(Note- As this article includes the kind contribution of 9 High Qualified Experts including the Owner of CNT, so each line is credited to the respective expert with the help of footnotes, for example:- 1 …….. 1 the number ” 1 ” denotes the writing of a particular expert, enclosed within the footnotes, all experts bio is given at the end)
1 Yoga is a philosophy and a step by step practical guide for self-realization.
Just like a Train for example “Rajdhani Express” starts its journey from Mumbai and ends in Delhi, and in its route, it halts at 6 stations in between like Surat, Vadodara, Ratlam, etc.
Similarly like the halting stations between Mumbai & Delhi, Yoga takes the practitioner from their initial state to the final state of Self – Realisation, between these two, benefits like Weight Loss, Flexibility, Improved Digestion, Relaxation, etc are just the halting stations which benefits the practitioner in their Yoga Journey to Self – Realisation 1
2 So, in this article, we yoga experts will be talking about one of the halting stations known as ” Weight Loss “.
Why this topic is essential to consider?
Because about 1,694,461,789 in the whole world are suffering from overweight ( overweight is a person with a body mass index (BMI) over 25 kg/m2) according to the World Health Organization 2
3 Obesity is a disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of other health-related problems.
The main cause of obesity is excessive calorie consumption and a sedentary lifestyle.
There could be other factors leading to obesity attributed to genetic, medical, psychiatric illness, early malnutrition, hormonal imbalances, water retention, faulty metabolism, incorrect eating time.
The good news is that Yoga can help deal with these issues & curb obesity.
Although Yoga is not a quick fix but a regular & consistent yoga practice can be effective in weight loss. ( You can also join this 12-week effective yoga challenge for Weight loss )
It is important to understand, weight gain happens when the calorie intake is more than calorie consumption.
And if this practice continued for a longer period of time, a person can become obese.
It is a clear indication that to lose weight “Most individuals will need to change their calorie intake ”
And mostly as weight gain happens over a period of time, a healthy weight loss generally would also be over a period of time.
There are various diet plans & intense workouts which can help you lose weight faster than most yoga practices.
But a person going in for such diets or workouts should check for any reversal signs.
Fat diets generally reduce metabolic rate & Intense workouts on the other hand tend to put pressure on the joints.
Any workout should be sustained with a continuous exercise plan otherwise there is a tendency for the body to fall back to its earlier eating habits and fewer calorie burning.
Yoga is a comparatively less intense workout and thus, it is easier to sustain a Yoga practice and make it part of your lifestyle.
There are different styles of yoga practice, like, if you want to go for weight loss then you can choose a more intense style like Ashtanga, Vinyasa, or Power yoga which helps to pump up the cardiovascular system helping lose more calories.
Stretching and holding of poses in yoga leads to toning of muscles and inch loss.
Also, a lot of core work and body weight poses help to tone abdominal muscles and gain core strength & stability.
Yoga makes you focus inward which making one’s more mindful. As the overall body awareness increases it also helps to combat stress and makes an individual go after healthier eating choices.
When you feel more energetic & fresh with the practice, the dependency, and craving for unhealthy food make one feel less sluggish and lethargic.
So a regular practice of yoga does not only reduces weight but also keeps the body healthy & strong with calming the mind & bringing a sense of control along with emotional balance. 3
2 And if you feel anytime that you are too busy with your work to perform Yoga
Then, you should know that even a small practice for 10 Minutes in the Morning can bring various health benefits to you which will keep you energized for your entire day!
That’s why, we yoga experts have covered asanas, pranayamas & even mudras (Which require less effort for a busy person ) to keep you covered with the healthy benefits of yoga, and with regular practice, you will ultimately start losing weight!
( Remember that even giving few minutes regularly to your body, will add up to give you Huge Health Benefits )
So, let’s first talk about the 14 Top Yoga Asanas for Weight Loss 2
Yoga Poses for Weight Loss
1. Child’s Pose ( Balasana )
4 As counterintuitive as it sounds, Laura’s favorite yoga asana to lose weight is Restorative Child’s Pose.
The thing is that when we’re stressed (and let’s be real here – we constantly are, especially in times OF COVID-19), our body produces “stress hormone” called cortisol. ( Here is how yoga helps to deal with COVID – 19 stress )
It’s not essentially a bad thing, but when the cortisol is continuously at its peak, the body tends to store fat and lose muscle, but the story doesn’t end there
High cortisol can increase your appetite and cause cravings for sugary and high-fat foods.
You can exercise to your heart’s content, but unless your diet is in check, you can forget about fat loss.
Here’s where Child’s Pose comes in.
It’s a so-called “closed” posture and is great at inviting the sense of calm into a hectic day. This pose offers efficient relaxation for both body and mind, decreasing stress, and eventually normalizing cortisol levels. 4
5 By doing this asana, muscles are strengthened and belly fat decreases with bringing flexibility to the internal organs of the body.
