranquility in the body, and helps in keeping the body fit and healthy. The practice originated in ancient India and thereafter it has been adopted and modified by Buddhists and Jains. It is believed that yoga was formulated for the first time by Patanjali, a Hindu rishi, and that yoga can be classified into two distinct and broad groups: Karma Yoga (yoga based on action) and Jnana Yoga (yoga based on knowledge). Yoga was popularly practiced by rishis and gurus of ancient India, but later it was forgotten and gradually lost its glory. These days most of the wellness retreat in India include yoga asanas to boost holistic health of their patrons.
Yoga asanas or pranayamas are very helpful to achieve a balanced mind and healthy body. The benefits of pranayama are definitely inevitable. However, it is not possible to reduce weight by practicing only yoga. The person should also bring healthy changes to his or her lifestyle and eating habits. Other exercises and asanas should also be practiced along with yoga in order to attain a healthy body weight. However, regular practicing of yoga definitely helps to strengthen muscles and burn calories.
Here you will read about:
A Guide to most effective yoga asanas for weight loss by Dr Prem – Postures, process, and other useful tips
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Kapalbhati pranayama
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Anulomvilom pranayama
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Trikonasana
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Ardhahalasana
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Bhastrika pranayama
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Triyaktadasana
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Grinding pose
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Yoga poses for weight loss
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ArdhaChandraasana
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Veerbhadrasana
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Setubandhasana
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Halasana
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Five Yoga poses that trigger weight loss
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Willow Pose
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Eagle Pose
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Twisted Chair Pose
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Bow Pose
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Boat Pose
Kapalbhati pranayama
To perform the asana, first sit cross-legged on a mat or on the ground. Then stretch your hands and rest each one of them on the two knees. Keep your back straight and eyes closed. Then concentrate and breathe normally 4-5 times. After that, take a deep breath and pull your stomach inwards as much as you can. You will feel that your lungs are filled with air.
Then immediately exert some force and release the air as well as your belly. Again breathe in, contract your belly, and then immediately breathe out and release your belly. The forceful breathing process helps to strengthen and flatten the abdominal muscles and also keeps the weight in control by controlling the appetite. Any wellness retreat in India will have experienced and capable yoga instructors that help guests perform this pranayama correctly.
Practice the pranayama 10 times in one go. Repeat another set after some time. Increase the number with practice. People suffering from asthmatic attacks, high blood pressure, heart diseases and hernia should refrain from this pranayama.
Anulomvilom pranayama
Sit cross-legged on a flat surface with your head and back straight and eyes closed. Put both your arms on the two knees. Then retain the left hand on the left knee and then place your thumb on the left nostril. Now take a deep breath through the other nostril. After that, release the blocked nostril and force out the inhaled air from that. Again breath in from the right nostril, then block it with your thumb, unblock the left nostril and breathe out through that. Concentrate on the rhythm and practice it slowly. The breathing helps to burn fat and also to tone the muscles over time. Regular practicing of this asana prepares the body for more strenuous exercises, burns calories, and also helps to keep obesity in control by increasing the willingness to lose weight.
The asana should be practiced for at least 10 minutes. Increase duration with practice. People suffering from asthmatic attacks should refrain from practicing this asana.
Trikonasana
Stand straight on the ground with your feet 2-3 feet apart and your back and head straight. Then spread out the two hands and try to stretch them as much as you can in opposite directions. Then while inhaling stoop down and try to touch your left foot with your right hand. Stay in the pose for a count of three and then return to the normal position. Again, try to touch your right foot with the left hand while inhaling and then release the pose while slowly breathing out. This asana helps to reduce weight by burning the calories. It flattens the stomach muscles and helps to tone the muscles of thighs, belly, buttocks, and hands.
You can repeat the asana from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 50 times. People suffering from high blood pressure or back pain should perform the asana under expert supervision. Wellness programs in wellness hotel business include asanas such as Trikonasana to help burn calories.
Ardhahalasana
Lay straight on your back and keep your legs stretched in the front direction. Keep your hands beside the legs on the floor. Then slowly breathe in and lift your right leg straight in the air to make a 90 degree angle. Stay in the pose for a count of two. Then slowly exhale and bring down your leg to touch the floor. Repeat the same process with the left leg. This asana reduces fat from the waistline, belly, buttocks as well as legs.
Repeat the asana from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 50 times. People suffering from back pain should not perform this asana for too long.
Bhastrika pranayama
Sit in a cross-legged posture with your back straight. Keep your hands on the two knees with eyes closed. Concentrate and chant “Om” in your mind while inhaling and exhaling. Slowly inhale deeply to fill your lungs and then exhale out slowly. The asana is quite useful in reducing obesity due to thyroid problems. Wellness resort business could focus on obesity control with this asana.
Practice the asana for a maximum of 2-5 minutes. People suffering from chronic heart diseases or high blood pressure should refrain from this pranayama.
Triyaktadasana
Stand straight on the ground with your feet 2-3 feet apart from each other. Keep your head and back straight, and rest the hands on the side of your legs. Now lift up both your hands to touch the ears and then hold both of the hands with your fingers in a fist. Then slowly breathe in and bend sideways towards the right. Bend as much as you can and stay in the pose for a count of 5-10. Then come back to the normal position. Again, bend to the left and repeat the same pose. Maintain a normal breathing pattern while performing the asana. This pose helps to reduce fat from the sides of waist. It tones the muscles of the belly and hand.
