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21

Can You and How to Lose Weight with Yoga? – Part 1

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Can You Lose Weight with Yoga?

How to Lose Weight with Yoga?

You can absolutely lose weight with yoga and there are enormous advantages to using yoga for weight loss over other artificial means and methods.  In this 2 part series I am going to first discuss why yoga is good for permanent and safe weight loss, and then, in the second part of the series, I am going to give you a great set of yoga exercises for burning fat and losing weight.

The set in part 2 is going to become part of the free online yoga classes here on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga.  The current weight loss program that is already available there, uses the excellent Online Yoga Exercises for Healthy Weight Loss Exercises Set, and this upcoming set will give you more choices and variety in selecting an effective yoga for weight loss program.

The great thing about the set in part 2 is that it is designed for those who are overweight or obese, and thus, can be used by those who are new to yoga or severely out of shape.  Don’t think for a moment that this means the exercises are not going to be effective.  These yoga exercises are tried and tested techniques for effective weight loss, and are part of various yoga therapy programs around the world.  More about this set in part 2 of the series, but for now let me go over why you should choose yoga to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

How to Lose Weight

This list of reasons is really quite long, but let me just point out the top five reasons why you are better off using yoga to help reduce weight, as opposed to being suckered in by all the other quick weight loss gimmicks, pills, gadgets and diets out there.

Top 5 Reasons to Choose Yoga for Weight Loss:

1. Better Overall Health:

Losing weight by doing yoga, also conditions all the internal organs and systems, in addition to getting rid of the excess fat.  This means that not only will you lose the weight, but as you continue your practice, you will find yourself getting more and more healthy and fit.  In addition, you will enjoy all the profound benefits that yoga bestows, and not just the weight loss aspect.

You can read about these enormous benefits of yoga in the following articles:

Top 10 Health Benefits of Yoga

7 Rapid Benefits of Kundalini Yoga Practice

2. No Bad Side Affects:

Always remember that the body has a blue print of perfect health and always tries to return to this state.  You should always try to work with the body, in it’s efforts to return to perfect health.  Yoga and Ayurveda (the Indian holistic science of life and longevity) are designed to do just this.  On the other hand, when you use chemical, surgical or other such quick fixes, you tend to not work holistically with the body, and even as you are fixing one problem, you tend to create many more.  So using Yoga for weight loss is the best way to intelligently and naturally lose the weight and help the body return to optimum health.

For more on this concept, you can read the following article:

The Key to Natural Healing

3. Permanent Weight Loss with Yoga:

Experience of the yoga therapy programs to treat obesity have shown that weight lost from yoga therapy has proven to be permanent.  This is certainly not the case when you use chemicals and other gimmicks.  The weight lost by those methods tends to return in a hurry once they are discontinued.  This is not the case with yoga, as long as you maintain at minimum, a healthy diet as prescribed by Ayurveda. 

These diets are almost always a part of the treatment in general, and these diets are such that they can be maintained comfortably throughout one’s life.  They are not extreme or unreasonable diets.  You can read more about such a diet in the the following article:

Healthy Ayurvedic Diet to Burn Fat and Lose Weight

So when you use yoga for weight loss, the body is gently brought back into alignment and underlying causes for the weight gain, whether they are emotional or bio-chemical, are also resolved.  Also, since yoga works with the body to achieve optimum health, the excess weight once shed is no longer regained when the yoga is stopped.  I would though recommend continuing the yoga practice if you can, so you can continue to obtain all the other benefits that such practice bestows.

4. Yoga Weight Loss Solution is for Free:

Why pay for a solution, that is going to create bad side affects and not going to work in the long term anyway, when you can have a successful weight loss solution from yoga for FREE.  You can no longer make the excuse that yoga classes are expensive, etc, etc, because on this website, they are all free.  If you see the online classes page, you will see the thousands of readers who have taken and benefited from these classes.  So I don’t see how you can go wrong here.  Not only do you succeed in your weight loss goals, but you get all the additional benefits of yoga, and you get it all for free .

5. Extreme Exercise is Not Necessary:

You will see from the upcoming yoga set in part 2 of this series that even gentle yoga exercises done with moderate effort are good enough to put you on track to meet your weight loss goals.  So you don’t need to undertake an extreme fitness regiment.  Such regiments are generally short lived anyway and can be injurious to the body.  Yes, when doing yoga in this sensible way the weight loss is not going be happen overnight, but you can expect to consistently lose about 5 pounds a month safely and naturally, without doing any harm to your body or mind.  