This Asana provides peace to body and mind and also stretches the knees and muscles.
Now, how to do it?
How to perform the Child’s Pose or Balasana ?
1. To do this, sit on the ground on the knees and put the entire body on the ankles.
2. Take a deep breath with leaning forward and keep in mind that your chest should touch the thighs, and then try to touch the floor with your forehead.
3. Stay in this state for a few minutes and then come back up to your normal position. 5
2. Paschimottanasana or Seated Forward Bend
Credit:- Harjas Kaur, Certified Yoga Instructor
3 Seated forward bend benefits by stretching the spine, shoulders, lower back & hamstrings, Massaging the abdominal region, stimulating the intestine, liver, kidneys, activating metabolism, reducing belly fat, and stimulating parasympathetic system which induces calmness.
How to perform Seated Forward Bend
1. To do this sit in Dandasana with legs straight in front of you, hands next to the hips.
Press the palms and sit bones into the floor, making the spinal column tall. Lift through the pubic bone, engaging the navel and lifting the sternum. Take the arms overhead with fingers pointing upwards. Expand through the collar bone and shoulders while pushing the shoulders back to draw them in.
2) Exhale and start to lean forward. Taking the complete torso, leading through the chin, and keeping the head between the arms ( with arms parallel to each other ).
3) Think of placing the chest on the thighs and chin on the shinbones. Place your hands where they can reach comfortably on the legs or feet and try not to round off the back.
4) Allow your chest to expand and keep creating a space to breathe-in with permitting your navel to sink –in on exhalations as this helps to create space in the lower back and also allows the internal organs under the abdomen to get massaged.
5) Hold the asana for 5 to 10 breathes. Allowing the spine to elongate on each inhalation, observe the stretch in the hamstrings, and permit your body to ease out towards the floor with each exhalation. 3
3. Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose
5 This asana is very beneficial in reducing abdominal fat, thinning the waist and strengthening the shoulders and widening the arms. It has great importance in making the body flexible and shapely.
How to perform Cobra Pose
Bhujangasana is also called Cobra pose because it creates a snake-like shape.
1. To do this, lie down on the ground on your stomach.
2. With both hands, lift the upper part of the body from the waist, but your elbows should be bent.
3. Your palms should be open & facing the ground and then move the face upwards without moving the rest of the body.
4. Stay in this posture for 15- 20 seconds and then release.
4. Ustrasana or Camel Pose
As this postures creates a Camel like shape that’s why it is also known as Ustrasana or Camel Pose and this yoga posture strengthens your stomach, waist, chest, and arms with reducing weight
How to perform Camel Pose
1. To do this, sit in Vajrasana and stand on your knees.
2. Keep the section from knees to waist straight and then bend back to grab the ankles of your feet with hands.
3. Now slightly tilt your head backward and stay here for 30 seconds.
5. Butterfly pose or Baddha Konasana
When performing the butterfly posture, the pose feels like a butterfly flapping its wings. Therefore, this asana is called a butterfly posture or baddha konsasana.
This posture affects the stomach and thigh and it helps to reduce the excess of deposited fat on your thighs and legs. 5 2
How to perform Butterfly Posture
1. To do this, bring the ankles as close as possible by folding both feet and pressing the soles of your feet to close together with letting your knees drop to the sides.
2. Using your thumb and your first finger, hold the big thumbs of your feet. Make sure that the outer edges of your feet must always be pressed to the floor.
3. With your hands holding your toes, raise the knees, and flap them together like a butterfly and then press them down towards the ground. Do this for 3-4 times and then extend your legs to relax. 2
6. Chaturangadandasana or Low plank
Credit:- Harjas Kaur, Certified Yoga Instructor
3 It is one of the best asanas to strengthen the core and it keeps the entire body active with strengthening the back and toning the abdominal & arm muscles.
How to perform Chaturangadandasana or low plank
1. Start with a Straight arm plank pose with your hands directly under the shoulders, pushing the floor away and your shoulders should be drawn back, away from your ears with your legs stretched.
2. Pressing through the balls of your feet and keeping the heels just above them. Keep pushing the sole of your feet and heels back, as if towards the back wall.
3. This will engage the quadriceps and the entire legs. Just think like keeping the quads pushing away from the floor and this will help them remain parallel in order not to lift them to make a mountain shape.
4. Make sure your spine & hips are in one straight line and push the chest away from the floor to move the energy from the sternum forward. The navel will draw in with keeping the whole body engaged.
5. From the straight arm plank position, on an exhalation lower the body by bending the elbows and keeping them in-line with the wrist drawn inwards. The body should be completely stretched in a straight line and make sure neither the center should sink nor the hips should lift.
