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Writer's picturemonica kapur

YOGA POSTURES FOR WEIGHT LOSS

When I was in IX standard, My body was not in shape and was not flexible at all, then I met a yoga guru in Rishikesh while I was on vacation. He helped me learn some yoga postures, I got so fond of them that I began to do them everyday in the morning before going to school. I started noticing some results and kept on doing it. I stuck to only those yoga moves which I learnt and never tried advanced asanas and never even did surya namaskars for a few years because I thought those asanas were not for me as they were difficult to perform. But still I got the desired results i.e. that with some easy postures and with consistency you can lose weight.

Now lets look at some postures for beginners: PASCHIMOTTANASANA OR SEATED FORWARD BEND- Paschimottanasana is a Sanskrit word which means Paschim- west or back , Uttana- intense stretch, Asana- Posture. This posture is one of the best ways to burn belly fat.

How this posture helps in losing weight: 1) Calms the brain, helps relieve stress 2) Stimulates liver, kidneys, ovaries and uterus 3) Improves digestion 4) Stretches the spine, shoulder and hamstrings. If your mind is relaxed you will make better choices in food and better digestion which means more weight loss. Healthy spine means more flexibility in the body. Points to take into consideration 1) Keep toes pointed to avoid sciatic nerve over tensioning. 2) Do not roll your back. 3) Keep the chin lifted to avoid spinal cord over stretching.




PURVOTTANASANA OR UPWARD PLANK POSE - Poorvuttana asana comes from Sanskrit word which means Poorva means east or front, uttana means maximum stretch posture. How this posture helps in losing weight: 1) Strengthens the shoulder, back and spine, wrist and arms. 2) Stretches intestines and abdominal organs. 3) Stimulates the thyroid gland.

Deep stretches of abdominal organs means this asana helps in eradicating the extra fat around the midriff and balanced releasing of thyroid hormones means better metabolism. Points to take into consideration while performing this posture 1) Hang your head back comfortably do not tighten your head otherwise you may feel pain in your neck. 2) Start with folded legs initially if you are not able to do the full posture as shown in the picture.




BHUJANGASANA OR COBRA POSE - This asana is called Cobra pose because it visually reflects the posture of a cobra that has its hood raised. One can easily lose weight by practicing this posture as this posture helps in improving digestion, improves blood circulation in the spinal region and burns unwanted stomach fat by stretching the abdominal muscles. Practice all three variations to improve the cobra pose and get maximum benefits.



MATSYASANA OR FISH POSE- This posture can restore spinal strength and overall body balance.

Fish pose is also known as ‘Destroyer Of Diseases’ You can lose weight by practicing this posture as it improves metabolism by stimulating the thyroid gland. This posture also improves digestion, reduces constipation and helps in shedding of unwanted fat from the stomach, waist, thigh and hips.




ADHOMUKHASVASANA OR DOWNWARD DOG POSTURE- In Sanskrit Adho means down, Mukha means face, svan means dog and asana is posture. This is a great posture for burning calories and helps your body to get an alignment. This posture is the ultimate secret to achieve nice arms as it tones muscles in your upper body by shedding extra weight from the shoulders, chest and upper back. Additionally this posture helps to reduce fatigue, insomnia, anxiety and depression as a result more happy hormones are released in the brain which controls your cravings.



This sequence of postures, if practiced everyday, with a calorie controlled diet will help you a lot to easily lose weight and can maintain the same.


Tips 1. Start practicing postures after some warm up exercises or after a walk or jog so that muscles are warmed up to prevent any muscle injury. 2. Hold the postures to 10 counts initially and go up to 100 counts eventually to improve muscle strength. Hope this information is helpful.





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