Across the Globe, nutritional and fitness experts are baffled at the results of a study, conducted by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Dr. Alan R. Kristal, the lead researcher of this study Regular Yoga Practice May Help Prevent Middle-Age Spread , remarked, "I was very surprised with the results. Considering that people gain about a pound a year during this time, this is pretty substantial." (Note: He found that men and women who were of normal weight at age 45 and regularly practiced yoga gained about 3 fewer pounds during that 10-year period than those who didn't practice yoga.)
Shortly afterward, from nutritional and fitness experts in New England, the first question I heard right away was, "How can Yoga burn that many calories?" Soon to be followed by comments from many fitness experts, across the United States, were remarks like, “Most Yoga students don’t practice vigorous styles of Yoga."
While this is debatable, my questions to them were as follows, "How many of you practice Yoga?" Have you ever heard of Kundalini Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Hot Yoga, Power Yoga, Bikram Yoga, and more vigorous Hatha Yoga styles?
To make a small comparison, I can’t really comment on the game of Cricket, just because I am familiar with baseball. I can appreciate the similarity and skill, but never had the experience of playing the game. Also, just like Yoga, Cricket requires time, practice, and patience, in order to acquire skill.
Now, instead of jumping to conclusions about Yoga from the sidelines, my first suggestion is to join a Yoga class. This would allow the top nutrition and fitness experts to experience the many benefits that Yoga has to offer.
However, this will not be the case with all the experts. The lack of male presence in a typical American Yoga class is visibly apparent and worthy of a study in male insecurity. This is a subject that I promise to address in a future article, but let’s get back to the point.
So, female fitness, nutrition, and medical experts will confirm what most of them already know. Yoga is a complete health maintenance system and has been for around 5,000 years.
When a Yoga student becomes serious about practicing on a regular basis, this is a lifestyle change. Burning over 200 calories per hour in a gentle or Restorative Yoga class is not the foundation of weight control. Most Yoga students engage in some form of cross training.
Many of them walk, take other fitness classes, and are conscious of what they eat. Being mindful of what you eat is a point that the masses have lost. Eating nutritionally dense food, in moderation, and being mindful at the dinner table is a recipe for a lifetime of weight control.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Peaceful Weight Loss through Yoga: My Story
At 30, I found myself with an autoimmune disease, overweight, and confused.
At my peak I was 100 pounds heavier than I am now. I had gained the weight slowly over ten years or so. I've always loved food, but I was disconnected from how it made me feel. And, looking back, I had many obsessive food behaviors. I ate when happy, when depressed, when bored...
I'd eat cheese as a snack before going to bed and wondered why I burped so much.
I drank a lot of coffee and twitched in my sleep.
I ate a lot. Some good food, some bad.
I tried to lose weight through exercise -- I ran 4 times a week or so while smoking 3-4 packs a day.
My weight bobbed up and down.
My knees hurt.
My sickness landed me in the hospital for a couple of weeks, followed by a few months of recovery. My near death experience highlighted my need for a spiritual life -- at the time, I had none. My legs were weak and I was completely out of shape. I needed to do something. I was grateful for being alive and wanted to continue that condition.
My girlfriend (now my wife) suggested I go to a yoga class with her -- so I went. I had no real desire -- no expectations for myself. The only thing I had on my mind was that a lot of women did yoga, so I probably would be out of place. I didn't know it at the time, but I was completely unattached to the result. I just did it.
It was fantastic.
I started doing yoga regularly and really felt it was changing me. I started to eat differently. Gained the willpower I had been lacking. As I physically opened myself, the weight fell into place.
My stress level lowered. How stressed had I been, anyway? I think I was in a constant state of stress.
I was not doing a strenuous practice. But I did it every single day. I have to admit -- I thought that's what everyone did. Like music lessons: I would go to class, learn some things, then try them at home. I didn't realize this wasn't always the case. Also, I wasn't a "natural." I couldn't sit comfortably. No range of motion. Things others did effortlessly, I considered impossible. But I did it anyway.