6. Fix your gaze about 1 foot in front of you with keeping your shoulders at the same height as your elbows.
7. Breathe continuously as long as you are comfortable holding Chaturanga.
8. You can then transit into upward facing dog or relax by pushing the hip back and resting the chest towards the floor in front with Shashank asana or child pose.
7. Trikonasana or Triangle Pose
Credit:- Harjas Kaur, Certified Yoga Instructor
This asana benefits by dissolving the fat in the belly and from the waistline, by improving digestion, stimulating blood circulation with stretching the entire side of the body, strengthening the ankles, legs & the back and toning the hamstrings & thighs.
How to Perform Triangle Pose
1. By standing, separate your feet 3 to 4 feet apart with parallel to each other in order to bend on the right side and vice versa.
2. Turn your right foot towards the right side and extend your arms sideways, at the shoulder level, parallel to the floor.
3. Reach out on the right side with your right arm as if someone is pulling you in that direction, but you are resisting the pull and keep your feet firmly grounded.
4. Now bend from the waist and, place your right palm on the right leg to an extent where it comfortable reaches. You can even hold the right big toe if you can reach there without making your knees bend. Keep the legs straight and the upper body to the side with not leaning forward.
5. Bring your other arm in line with your shoulder and with your fingers facing towards the ceiling.
6. Keep pressing through your left heel, to keep the hip in its socket.
7. Stay in this asana for a few breaths and then come up with an inhale and follow the same steps on the other side.
8. Parivrtta Utkatasana or Revolved chair pose
Credit:- Harjas Kaur, Certified Yoga Instructor
A squat with a twist and it is quite an intense pose that squeezes the abs & obliques.
It increases digestive fire, tones the abdominals, works on the lymph system which further helps to release toxins from the body, and stress from the back. It also strengthens the glutes & quads.
How to perform Revolved Chair Pose
1. Stand in Tadasana. Inhale and raise your arms overhead and exhale to push your hips back and down, shifting the weight into the heels with bending through the knees as if you are going to sit on a chair.
Then, coming into Utkatasana, try to stack your knees just over the ankles or keep them between the ankles and toes. Activate your thighs, pulling them back and down & engaging the pelvis.
2. Inhale, lift your sternum, reaching forward with it, and exhale to bring your palms together in front of your heart in Anjali mudra.
Keep reaching forward and up with your sternum and crown of your head with back drawing your thighs & hips back and down. Thus, making the spinal column long.
3. Exhale and hook your left elbow outside the right thigh. Try reaching down with your elbow to get a better grip and start pressing the palms into each other and try bringing them towards the center of your chest.
Keep pushing your top palm into the other palm to expand and open the chest, collar bone, and shoulders with revolving the upper body, bringing the chest more forward.
4. Keep grounding through your heels to continue the engagement of hips and thighs pushing them back and down.
5. Hold for a few breaths ( 5 breathes is ideal ) and then release with an exhale.
6. Proceed to do the other side the same as above.
9. Adho Mukha Svasasana or Downward facing dog
Credit:- Harjas Kaur, Certified Yoga Instructor
The benefits of this downward-facing dog are:-
1) It strengthens and tones the arms, back, thighs, hamstring & calves.
2) It opens the shoulders with strengthing the core muscles.
3) It improves the overall blood flow towards the head and releases tension from the entire body.
4) And it relaxes the nervous system.
Let us now know to perform this asana
How to perform Downward Facing Dog
1) Come into a tabletop position
2) Stack the toes into the floor and start to lift your knees & hips with pushing them back. Keep your knees slightly bend and lengthen your tailbone and push the sit bones diagonally back and up, simultaneously, making the elbows straight.
3) Start to push the floor away with your palms and lift your arms and shoulders upwards.
Draw your shoulders to the back just like pushing them towards the tailbone and keep your head between the arms while lifting the sternum away from the floor
4) Now start to push the chest and shoulders towards the thighs and thighs back away from the body and make sure that your knees are straight while feeling the stretch coming to the calves as you start pushing your heels back & down.
5) Stay, in the pose for 5 to 10 breathes. 3
10. Naukasana or Boat Pose
Credit:- Harjas Kaur, Certified Yoga Instructor
6This asana is really beneficial to reduce weight by performing it regularly
Here are step by step instructions to perform boat pose
1) Sit on your mat with your knees together bent in front of your chest, feet flat on the floor.
2) Place your hands behind your knees and lift through the heart to open the chest and sit straight with elongate through the crown of your head.
3) Engage your core as you shift your weight to balance on your sit bones, lifting your shins parallel to the floor.
4) Now let go of your palms and allow your arms to be parallel to the floor, palms face up.
5) When you’re ready to go into full boat pose, straighten your legs. Making a V with your torso and legs.
