Yoga calms your mind, but it can't possibly help you lose weight, right? Wrong. For starters, you'll sweat, blast calories, and tone and shape your entire body, especially if you practice a more physically active style of yoga, such as Ashtanga, Vinyasa, or Bikram (hot yoga). In fact, you can torch 400 calories in one Bikram class, roughly the same amount you'd burn by running for 40 minutes at a moderate pace—but with a lot less stress on your body.
With everything being said, here are 10 amazing yoga poses that will not only help you lose weight, but also keep your body fit and toned :
Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Bring right leg forward to the ground, placing right knee behind right wrist, and allowing right heel to draw in toward groin—the closer it is to the groin, the gentler the stretch. Using the arms to support body weight, lift chest and lengthen spine as you stay here for as long as you comfortably can. Return to Down Dog and repeat on opposite side.
From a deep squat, place your hands flat on the floor in front of you so they are shoulder width apart. Come to your tiptoes and walk your feet closer to your body. Then slowly bring your weight forward onto the hands and off the feet until your knees touch your upper arms. As you deepen the bend in your elbows, inch the knees up above the elbows, bringing them as close to the armpits as possible. Transfer the weight fully onto the arms, squeeze your elbows in, tighten your abs, and press your shins into your forearms, causing your feet to float up behind you. You might want to rest in Child's Pose for a few breaths after Crow.
Come down on all fours. Spread your fingers wide on your mat. Tuck your toes, lift your hips up and back, and extend your legs. Press your shoulders toward the floor and relax your neck. Press your palms against the floor. Walk your feet back, pull up through your hips, and press your heels down.
Lie on your back with arms by your side. Bend your knees and rock your legs up, bringing your knees to your forehead and placing your hands under your hips to support them, keeping your elbows on the floor. Slowly straighten your legs into the air, balancing for 8 to 10 breaths, then slowly release your knees and roll gently back onto the floor.
Lie down with your belly on the ground. Your chin should be touching the ground. Keep hands beside you with your palms facing upward. Your legs should be placed at a 6 inches distance from one another. Bend your legs at the knees and bring the heels close to your hips. Now grasp the ankles with both your hands. Slowly lift your chin, head and neck backwards. Your chest should be still on the ground. Now inhale deeply and lift your legs, thighs, chest till only your abdomen is touching the ground. Balance yourself on the abdomen only. Pull your legs with your hands as much as possible so as to arch your body completely in the shape of a bow. Bring your feet together. Now look up and gaze at a point on the ceiling. This is your final position. Hold your breath while in this position. When you feel a strain on your back, exhale fully and return to your original position.
Kneeling, with your body erect and your knees directly beneath your hips, and toes curling under. Stack your hips on top of your knees, your shoulders atop your hips, and your ears atop your shoulders. Then place the palms of your hands on the small of your back, fingertips facing up. If that's uncomfortable, the fingertips can face the floor. As you inhale, inflate the chest and feel your breastbone rise, floating the ribcage up and off the waist. Then continue to lift the upper back up and over an imaginary ball behind you until you begin to reach one hand and then the other toward the heels. You should arrive in your deepest arch only in the upper back when both hands rest comfortably on your heels or props. Take 5 full, complete breaths, letting the head drop back; if that strains the neck, tuck the chin and relax the face muscles.
Stand on the mat straight and in relaxed position. Bring your legs together keeping just a few inches distance from one another. Now bend forward and touch your ankles with your hand. Keep forehead positioned in front of your knees. If you are a beginner, you may face difficulty in coming forward without bending your bend knees. So just bend your knees a bit and touch your ankles. Another option is that, don’t bend your knees and instead of touching your ankles keep a block in front of you. Support yourself on that.
Lower the fingertips of your left hand to the floor outside your right foot. Open your shoulders to the right and extend your right arm up. Bring your left foot forward about 12 inches and press your heel down so your toes point a little out to your left side. Straighten your legs.
From low lunge, lift your hips until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Extend your arms straight up next to your ears and relax your shoulders. Put some weight onto your left foot, reach your heel out behind you for stability.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides. Step forward with your right foot. Bend forward from the waist and press your fingertips to the floor on each side of your right foot. Bend your knees slightly and step back with your left leg into a low lunge. Push through your left heel and sink your hips low.
