8 Highly Effective Yoga for Weight Loss

EFFECTIVE SCIENCE OF YOGA FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Basic Principles Of Yoga

Yoga is a Sanskrit word, meaning to bind, join, attach, or unite. It is the true union of our will with the will of God. 
Yoga is more than 10,000-year-old practice, which has been mentioned in Hindu Mythology multiple times, like Bhagavad Gita as it says: 
“When his mind intellect and self are under control, freed from restless desire so that they rest in the spirit within, a man becomes a Yukta – one in communication with God.”
There are various yoga practices to make you more flexible and spiritually aware but, they all are different in many ways like pace and movement technique, therefore one must choose or follow a yoga practice according to their body goals.
3 major principles of every yoga flow are:
– Posture (How you move?)
– Breathing (How you breathe?)
– Meditation (How you connect with you’re mind?)
Let’s discuss one such yoga practice, which will help you lose weight faster and gain more strength over a period of time. 
 
 

What is Power Yoga?

The term Power Yoga firstly landed in the mid-1980-90’s in America. This is a yoga flow practice derived from Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.
Power yoga is a combination of powerful yoga poses, stretching, and breathing into a flow of dynamic movements performed in rapid succession. So, you’ll feel constant exertion of efforts, which helps you burn more calories, gain stamina and flexibility.
 
 
Power yoga flow requires a high degree of mind-muscle coordination, smooth transition from one pose to another, along with right breathing technique and physical stamina. All these variables make Power Yoga an intermediate to advance yoga flow.
Therefore, beginners should first indulge and learn about various poses. Later as they get command of their basics like breathing technique and posture, with time one can slowly start their power yoga practice.

8 Yoga poses for beginners to lose weight 

1. Surya Namaskar – Sun Salutation
Sun Salutation is a combination of 12 breathing poses that helps you to stretch and tone muscles all over the body. Only 15 to 30 minutes of sun salutation practice can burn more calories than weight lifting, also it will benefit you’re stomach, heart, liver, legs, and spine with proper blood circulation.
 

Surya Namaskar

 
Sun Salutation is all about taking energy from the sun and the sun is the purest form of energy available on earth, it has the capability to heal any disease over time. Hence, it has been proven that practising Sun Salutations daily will reduce the effects of Thyroid, Hypothyroid, PCOD, and PCOS.  
Adding Surya Namaskar as a warm-up to you’re power yoga practice will make blood flowing all over the body and making you all set for the next intense pose.
 
2.NaukasanaThe Boat Pose
Half boat pose is an effective ground practice to engage and strengthen your core muscles. At the same time, it helps you find balance and work some deep hip flexor as well.
 

Boat Pose

Hold Naukasana for at least 30-60 seconds for 5 rounds with 10 seconds rest in between each round.

3. DhanurasanaThe Bow Pose
If you want to target that tummy area, simply start practising Bow Pose regularly, as it aids in weight loss from your stomach. 
It’s proven that Bow Pose aids in stimulating the digestive system and reproductive organs for better functioning. 
 

Bow Pose

 
 
Holding this pose for 15-30 seconds for 5 rounds with 15 seconds rest in between each round, will help become more flexible as you will feel a deep stretch in your chest, back, spine, shoulders, ankles, quads and groins.
 
 
4.Virabhadrasana –The Warrior Pose
Being a standing pose Warrior I is very beginner-friendly and it helps newbies to work on their thighs, calves, ankles, arms as well as back mobility. 
Hold Virabhadrasana for 45 – 60 seconds and repeat this for 5-10 rounds with minimum rest possible.
 
The Warrior Pose
 
Warrior pose can be incorporated in power yoga flow with its three different variations like Warrior I, Warrior II and Warrior III. But it’s better to start from Warrior I and then gradually find balance in your practice over time.
 
 
5. Chaturanga – The Four-Limbed Staff Pose
If you want toned and sculpted arms, try to hold a Chaturanga stance for 30 seconds regularly. This will help you gain arm as well as core strength and burn abdominal fat.
 
Chaturanga

Whether you’re a beginner or just wanting to experiment with new transitions in your yoga flow, try adding 5 minutes of Chaturanga flow. This will help you gain more stability and body awareness with time.

6.Trikonasana – The Triangle Pose
The Triangle Pose is also a standing pose, which is great to practice and find balance in your body as a beginner. It also helps to target the muffin top fat, also known as love handles. 
 
Triangle Pose
 
Trikonasana is a lateral bending motion, this further helps you feel more stretch in your hamstrings, which can tone those hammies really well.
Adding Triangle Pose in your power yoga flow for 5 minutes can help you with, improved digestion, reduced back pain in pregnancy, and therapeutic in menopause.   
 
 
7. Sethu Bandhasana – The Bridge Pose 
A wonderful ground poses that help you engage your glutes, thighs, spine, chest, and neck more, for increased mobility and stability. It also has therapeutic benefits in menstruation and asthma.
 
Bridge Pose 

Hold the Bridge Pose for 30-60 seconds for 5 rounds and minimum rest in between each round.

Regular practice of Setu Bhandhasana can help your abdominal and glute muscles to get in shape, as well as regulate good hormones and minimize thyroid levels you’re in the body.
 
8.Utkatasana – The Chair Pose
Sit on an invisible chair and you’ll instantly feel a fat-burning sensation in your legs. Chair Pose is an isometric squat hold version for yoga practice. This too has added health benefits like, improves body balance, opens the chest, and reduces the effects of stress. 
 
Chair Pose
 
Adding Utkatasana in power yoga flow for 5-10 minutes will help you lose fat from your legs and gain more strength in your ankles, calves and glutes.
 

Piece of Advice During Weight Loss:

Any form of exercise is just 15% – 20% of your fitness journey. So, do take care of some other factors which are 75% – 80% of your weight loss journey :
 
1. Focus on your eating habits. 
Mindful clean eating habits will help you lose weight faster. Understand, that eating healthy does not mean restriction from food. 
It’s more about choosing to eat more home-cooked balanced meals, which consists of zero preservatives. 
Eradication of binge eating habits, refined sugar, and junk food can help you lose weight faster.  
 
2. Spot reduction does not exist. 
There is no such workout routine that targets any one part of your body and will make you lose fat instantly. 
Learn more to work on full-body muscles and understand it requires, discipline, patience and consistency to lose weight over time.
 
 
3. Take Rest. 
Don’t go over the board with the whole weight loss idea. If you want results without any fatigue, try to give your body time to relax and recover. Taking rest from any workout routine at least once a week is great for better concentration and results.
In situations like menstruation, facing any injury or in pregnancy, it’s better to listen to your body and take a halt from you’re practice as unnecessary exertion or fatigue might cause major health issues in future.   
 
 
10 Health Benefits of Yoga
Infographics – Showing 10 Health Benefits of Yoga

The Bottom Line

Practising yoga regularly is beneficial for both your body and mind. 
It creates a sense of balance among your emotions and enlightens you towards a path of self-care and spiritual awareness. 
 
 
Yoga can be a graceful act for your fat loss journey as well, only if followed the right way with correct breathing, mind-muscle connection and clean eating habits.  
 
 
Understand that spot reduction does not exist in any form of workout. So, we cannot target a single problem area for fat loss with power yoga flow or any other yoga. 
 
 
Although, practising power yoga regularly will make you more flexible, agile, toned, and strong over a period of time.

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Nidhi Thakur

Nidhi Thakur

Fitness Blogger

This blog will enlighten you to the reality of healthy lifestyle full of food, consistent training routines and regular fitness challenges without any crash diets or fake unfulfilling promises.

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