6) Stay here for 5 full breaths. Then slowly, release the way you came in.
Benefits of Boat Pose:-
- Boat pose directly works on your stomach and tones your whole body.
- It strengthens your back.
- It also relieves bloating and gas, improving digestion and balance.
- It stimulates the intestines, kidneys, thyroid, and prostate glands.
- This pose activates your third chakra (located behind your navel) as well.
- Boat pose stretches your hamstrings and strengthens your hip flexors. 6
11. Dhanurasana or Bow pose
Credit:- Harjas Kaur, Certified Yoga Instructor
3 In this pose as your bodyweight is on your lower belly which really helps to massage & stimulating the deep abdominal muscles, curing constipation, improving appetite & digestion.
The expansion in the heart increases the cardiovascular rate and blood circulation, aiding weight loss, and strengthening the back.
How to perform Bow Pose
1. To do this asana, lie on your abdomen in a prone position with forehead on the floor, keeping your arms by your side and legs back with feet about 1.5 to 2 feet apart. Bend your knees and try to bring your heels as close as you can towards the buttocks.
2. Opening the chest and expanding the collar bone and shoulders. Take your arms back and try holding the ankles and make sure your knees are hip-distance apart.
3. On an Inhale lift your forehead and chest. Simultaneously, begin to lift your heels away from the buttocks and thighs away from the floor. As you are pulling away from the floor, keep the energy from the tailbone reaching towards the floor.
Do not tense the back muscles and keep drawing the shoulder blades back and away from the ears by opening and lifting the heart upwards, Keep your gaze straight ahead.
4. Breathing tends to become short. Try to ease out the breath, focusing on the back and hold for 5 to 7 breathes.
12. Ardhmatseyendrasana or Seated Twist
Credit:- Harjas Kaur, Certified Yoga Instructor
Ardhmatseyendrasana is a great pose for a beginner with many benefits like it lengthen and rotates the spinal vertebrae, Improves spinal strength, and flexibility, releases backache, and beneficial for slip disc patients.
It leads to an aerobic state, increasing the heart rate and metabolic rate by massaging the organs under the belly and twisting at the same time and helping to flush out toxins from the body.
How to perform Seated Twist or Ardhmatseyendrasana
1) Sit on the floor with legs straight in front and bend your right knee and place the foot flat outside the left thigh. So, the right knee faces the ceiling and then slide your left foot under the right leg to place it outside the right outer hip
2) Place your right palm at the back and as close as you can towards the center of the spine.
With an inhale, take the left arm towards the ceiling reaching up with the fingers and keeping the arm close to your ear. Try to create length in the spine, grounding through the sit bones, and using the right palm for support and make sure your left hip does not lift.
3) Exhale, bring the left arm down and place it outside the right knee or thigh. Now, by pressing your thigh towards your chest and keeping the right foot and both buttocks firmly grounded, begin to revolve your spine and start to look back over your right shoulder.
4) Keep creating lengths in the torso to turn back further with every breath and make sure you are twisting the entire spine. Think of turning your navel, chest, and shoulders back by distributing the twist evenly in the entire spine.
5) Hold for 5 to 7 breathes. Release with an exhalation and repeat the same steps on the other side.
13. Halasana or plow pose
Credit:- Harjas Kaur, Certified Yoga Instructor
In Halasana, the squeezing action of the abdominal region makes the pose great for regulating the digestive system & metabolism, because of the compression in the heart region, the lungs have to work hard to draw in oxygen leading to an anaerobic state which helps burn calories and aid weight loss.
It also helps to regulate thyroid and parathyroid glands which are the major glands for regulating metabolism and it’s an intense stretch for the spinal column and it also relaxes the nerves, thus, bringing clarity & calmness.
How to perform Halasana or Plow Pose
1) Lie on your back keeping your legs together and arms by the side, palms facing downward.
2) Press the palms into the floor and inhale to lift the legs off the floor and in the same motion lift the buttocks also. Immediately, support your back as the buttocks lift from the floor.
3) Start exhaling and take your legs over your head. Try releasing the toes into the floor and sliding them away from the head. Lift the thighs away from the forehead and tailbone towards the ceiling.
4) Keep drawing your groin into your pelvis to create space there and releasing any building tension in the lower back and also pressing the shoulders into the floor and easing out any tension building in the upper back and neck.
5) The chin gets tucked into the chest and creates a chin lock. So, focus on the throat and keep it soft.
6) You can keep supporting the back or extend the arms straight ahead by keeping them long parallel to each other.
7) Breathe softly and deeply and hold this pose for 10 to 20 breathes or for 1 minute.
8) To release, sightly lift your feet off the floor and soften your knees and keep your arms long and parallel in front.
Start to press them down and use them as a break to help bring the buttocks and legs back.