So stay tuned for part 2 of this series where I will be detailing for you one of the best yoga sets for losing weight safely and permanently.

22

Sweet Ayurveda Treatment to Stop Emotional Eating & Lose Weight

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Summary: More often than not, being over weight has to do with eating too much.  According to Ayurveda, over eating is often due to emotional eating, which is a direct result of a lack of self-love.  In this article, a very sweet Ayurvedic treatment is prescribed to increase self-love, which will help curb emotional eating, thus helping you lose weight and get fit.

In the first part of this series 5 Healthy Weight Loss Tips from Ayurveda for the Physical Dimension we explored Ayurveda’s recommendations for healthy weight loss from the physical perspective and in this article we will explore what Ayurveda has to say about the emotions and weight.  Essentially, the most important factor in weight gain is excessive eating and Ayurveda states that one of the main reasons for over eating is to compensate for a lack of love in one’s life.  Compensating for love with food is emotional eating and below is how Ayurveda hopes to alleviate this problem and thus curb unhealthy weight gain.

Sweet Ayurveda Treatment

The famous old song, “All You Need is Love”, in the case of ending emotional eating could not be more true.  Ayurveda suggests that often times self-love is lacking in those who are overweight and this compounds the problem of emotional eating.  In other words, lacking self-love one turns to eating as a substitute, which leads to a negative body image as one gains excess weight, which makes it even harder to love oneself.  This downward spiral can be stopped by cultivating self-love and the exercise below does just that.

Background of Ayurvedic Treatment for Emotional Eating

The following exercise can be done as part of a Yoga series for the Heart Center (Anahata Chakra) or it can be done independently as it is detailed here.  The design of this particular technique is based on the following 2 concepts:

  1. Spirit follows form and form follows spirit.  In other words if you love someone (spirit) you may gently caress them (form) and the other side of this relationship is that, if you gently caress them (form) you will start to feel some love (spirit).
  2. In the Ayurvedic and Yogic Chakra system, the center of the palms relates to the heart center (Anahata Chakra) and this chakra is the seat of love and compassion.

Practice Details of Ayurvedic Treatment for Emotional Eating

So here is the very sweet Ayurvedic/Yogic technique to increase self-love, end emotional eating and get your weight gain under control.

  • Lie on you back with arm straight out to the sides (like you are on a cross).
  • Now close your eyes, gently raise your left arm and bring your left palm towards your face.  Then gently kiss the center of your left palm and whisper “I Love You” to yourself.
  • Now lower your left arm and bring your right arm up and kiss the center of your right palm again whispering “I Love You” to yourself.
  • Continue for about 5 minutes.
  • To end inhale deeply hold your breath and visualize your body exactly as you want it to be, slim and trim, then get up with a smile feeling good about yourself.

Summary of Self-Love to End Emotional Eating

So excess weight, which is often related to emotional eating, according to Ayurveda is due to a lack of love and in many cases a lack of self-love.  So an additional tip from Ayurveda in order to increase self-love is to stop criticizing, judging and being harsh with yourself.  Treat yourself kindly and with love and you will notice a change in your eating habits, for as the soul is fed, there is less need to over feed the body.

Internet Resources Below

Ayurveda Resources:

The Ayurvedic Institute
American Institude of Vedic Studies

Other Weight Loss Resources:

FDA Nutrition & Weight Loss Q&A
How to Use Fruits & Vegetables to Manage Your Weight (Center for Disease Control & Prevention)
Tips for Exercise Success (American Heart Association)
How to Stop Emotional Eating (Mayo Clinic)

23

Healthy Ayurveda Diet To Burn Fat & Lose Weight

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Ayurveda and Weight Loss

As Thursday’s topic is Health, today’s article deals with diet and weight loss from an Ayurvedic perspective.  In the article Introducing Ayurveda – Alternative Medicine for Self Healing the great holistic science of Self Healing and Healthy Living, Ayurveda, was introduced.  A key concept in Ayurveda is that of the 3 Doshas (humours): Vata, Pitta & Kapha.  A combination of these 3 bodily humours are responsible for the makeup of our human body.  This article is focused on the Kapha Dosha, which is responsible for fat and is the prevalent dosha in those who are overweight and obese.  Thus, from a Yogic and Ayurvedic point on view, in order to burn fat and lose weight one must reduce Kapha in the body. 