With everything being said, here are 10 amazing yoga poses that will not only help you lose weight, but also keep your body fit and toned :
1. Pigeon pose
Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Bring right leg forward to the ground, placing right knee behind right wrist, and allowing right heel to draw in toward groin—the closer it is to the groin, the gentler the stretch. Using the arms to support body weight, lift chest and lengthen spine as you stay here for as long as you comfortably can. Return to Down Dog and repeat on opposite side.
2. Crow pose
From a deep squat, place your hands flat on the floor in front of you so they are shoulder width apart. Come to your tiptoes and walk your feet closer to your body. Then slowly bring your weight forward onto the hands and off the feet until your knees touch your upper arms. As you deepen the bend in your elbows, inch the knees up above the elbows, bringing them as close to the armpits as possible. Transfer the weight fully onto the arms, squeeze your elbows in, tighten your abs, and press your shins into your forearms, causing your feet to float up behind you. You might want to rest in Child's Pose for a few breaths after Crow.
3. Down dog pose
Come down on all fours. Spread your fingers wide on your mat. Tuck your toes, lift your hips up and back, and extend your legs. Press your shoulders toward the floor and relax your neck. Press your palms against the floor. Walk your feet back, pull up through your hips, and press your heels down.
4. Shoulder stand pose
Lie on your back with arms by your side. Bend your knees and rock your legs up, bringing your knees to your forehead and placing your hands under your hips to support them, keeping your elbows on the floor. Slowly straighten your legs into the air, balancing for 8 to 10 breaths, then slowly release your knees and roll gently back onto the floor.
5. Bow pose
Lie down with your belly on the ground. Your chin should be touching the ground. Keep hands beside you with your palms facing upward. Your legs should be placed at a 6 inches distance from one another. Bend your legs at the knees and bring the heels close to your hips. Now grasp the ankles with both your hands. Slowly lift your chin, head and neck backwards. Your chest should be still on the ground. Now inhale deeply and lift your legs, thighs, chest till only your abdomen is touching the ground. Balance yourself on the abdomen only. Pull your legs with your hands as much as possible so as to arch your body completely in the shape of a bow. Bring your feet together. Now look up and gaze at a point on the ceiling. This is your final position. Hold your breath while in this position. When you feel a strain on your back, exhale fully and return to your original position.
6. Camel pose
Kneeling, with your body erect and your knees directly beneath your hips, and toes curling under. Stack your hips on top of your knees, your shoulders atop your hips, and your ears atop your shoulders. Then place the palms of your hands on the small of your back, fingertips facing up. If that's uncomfortable, the fingertips can face the floor. As you inhale, inflate the chest and feel your breastbone rise, floating the ribcage up and off the waist. Then continue to lift the upper back up and over an imaginary ball behind you until you begin to reach one hand and then the other toward the heels. You should arrive in your deepest arch only in the upper back when both hands rest comfortably on your heels or props. Take 5 full, complete breaths, letting the head drop back; if that strains the neck, tuck the chin and relax the face muscles.
7. Standing forward bend
Stand on the mat straight and in relaxed position. Bring your legs together keeping just a few inches distance from one another. Now bend forward and touch your ankles with your hand. Keep forehead positioned in front of your knees. If you are a beginner, you may face difficulty in coming forward without bending your bend knees. So just bend your knees a bit and touch your ankles. Another option is that, don’t bend your knees and instead of touching your ankles keep a block in front of you. Support yourself on that.
8. Rotated triangle
Lower the fingertips of your left hand to the floor outside your right foot. Open your shoulders to the right and extend your right arm up. Bring your left foot forward about 12 inches and press your heel down so your toes point a little out to your left side. Straighten your legs.
9. High lunge
From low lunge, lift your hips until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Extend your arms straight up next to your ears and relax your shoulders. Put some weight onto your left foot, reach your heel out behind you for stability.
10. Low lunge
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides. Step forward with your right foot. Bend forward from the waist and press your fingertips to the floor on each side of your right foot. Bend your knees slightly and step back with your left leg into a low lunge. Push through your left heel and sink your hips low.
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