14. Pawanmuktasana or wind releasing pose
Credit:- Harjas Kaur, Certified Yoga Instructor
Holding this pose for a minute or longer starts churning the belly, massaging the intestine & digestive organs.
Releasing constipation & improve digestion, strengthening the arms, and releasing tension and stiffness from the back and top hip.
How to Perform Wind Releasing Pose
1) Lie down on your back, feet together and arms by the side of the body.
2) Bring your knees towards the belly and chest
3) Wrap your arms on your knees or shin bone wherever they reach.
4) On an inhale to lift your head off the floor
5) Exhale to hug your knees even closer to your chest. Applying a little pressure on your belly with your thighs pressing into it with placing the chin between your knees and but do not stick the chin out, keep it in a neutral position.
6) As you are pressing the knees and thighs towards the belly, the stomach will start churning by releasing the gastric juices and increasing the metabolism.
7) Observe your back easing out and hold for 5 to 7 breaths.
Incorporating these yoga asanas in your daily practice has many many many benefits and it definitely leads to weight loss in a healthy way. 3
Quick Summary: 10 Yoga Poses for Weight Loss InfoGraphic
Pranayamas for Weight loss
7 In yoga, not only Asanas but one can reduce the weight with the help of Pranayama and Mudras.
Let’s talk about some pranayama practice.
First of all, exercise you choose depends on your obesity level, will power, positive attitude, consistency, and of course one’s physical condition.
Prana is the vital energy in our body and breathing techniques of pranayama can help you with weight loss.
The flow of prana works on excess weight gained over the body
And as we know pranayama is deep and conscious breathing in which oxygen supply is increased to the cellular community of our body. Due to this increase in the oxygen supply metabolism becomes super active in the body, thus decrease in BMI.
An active metabolism helps in burning a higher number of calories, so higher the metabolic rate is, quickly you will lose the weight.
The fat we get from our food is converted into carbon dioxide and water as a residue.
So if you are not letting these two side products expelling out, it accumulates in the body in the form of triglycerides i.e excess fat.
Many study reports say that – In deep breathing an increased supply of oxygen reacts with fat accumulated into triglycerides while keeping fat free mass intact.
So if your breathing is deep enough, it means you already expelling extra fat from the body. So now you can understand how breathing techniques of pranayama has great power in reducing fat.
Here are some pranayama which helps in weight loss – 7
1. Kapalbhati Kriya
8 We strongly believe that you can lose weight by doing yoga but for that, we have to look at yoga as a whole system, merely doing the asanas won’t be enough as we discussed above !
Postures will help by building up muscle strength, but if you don’t incorporate the other 7 limbs of yoga as well, a significant change in lifestyle might not occur.
To lose weight, I’d like to zoom in a little on the limb of Pranayama for example as these breathing techniques can really enhance & support your body.
The Kapalabhati breathing technique, for example, might be a great aid in losing weight. 8
7 Yes, this is not actually pranayama but it is a Kriya practice mentioned in Hathpradipika. It is also known as the Skull’s shining breath. The simple working mechanism behind this is active exhalation and passive inhalation.
In our normal breath, our inhalation is active and exhalation is passive. So by doing active exhalation, air-activated the abdominal muscles which help to remove excess fat and toning up your body.7
8 This technique is regularly used to detox your body and the rapid and powerful breathes you’ll be taking, will create a lot of energy in your entire body.
You won’t just get the benefit of a detox, but it’s also a great way to kickstart your digestive system. Especially for people who have a slow digestive system in general, this breathing technique can give big support.
When you do it in the morning, right after you wake up, you’ll feel a lot of energy to start your day and on top of that, your stomach and intestines will start to work even before you’ve eaten something.
How to Practice Kapalbhati Pranayama
To start with the Kapalabhati breathing technique, you should sit in a comfortable position with a straight spine. A cross-legged position would be good, but you can use a pillow or block to raise your hips.
When you’re comfortable, place your hands on your belly. As this is to bring attention to that area and when you get more experienced with this pranayama technique, you can place them on your knees too.
For now, start with some easy breathing, just deepen your breath and feel yourself relax a bit.
After a couple of minutes, when you feel ready, you can start with Kapalabhati. This technique will ask for short rapid breaths, with the emphasis on the exhales.
Your belly should be pulsating, which is why it would be good to start with your hands on your belly.
The exhale should feel a bit like you blowing your nose, just very fast and about the inhale you don’t have to worry, you will get the natural reflex to inhale during two exhales.
If you are doing Kapalabhati for the first time, make sure that you don’t overdo it. To start, the sequence takes about 30 rapid breathing and then you can go with about 3-5 normal breaths.
After that, do another two sequences like this, and as you may progress you can increase this number and sequences until you can do it without any little breaks for about 3 minutes.
