Yoga and Weight Loss

When people ask me ‘will Yoga help me loose weight” I have a reluctance to answer this question. I admit that the field of weight loss and weight gain is very complicated. There are so many factors that influence this issue such as genetic factors, lifestyles, individual willpower (or as I like to call it ‘won’t power’), and of course there is always food addiction.

Having said that, I, as a person who was obese at 206 pounds and worked hard to loose 75 pounds can tell you from personal experience that I strongly believe that practicing Hatha Yoga regularly, (That’s the style of Yoga that I teach) has great potential to be very transformative on many levels.

The most obvious physical benefit of a regular Yoga practice includes loosening your muscles that have been tightened by inactivity, tension and stress. The physical poses of Yoga are called Asanas. Asanas increases your range of motion in joints enhances your flexibility and can correct posture problems that have been brought on by weight gain.

All styles of Yoga can help tone, lengthen and strengthen the muscles which help to sculpt your body but not necessarily help with weight loss. Muscle is dense and heavy but Yoga does lengthen those muscles. The more they become lengthened, the less dense and lighter they become. So…YES you can loose weight with Yoga.

My Yoga classes teach you to allow ONLY positive energy to be in our class and our own bodies. Both our mind and that good energy will be helpful for us because when you are overweight you generally have decreased self image, lack of self esteem, lack of any energy, and almost always sluggishness. These feeling weigh you down and surely go hand and hand.

There are psychological benefits that Yoga offers in the aspect of weight loss. Weight gain often brings with it a great deal of harsh judgment from us and others. In my Yoga classes I create a safe, positive warm, comfortable and loving environment of non judgment. Peace is a gift to you, one that we all deserve. This gives everyone an opportunity to engage in this physical practice as their own personal journey.

Yoga can renew a great sense of control over your life. Isn’t this what we want? We want to have control over our bodies and have our mindset in the right place in order to make healthy lifestyle changes, choices and decisions. You will feel confident enough to do that, I can assure you.

In Yoga we connect our breath and body by linking it to our asanas. When we unite all concepts together we can then move with grace, flow with beauty and exercise to the best of our own individual ability. This makes us feel confident and therefore confidence allows the best mindset to be successful in our weight loss.

This reminds me of my favorite quote in Yoga which is:

Yoga is like music.
The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind,
And the harmony of the soul
Create the symphony of life. BKL Iyngar

I REALLY UNDERSTAND

I expect that if you have read my first article, that by now you have some idea of who I am and what I am about. I did make an offer to all of you to come and take your first Yoga class for free. Six of you contacted me with enthusiasm! I was thrilled and thought whoopee…it’s sinking in! Yet so far, not one of you has come to a class. That’s O.K. Perhaps this past week, life has gotten in your way. I really understand that. My offer will always be there.

I do need to tell you some things that I know for sure. If you never come to a class, you will never learn of the infinite benefits Yoga has to offer. If I sat here and told you every single one of them from now until the cows come home you’d still never really quite ‘get it’.

I have taught students with MS, Parkinson’s, Fibromyalgia, spinal issues, knees, hips, wrist, ankle and shoulder problems, Lupus, Osteoporosis, Osteopenia and Osteoarthritis. This is JUST to mention a few of my student’s physical issues. I also teach people that are perfectly fit, perfectly able bodied. Last week one students told me that she never has aches and pains, EVER. I nearly fainted away with envy. I myself have continued to teach Yoga classes the entire time I was going through Chemotherapy. I know every benefit that each of these students, including myself, gained by coming to classes. Even when we didn’t feel up to it we came to class anyway. Each of those days brought us inner peace, a strength that we never realized we had, a mental and physical feeling that make us push and feel well inside and out.

I can tell you from my personal experiences, and the experiences I have learned from my wonderful students, that there is no way in ‘God’s Green Earth’ that anyone could ever feel what we have felt in those challenging times.

I have given private lessons. I have taught in schools, spas, gyms, Health Centers, Condo Centers, and Community Centers. I can tell you this for sure….breathing becomes easier, movement and flexibility become better and every muscle, every nerve, every cell and every aspect of your physical, mental and spiritual health improves if one gives Yoga the respect and time that it deserves.

My Instructors at my Teacher Training Classes gave me a spiritual name upon my graduation. It was chosen for me because they had gotten a true sense of who I am. My Name is Sri Jaya Devi. It is Sanskrit. It means

“Victorious Woman”. At that time I had only beaten Cancer once (and I mean “only” with the utmost sarcasm). They decided that had made me Victorious. It did to some extent, but since that time I have been so much more victorious. Now I know what they truly meant by giving me that name. They knew that I would make Yoga my life’s calling and that Yoga would be my way to give back.

I know it’s never easy to find time for YOU but believe me it’s always worth it! It’s worth it, because YOU deserve it! I know that I do, because

I AM YOU!

Namaste,
Charlene Gibian
Certified Yoga Instructor
charlinfla@aol.com
http://www.charlenesyoga.com/

954-755-9123 Anytime, any questions.

Group and Private Classes Available

You can find me at:
Margate's ~ Leonard Weissinger Community Center
Tuesday and Thursday 7-8 PM

The Township, In Coconut Creek
Tuesday 10-11 AM
Wednesday 6:30-7:30 PM
Thursday 9:15-10:15 PM