Repeat the pranayama from a minimum of 5 times to a maximum of 50 times in a day. People suffering from back pain should avoid this asana.
Grinding pose
Sit on the ground with your legs stretched straight in the forward direction. Now lift your hands and keep them parallel to your legs. Holding the two hands in a fist, start making a large round circle by leaning forwards towards your feet and then by leaning backward to continue the round. Make a circle by rotating both your hands horizontally from feet. Do not lift your thighs or knees from the floor while making the circle. The asana reduces fat from belly, sides of waistline, legs, and buttocks.
Repeat the pose 15-50 times at a stretch. People with slip disk or back pain should not perform this asana without expert supervision. Wellness programs in wellness hotel business and retreats hire yoga professionals to teach guests complex asanas like these.
Yoga poses for weight loss
Many people leave no stone unturned to lose weight; still they do not achieve the desired results. If you are also facing this trouble, then go for Yoga that is an assortment of fitness and meditation procedures. Following are some very effective yoga poses that can help you shed weight and transform your body from flab to fab.
ArdhaChandraasana
If buttocks, upper and inner thighs are a problem area for you, then this pose is apt for you. You have to stand on your yoga mat with feet together. Then raise your arms above your head, join hands and try to stretch upwards. Slowly bend sideways from your hips while keeping your hands joined. You should feel a stretch from your fingertips to your thighs, stomach, and back. This pose will put strain on your problematic areas and burn the fat therein.
Caution: People with digestive disorders, spinal injury, or high blood pressure should not do this pose.
Veerbhadrasana
The English interpretation of this word is – warrior pose. It stretches your thighs, stomach, and hips. It enhances your power to focus and improves your breathing ability by strengthening your lungs. Stand on your yoga mat with your feet joined and hands on your sides. Extend your right leg forward while keeping your right leg extended backwards. Now bend your right knee slowly so that your body takes an attacking position. Twist your upper body to face your bent right leg. Try to stay in this pose as long as you can.
Caution: People with shoulder, knee, or back trouble, high blood pressure do not perform this asana or in case you perform then make sure you do this under supervision or guidance.
Setubandhasana
This pose is great to tone your thighs and abs. Not just this, it also relaxes your mind, good for digestion, good for relieving symptoms of menopause in women and much more. You need to lie down on your yoga mat with your feet flat on the floor. Then exhale and push your body up with your feet down on mat. Raise your body in a way that it keeps your head and neck flat on the floor.
Caution: avoid this pose if you have neck or back injury.
Halasana
Lie on your back on the floor with your arms placed on both sides. Now slowly raise your legs and move them backwards. Place your hands around hips to support the backward movement of your legs and touch your feet on the ground at the back of your head. Do not drop suddenly while coming back to the original position. This pose will tone up your abs and thighs.
Caution: Liver and spleen disorders, neck injury, menstruation cycle, hypertension are some conditions that do not support this pose.
Five Yoga poses that trigger weight loss
Yoga being touted as a form of psychological exercise has long preceded its physical scope. However, in our remarkably sedentary modern era, a fit body is almost as important as a fit mind. In this regard, there are quite a few Yoga poses that particularly work well on your metabolism, and thus ultimately result in losing your weight. Moreover, they are also good for building up your lean muscles for a more toned body.
Willow Pose
Another classic standing pose, this posture is nigh perfect for that refined essence of balance and concentration. While standing firmly, you need to shift the weight of your body to your right leg (which acts as the only support), while the sole of your left foot rests upon your right thigh at a perpendicular. One can also rest the left sole upon the right calf, but care should be taken not to rest it upon the knee. The effect of the exercise directly results in toning and developing the side of your abs.
Eagle Pose
An interesting looking pose, this posture requires you to bend your knees while standing. Then you ‘wrap’ your right leg around your (still standing) left leg, while fixing your foot and ankle along the left calf (looking like a spiraling pattern). Moving on to the upper part of your body, you also cross your arms, and then hold them upright in front of your chest for 30 seconds. This exercise also helps in building your leg muscles other than enhancing your metabolism. Be sure to check for yoga sessions in wellness programs offered by wellness resorts so that you can benefit from the holistic health sessions.
Twisted Chair Pose
A standing pose that helps with circulation and metabolism, you need to bend your knees and bring down your hips, as if sitting on an imaginary chair. Then you bring palms together in front of your chest. Finally you have to twist your spine so that your right elbow touches your left knee, and then keep this posturefor 30 seconds.
Bow Pose
This is a sort of an inverse exercise which might be a tad bit complex for first time practitioners. The posture requires you to bend your body inversely like a bow, with your hands holding on to your feet from behind, and your chest consequently rising up from the ground. The beneficial effect results in enhanced flexibility and improved back muscles.
Boat Pose
Also known as Navasana, this abs and spine flexing posture requires you to move your knees towards your chest. This is to be done with the lower pelvic region as the ground support. Now, you have to move up your straightened legs along a linear line, so that they form around 45 degrees with the ceiling. This should be done with your spine being still kept firm without hunching. However, if your back begins to bend, you should stop straightening your legs for a half boat pose.
Entrepreneurs and organizations seeking to invest in wellness resort business should try to incorporate yoga into their wellness programs as yoga has become one of the most sought after health programs in the world.