Precautions & Contraindications
There is a little disclaimer though. People who are having high blood pressure, stroke or any issues that belong within this group should be cautious.
If you don’t feel comfortable doing it on your own, any yoga teacher should know these techniques, so maybe they’d like to practice with you and if not, you can do the Kapalabhati breathing a bit slower.
Doing the Kabalabhati technique in a slower, will not have the same effect as you’d normally think, but it will have some. So, something is better than nothing! 8
2. Agnisar
5 This pranayama makes the digestion process stronger, reduces belly fat, and is also beneficial in constipation. 5
How to perform Agnisar
21. Sit in Padmasana and place your hands on your knees, comfortably.
2. Now, with closed eyes, inhale and fill your lungs to its full capacity, then, hold your breath and perform Moolbhandh ( contracting your anus muscles upward towards large intestines )
3. And try exhaling slowly & deeply, now without inhaling try lengthening your hands straight & firm on your knee with little pressure and then contract & expand your stomach with making efforts to touch your navel deep inside the stomach.
4. Hold the Moolbhandh while you are contracting and expanding your abdomen muscles.
5. Inhale and release moolbhandh
6. This is the one complete cycle of agnisar pranayama in which you should expand and contract your stomach at least 10 times. While starting, you can perform for 5 cycles and then steadily increase the number to 15.
And as this pranayama generates energy, which can help you keep warm, so try on practicing it for 25 cycles in winter. After practicing it, you can take some rest by performing a corpse pose or Shavasana. 2
3) Nadi Shuddhi Or Anulom Vilom pranayama
7 Anulom Vilom Pranayama is an proven practice for weight loss, helps to lower down cortisol levels ( Stress Hormones ) and with good supply of oxygen to all organs, it improves the overall health of the body.
In this we inhale deeply from the left nostril and exhale slowly from the right nostril, again inhale deeply from right, close the right nostril and exhale from left nostril, this completes one round.
Fat acquired due to the hormonal imbalance is settled by long inhalation in Anulom Vilom and also, it improves metabolism and ultimately activated endocrine glands.
It removes toxins from the blood, which prevents the supply of oxygenated blood to the fat store muscles.
Contraindications
One should stop if there is sudden discomfort while doing this pranayama and Pregnant women should take proper care before practicing this.
4) Bhramari Pranayama
In this practice, you have to inhale deeply and while exhaling produce a vibration resembles the sound of a bee.
Bhramari reduces weight by promoting the secretion of the serotonin hormone, which acts as a stress buster because stress is also a common cause of weight gain.
It also helps in overcoming respiratory ailments which further promotes deep breathing and ultimately helps metabolic activity.
5) Bhastrika Pranayama
This is also a very effective exercise that could burn all your excess fat within a few months.
In this pranayama, breathing involves the forceful inhalation and forceful exhalation at the same pace – which will help- promotes activeness of the muscles at the physical level, which helps in shedding off the stored fat.
It also helps in the detoxification process by purifying the blood from various toxins which obstruct the active metabolism.
Contra-Indications
Those having heart problems, high blood pressure, recent surgery, pregnant women should avoid it. 7
6) Surya bhedan pranayama
9 For Obesity, this Pranayama is really effective.
To do this, Sit in any meditative pose and start observing your breath, then adopt Nasika Mudra from the right hand.
After doing this, with slight pressure from your fingers close the left nostril to inhale from the right nostril and vice versa. This is one round of Surya Bedan Pranayama and one can perform 27 rounds in each sitting 3 times a day to reduce weight.
Contraindications
Those who have any cardiac problem or Hypertension they should avoid. 9
Yoga Mudras for Weight Loss
7 As we discussed above how pranayama is effective in weight loss, the same way there are some Mudra’s which can help in burning calories.
Mudra’s are simple hand gestures, the only thing you have to do that makes them effective is you have to practice them regularly and increase the practicing time slowly day by day.
1) Surya Or Agni Mudra
Surya mudra represents the fire element and by performing this mudra, it increases the fire temperature in the body.
Mudras are performed with the help of fingers, so there is a connection between the fingers & the whole body as by doing the specific mudra, one stimulates the affected area with the flow of energy.
Thus, this helps to improve the digestive system and also metabolism which ultimately reduces the fat.
How to perform Surya Mudra
1) Sit in any comfortable position, eyes closed, spine erect
2) Bend the ring finger towards the palm, now hold the tip of the finger with your thumb.
3) Keep the palm facing upward on the knees or thighs in a relaxed position.
4) Hold this mudra at least 10 – 15 minutes, gradually increase the time.
The heat created in this mudra helps in burning calories.
2) Prana Mudra
The prana mudra is one of the important mudras as it helps to activate energy in the body.