I put myself on a new eating regimen which progressed all the time. Got addicted to various foods, and unaddicted again. This time there was a difference. I was aware of it. By practicing yoga every day the awareness came. The desire for awareness came, too. I wanted to know more and more about food. How much and what did I really need to eat?
The pounds came off. My diet evolved into this beautiful thing. I got rid of most of my addictive behavior. I enjoyed my practice. I got into my spiritual self through reading and meditation. Just bowing at the end of my practice and thanking the universe for letting me be alive changed me.
I wrote this book after my own path to a peaceful relationship between me and my body had been cemented. In addition to my private teaching, I wanted to share my experience and new perspective with others who were in need of inspiration. It can be used as a stand alone guide - or in conjunction with any other mind/body/eating perspectives you find useful. The yoga and food practices are simple and promote a deepler understanding of ourselves. I sincerly hope that this book helps you down your road towards happiness.
Awareness of more subtle aspects of my health and nature continue to reveal themselves to me. A taste of peace can effect your entire self. Developing regular practice gave me that. That is how I lost the weight.
Now I continue on my path, sharing the little I discovered with others and trying to continue uncovering myself. I still have my food weaknesses. I still eat too much sometimes. I still stress sometimes -- but it feels different than before.
At my peak I was 100 pounds heavier than I am now. I had gained the weight slowly over ten years or so. I've always loved food, but I was disconnected from how it made me feel. And, looking back, I had many obsessive food behaviors. I ate when happy, when depressed, when bored...
I'd eat cheese as a snack before going to bed and wondered why I burped so much.
I drank a lot of coffee and twitched in my sleep.
I ate a lot. Some good food, some bad.
I tried to lose weight through exercise -- I ran 4 times a week or so while smoking 3-4 packs a day.
My weight bobbed up and down.
My knees hurt.
My sickness landed me in the hospital for a couple of weeks, followed by a few months of recovery. My near death experience highlighted my need for a spiritual life -- at the time, I had none. My legs were weak and I was completely out of shape. I needed to do something. I was grateful for being alive and wanted to continue that condition.
My girlfriend (now my wife) suggested I go to a yoga class with her -- so I went. I had no real desire -- no expectations for myself. The only thing I had on my mind was that a lot of women did yoga, so I probably would be out of place. I didn't know it at the time, but I was completely unattached to the result. I just did it.
It was fantastic.
I started doing yoga regularly and really felt it was changing me. I started to eat differently. Gained the willpower I had been lacking. As I physically opened myself, the weight fell into place.
My stress level lowered. How stressed had I been, anyway? I think I was in a constant state of stress.
I was not doing a strenuous practice. But I did it every single day. I have to admit -- I thought that's what everyone did. Like music lessons: I would go to class, learn some things, then try them at home. I didn't realize this wasn't always the case. Also, I wasn't a "natural." I couldn't sit comfortably. No range of motion. Things others did effortlessly, I considered impossible. But I did it anyway.
I put myself on a new eating regimen which progressed all the time. Got addicted to various foods, and unaddicted again. This time there was a difference. I was aware of it. By practicing yoga every day the awareness came. The desire for awareness came, too. I wanted to know more and more about food. How much and what did I really need to eat?
The pounds came off. My diet evolved into this beautiful thing. I got rid of most of my addictive behavior. I enjoyed my practice. I got into my spiritual self through reading and meditation. Just bowing at the end of my practice and thanking the universe for letting me be alive changed me.
I wrote this book after my own path to a peaceful relationship between me and my body had been cemented. In addition to my private teaching, I wanted to share my experience and new perspective with others who were in need of inspiration. It can be used as a stand alone guide - or in conjunction with any other mind/body/eating perspectives you find useful. The yoga and food practices are simple and promote a deepler understanding of ourselves. I sincerly hope that this book helps you down your road towards happiness.
Awareness of more subtle aspects of my health and nature continue to reveal themselves to me. A taste of peace can effect your entire self. Developing regular practice gave me that. That is how I lost the weight.
Now I continue on my path, sharing the little I discovered with others and trying to continue uncovering myself. I still have my food weaknesses. I still eat too much sometimes. I still stress sometimes -- but it feels different than before.
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