| One of the most exciting benefits of yoga is weight | | | | and for people who are prone to bingeing on comfort |
| loss. Yes! Even such gentle exercise can help you lose | | | | food when things go wrong. The practice of yoga will |
| weight. It helps in both direct and indirect ways. First, | | | | give you a sense of equilibrium that will make you less |
| indirectly, your overall health and state of mind will | | | | dependent on snacks and comfort food - this is an |
| improve; you will be inclined to eat better, healthier food | | | | effect you will notice almost immediately after starting |
| regularly. And, you will have more energy for other | | | | a yoga program. You will also find that your attitude |
| activities - like walking or sports that will help you burn | | | | towards meals is more calm and relaxed - you will eat |
| calories fast. Now let's take a look at other ways | | | | more slowly and appreciate the food more, leaving |
| yoga will help you reach your goal weight. | | | | you less likely to rush through and over eat before you |
| Many of the yoga positions directly stimulate one of | | | | realise you are even full. |
| the glands that control your metabolism: the thyroid. | | | | Also, yoga can be used as a snack replacement. |
| The thyroid is part of the endocrine system and is | | | | When you feel tempted to dive into the freezer for ice |
| responsible for the chemical process that changes | | | | cream to get a lift or solace, try turning to yoga |
| what you eat into energy. It will encourage a sluggish | | | | instead. Take a deep breath, relax your mind and try a |
| thyroid to produce more hormones and speed up your | | | | gentle warm-up position, or perhaps something new |
| metabolism. Fat metabolism will increase - that means | | | | you learnt recently. Yoga will give you a healthier 'lift' |
| the fat in your body will slowly be converted to muscle | | | | and no regrets. |
| - your muscle tone will improve! | | | | The results might not be overnight. Yoga is nothing like |
| The deep breathing exercises of yoga increase the | | | | a crash-diet. Instead, it is a holistic approach to your |
| levels of oxygen in your body - this is also a key | | | | whole lifestyle; your physical and your emotional |
| factor in weight loss. As your oxygen intake increases, | | | | well-being will improve together - gradually. As you |
| all the cells in your body, including fat cells, will have an | | | | adjust your lifestyle to include healthier eating and more |
| increased level of oxygen. This will cause oxidation in | | | | activity, you will notice other benefits too, such as |
| the fat cells - they will burn up. You can use the yoga | | | | improved concentration and more restful sleep. Yoga |
| techniques of continuous, deep breathing all day - at | | | | will help rebalance your whole body and life so that |
| work, watching TV - and you will be gradually burning | | | | you weight will naturally adjust to the ideal for your |
| calories. | | | | body - and it will stay that way long term without the |
| Yoga reduces anxiety. This is very important for | | | | need to resort to crash diets or intensive exercise |
| people who tend to snack when they are stressed | | | | programs. |