The root chakra i.e Muladhara chakra gets enlivened by the practice of Prana mudra and it spreads the energy throughout the body.
You should generally perform it with pranayama for better results.
How to perform Prana Mudra
1) Sit in any comfortable position, eyes closed, spine erect.
2) Now join the tip of the thumb together with the tip of the ring finger and the little finger.
3) Hold this for at least 20 minutes to achieve better results.
3) Vaayan Mudra
Vaayan means Vayu, it refers to ‘Vaat’ humor in the body which recognized as an air element.
The effect of air and space elements on the body is enormous and receives several benefits when practiced in the right way.
This mudra facilitates your control over the nervous system, making you more self-aware and helps you to reduce weight.
How to Practice Vaayan Mudra
1) Sit in a comfortable posture, eyes closed, spine erect as already discussed above.
2) Now place the tip of your index finger and middle finger on the tip of your thumb.
3) Keep the other two fingers erect, facing the sky
4) Hold this mudra for at least 15-20 minutes.
Along with weight loss, the Vaayan mudra also helps to regulate the body and mind.
4) Kapha Nashak Mudra
The pitta and Kapha are two elements that represent fire and earth respectively.
In Ayurveda’s philosophy, Pitta means the fire and water elements combined, from which the bile is created. The word is of Sanskrit, the meaning is “warmth”, “transformation”. When a person is born, Pitta is in equilibrium with the other two energies called Vata and Kapha.
The pitta humor recognizes fire as its property and helps in boosting metabolism and the Kapha humor represents earth and excess of Kapha can lead to weight gain.
So, Kapha nashak mudra elevates the functioning of the digestive system by generating fire through boosting metabolism.
How to practice Kapha Nashak Mudra
1) Press the ring finger and then the little finger on the palm
2) Now hold these fingers with the base of your thumb, exerting pressure as long as it feels comfortable
3) Hold the mudra 20-30 minutes
4) If your body is prone to pitta then practice this mudra in moderation. 7
5. Gyan Mudra
2 This Mudra is considered as a gesture of knowledge and helps to overcome tensions & depression. With practicing regularly it enhances the level of focus, builds mental power, burns excess weight, and sharpens the brain.
If you perform it on regular basis that any of your psychological disorders like anger, stress, anxiety and even insomnia can be improved considerably.
How to perform Gyan Mudra
1) Calm yourself by sitting comfortably in a cross-legged position
2) You can close your eyes for better focus and concentration
3) Then touch the tip of your index finger to the tip of the thumb
4) Keep the rest of the fingers stretched and erect
5) And then be in this position for at least 15 minutes, meditating
6 Weight loss-friendly foods
A good yoga exercise with a proper diet will definitely help you in weight loss.
1. Nuts
2. Oats
They are loaded with beta gluten soluble fiber that been shown to increase satiety and improve metabolic health.
3. Chia seeds
It is the most nutritious food ever and contains 34 grams of fiber in every 100 grams of Chia Seeds and this makes them a low cab friendly food with one of the best sources of fiber in the world.
4. Carrots
5. Sweet potato
They are rich in fiber, which can help you lose your weight, and thus this makes you feel full without taking excess of calories.
6. Cheese
Below is an Infographic focused on the best foods that are highly rich in proteins and will help you satiated without increasing the number of calories you eat.
Protein-rich foods are found helpful in reducing weight because they require more energy to break down themselves into amino acids and the above-shown fruits are beneficial for weight loss as they supply your body what it basically needs without providing it excess fat.
You can gain more help with this calorie calculator, which will help you measure how much ideal weight you should lose according to your age, height, current weight, and your activity level. 2
Conclusion
In the end, we hope you completely understood the effectiveness of Yoga on Weight loss
It needs time but we think you can take out at least 10 minutes for your body to keep yourself refreshed for the whole day
As we think no one is as busy as the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who practice Yoga every day despite being so busy as he knows the true value of Yoga in one’s life!
So, when are you going to start your Yoga Journey for Weight Loss? ( Tell us in the Comments )
And Join this 12 Week Yoga Challenge Program for Weight loss, if you need further help!
About the Authors
1. Dilesh Telwane
Dilesh is a Corporate Trainer and a Life Coach, Co-founder and COO of the Yoga University at Navi Mumbai, India. ( Mentioned in the article by footnote number 1 )
2. Pushkar Agarwal ( Founder of CNT )
” You cannot always control what goes on outside, but you can always control what goes on inside ” and Yoga is the best key to the control room of your Inside Body!
Pushkar is a Yoga enthusiast and highly believes in the true power of Yoga as it makes you live to the fullest by digging your body’s hidden treasures of talent.
Through this blog Current News Times, he wants to spread the word of Yoga, far & wide to let everyone benefit from this 5000 Year Old Ultimate Discipline called ” Yoga “
Hari Om!
