yoga for weight lossBy Faye Martins

Is Yoga for weight loss a reality? Yoga is a great tool for enhancing your weight loss efforts. Yoga tones the entire body. It also helps to keep you limber and, if performed in optimal alignment, the Yoga poses will help to prevent injury and heal injuries that you may have previously suffered. Vigorous Yoga practices, such as Power Yoga, Bikram Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga all increase your heart rate, metabolism and muscular strength. A well-rounded Yoga practice will also enhance your balance, coordination and flexibility. If you integrate Yoga pose that specifically target your abdominal muscles into your practice, you will also tone your entire abdominal area and help to trim resistant belly fat.


Seated Core Flow by paul-jerard

Navasana or Boat Pose

This is one of the quintessential Yoga poses that works directly on the abdominal muscles. Not only will your midsection become toned, your lower back will also be more protected as your abdominal strength increases. There are many variations of Full Boat Pose that target specific areas of the abdomen and side torso. To practice Navasana, move through a Sun Salutation and come to a sitting position on your Yoga mat.

Before practicing Navasana, take a moment and become aware of your Manipura Chakra. This chakra is located in the vicinity of your belly button. The Manipura Chakra is one of the main energetic hubs of personal power in the body. It is considered to be the seat of an individual’s personal power, digestive fire and self-esteem. Navasana stimulates and strengthens the Manipura Chakra.

To practice Navasana, raise your legs one to two feet off of the floor and perpendicular to the sides of your mat. Extend your arms out to the sides of your legs and next to your knees with your palms facing towards each other. Hold this pose for several breaths. To come out of the pose, lie back in a prone position on your mat for fifteen to thirty seconds. Repeat Navasana two more times. As your strength increases, you will be able to hold the posture for longer periods of time.

Navasana Variations

When you are in Full Boat Pose, slowly and with control lower your right leg to the floor while keeping your left leg raised. You can also alternate lowering and raising each leg several times while holding the other leg one to two feet off of your Yoga mat. You may also enjoy a twisting version of Navasana. To practice this posture, come into Full Boat Pose and bring your palms together. While raising your legs, gently pulse to one side and then the other as you bring your hands to the outside of each knee. This is a variation of the classic twisting sit-up. Repeat several times on each side and then rest for several breaths in a prone position on your mat.

Yoga for weight loss is a lifestyle that creates results and much more.

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