How to lose weight fast with yoga
Instead of exhausting diets and intense training, learn to breathe properly.
There is not much time left until summer, and I want to spend it with the benefit of myself and my figure. If you break out of dieting every time, and the ideal and fit figures of Instagram bloggers do not motivate you to work out in the gym, we advise you to pay attention to one of the yoga techniques.
Pranayama (yoga breathing techniques) is one of the most effective, simple and organic ways to lose weight. Sunil Dahiya, Lead Yoga Teacher at the Kerala Ayurveda and Yoga Center, shared some little-known and useful knowledge about breathing techniques to help you lose weight.
Without a doubt, nutrition is the most important factor in our happy and healthy life. You are what you eat. However, I do advise students not to worry too much about calories.
Let’s look at this in terms of modern scientific parameters. According to the data of modern medicine, more than 70% of the mass of the human body is water, or rather, the atoms of hydrogen and oxygen – the components of the usual air we breathe. Therefore, in the science of pranayama, we pay more attention to the quantity and quality of hydrogen and oxygen that are retained in the body, rather than the number of calories. Pranayama teaches how by altering the ratio of inhalation, exhalation and holding the breath, the body’s natural ability to release bound hydrogen and oxygen can be restored to renew body tissues.
1. Pranayama should be done in the morning on an empty stomach. If you practice in the evening, wait at least 4 hours after eating. You can not eat for 20 minutes after pranayama, 10 of them should be devoted to rest or meditation.
2. One should sit still with an upright straight back, facing east, north or northeast, on a woolen blanket or silk cloth (do not practice pranayama while sitting on the ground, tree, stone or cotton cloth). Sit in a meditative pose, for the first 20-30 minutes, observe your natural breathing (speed, duration, depth of breathing). Padmasana (lotus), Siddhasana (half lotus) or Vajrasana (kneeling) are some of the best poses. Hands need to be folded in the Gyani Mudra (the index finger is connected to the thumb, the other three fingers are straightened, the hands are on the knees, palms up) or Angeli Mudra (the right hand is on the left palm up, touching the abdomen below the navel).
3. The place should be “shudh” (clean + hygienic), naturally lit and well ventilated. It should be kept away from toilet, shoes, trash can, any non-vegetarian food, alcohol and tobacco.
4. The best time for pranayama is early morning. Otherwise, pre-breakfast or pre-dinner time is recommended.
5. In any pranayama, it is important not to lose control while exhaling after holding the breath. Sometimes you may need to hold your breath for as long as possible. But this means: as much as possible “without losing control of the slow exhalation.”
Kapalabhati is the best pranayama
In most cases, Kapalabhati (“cleansing the mind”) is the best pranayama for those who want to lose weight. People who suffer from high blood pressure or have had a stroke should not practice it without the supervision of a yoga therapist, because it temporarily increases blood pressure.
Technique performance:
– Sit in a comfortable position with a perfectly straight back and relax;
– take a deep breath, and then exhale through your nose and try to squeeze your abdominal muscles as tightly as possible;
– then take a few sharp and quick exhales, and the inhalation should be short;
– hold your breath as much as possible and repeat all over again.
There are 3 more types of simple pranayamas that are practiced for weight loss with specific physiology:
• sheetali-pranayama – with a tendency to accumulate water in the body;
• brahmari-pranayama – for those suffering from hypothyroidism;
• Suryabhedi-pranayama – for those who find it difficult to control attacks of hunger.
For effective practice, working for a visible result, each type of pranayama or their combination is chosen by an experienced yoga teacher or yoga therapist individually for each student, taking into account the characteristics of his body.
Master Sunil recommends at least one one-to-one pranayama session with an expert in the field to help you align your breathing, body position, hands and fingers. Your success depends on it, and mistakes in the execution of the practice can neutralize it and, with excessive zeal, even harm.