( Mentioned in the article by footnote number 2 )
3. Harjas Kaur
Harjas Kaur is a 500 hrs Certified Hatha Yoga Teacher. She is practicing & teaching from the past 8 years and in her quest for more knowledge & to understand various techniques, she traveled to various schools of Yoga for learning different styles.
She teaches Various Styles, Hatha, Flow, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Sivananda, Yin, Pre & Post Natal, Chair yoga – keeping in mind the requirement of the students.
The Teachings have an influence on various schools with combining techniques & principles of alignment, flexibility, stability, strength, breath control, concentration & relaxation.
She includes various elements of Yoga like Asana, Pranayama, bandhas, Dharna (Concentration) & Dhayana (Meditation) in her practice & teachings with understanding it as a whole and holistic practice.
Incorporating Yoga as a complete lifestyle, she hopes she contributes towards helping people connect to their inner self & feel the peace and happiness, which is our true nature!
( Mentioned in the article by footnote number 3 )
4. Laura from Yoga Kali
She is Laura from Yoga Kali, her first encounter with yoga took place more than five years ago and from there she is enhancing herself more & more, daily.
At Yoga kali, she shares her Yoga & Mediation knowledge and she believes that these are the most potent tools for creating positive change both within individual consciousness and without society as a whole.
( Mentioned in the article by footnote number 4 )
5. Rahul Sharma
He is Rahul Sharma, Yoga Trainer, learning & loving yoga from his very young age when he was in 5th Class.
He truly loves & believes in Yoga by knowing how beneficial it is and helping other people to know about this holistic discipline.
( Mentioned in the article by footnote number 5 )
6. Priyanka Singh
She is Priyanka Singh, completed her diploma from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, New Delhi and she is also a Martial Art Practitioner, Travel Blogger, Kathak Dancer, and Fashion Blogger.
( Mentioned in the article by footnote number 6 )
7. Kranti Main
Kranti is dedicated to Yogic Education with 10 years of experience.
Completed Certificate course and Diploma Course in Yoga and she is now a Certified Yoga Instructor with expert knowledge of Yogic Education from a Certified University, currently working as a Yoga therapist at Yoganahat, Mumbai.
( Mentioned in the article by footnote number 7 )
8. Virendra Ardies
Virendra started his yoga journey 8 years ago and became yoga teacher 2 Years later. In the beginning, he started out his first vinyasa class and It was his starting of a whole new journey!
Since then he progressed a lot, done some courses, and after three years he became a yoga teacher.
He taught classes in several studios in Antwerp, Sint-Niklaas, and in his hometown Beveren and also shares his knowledge on his blog The Yogi Life for Me.
9. Manish Sharma
He is an experienced naturopathic doctor & yoga teacher, have done traditional Chinese medicine program from the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and have received his Bachelor’s degree in Naturopathy & Yogic Sciences from S-VYASA University.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can lose weight with Yoga and although it is not a quick fix but a regular & consistent yoga practice can be effective to curb obesity. Studies have found that asanas, pranayamas, and mudras all have the ability to burn fat if done regularly & correctly along with a proper diet.
Asanas such as Child’s Pose, Boat Pose, Plow Pose, Downward Facing Dog, Plank Pose, etc are found effective in weight loss by practicing them regularly.
Prana is the vital energy in our body and breathing techniques of pranayama can help you with weight loss.
The flow of prana works on excess weight gained over the body and as we know pranayama is deep and conscious breathing in which oxygen supply increased to the cellular community of our body and due to this increase in the oxygen supply metabolism becomes super active in the body, thus decrease in BMI.
An active metabolism helps in burning a higher number of calories, so higher the metabolic rate is, quickly you will lose the weight. Pranayams like Kapalbhati, Anulom Vilom, Bhastrika, etc are found effective in weight loss.
Mudra’s are simple hand gestures and the only thing you have to do that makes them effective for weight loss is you have to practice them regularly and increase the practicing time slowly day by day.
Here are the Mudras found efficient in weight loss-
1. Surya Mudra
2. Prana Mudra
3. Vaayan Mudra
4. Kapha Nasak Mudra
5. Gyan Mudra
- Written by Dilesh Telwane[↩][↩]
- Written by Pushkar Agarwal, Owner of CNT[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Written by Harjas Kaur, Yoga Instructor[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Written by Laura, Owner of Yoga Kali[↩][↩]
- Written by Rahul Sharma, Yoga Trainer[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Priyanka Singh, Certifed Yoga Expert[↩][↩]
- Written by Kranti Main, Yoga Teacher[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Written by Virendra Ardies, Yoga Teacher[↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Written by Manish Sharma, Yoga & Naturopathy Specialist[↩][↩]
- Karishma Rahuja, Yoga Trainer[↩][↩]