Healthy Ayurveda Diet

As a quick review the following 3 most important points about Ayurveda need to be remembered:

1. The qualities of Kapha Dosha are: Wet, Cold, Heavy, Dull, Soft, Sticky & Fixed

2. Ayurvedic healing is based on the following 2 principles

  • Like Increases Like
  • Opposites Decrease Each Other

3. There are many treatment methods in Ayurveda and of these we are focusing on Diet for weight loss in this article.  In future posts I will detail other Ayruvedic recommendations to reduce weight, burn fat and get fit.

So keeping the above in mind here are Ayurveda’s dietary recommendations for how to combat obesity, reduce fat and promote healthy weight loss.

General Diet Composition to Lose Weight & Burn Fat (Kapha Reduction) 

  • 30-40% of your diet should be whole grains.
  • 20-30% protein (from both vegetarian and non-vegetarian sources)
  • 40-50% mostly vegetables and some fruit.

Specific Dietary Recommendations to Lose Weight & Burn Fat (Kapha Reduction)

  • Since like increases like, the qualities of Kapha should be a guide to help you choose the right type of foods to eat.  So looking at it from that perspective one should reduce fatty foods, dairy, ice cream, meats (specially red meat) etc.
  • For drinks, stick to hot drinks instead of cold ones.  Again use Kapha qualities as a road map to help you choose.  Drink teas, hot water, instead of cold sodas and milk shakes.
  • Since opposites decrease each other, use more hot spices in your food.  Ginger, cinnamon, coriander and other hot spices will all work to help you reduce Kapha, which is the key to reducing weight.  The tastes you should shoot for in your diet are pungent, bitter and astringent.  Foods with these tastes are all anti-Kapha and will assist in burning fat.  The tastes you should generally avoid are sweet, sour and salty.
  • Similarly increase salads, beans, dry cereals and cooked grains in your diet.  Eating foods with Vata and Pitta qualities will increase those doshas in your body and will work against increasing Kapha.
  • Eat one big meal a day and make it either your lunch or your breakfast.
  • To avoid snacking, have a glass of hot lemonade made with honey.  This will help burn fat and keep away the hunger.

Conclusion:

I hope what you begin to see with Ayurveda is that it gives you the knowledge and framework within which you can then customize the treatments you need using your intelligence.  That’s why I call Ayurveda the science of Self Healing.  Once you know the basic concepts, you can readily apply them to deal with any health situation that life throws at you.  Specifically for weight loss understand the qualities of Kapha Dosha and tailor your diet and life style to reduce it.  When you reduce Kapha you reduce fat.  From a dietary perspective, simply reduce intake of food with the same qualities and increase intake of food with opposite qualities. 

To help you further in your weight loss objectives you may wish to sign up for the Free Online Healthy Weight Loss Via Yoga, Breathing & Meditation Program – Course #104.

Internet Resources Below

Ayurveda Resources:

The Ayurvedic Institute
American Institude of Vedic Studies

Other Weight Loss Resources:

FDA Nutrition & Weight Loss Q&A
How to Use Fruits & Vegetables to Manage Your Weight (Center for Disease Control & Prevention)
Tips for Exercise Success (American Heart Association)
How to Stop Emotional Eating (Mayo Clinic)

24

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Incredible Blog. Several lifetimes of knowledge fill this site. Great for beginners and experts interested in yoga, mind development, meditation, etc. Masterfully written and one of the best on the web. I recommend everybody read this!!!!!

…he has got some awesome stuff on Meditation and Enlightenment. Definitely a – cant – leave – the – screen – till – you – devour – everything – blog.

I just want to say thank you for this website. It is one of the most comprehensive and helpful yoga websites I have found anywhere on the internet. I appreciate your wisdom and your willingness to share it so easily with others. Thank you.

Many blessings to you Anmol – your generousity has greatly informed both my own practice and my teachings. I hope that via my blog, I do my best to spread the word about this wonderful site – by far the best yoga site I have ever come across.

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Fantastic site.

I was introduced to your site by Kara-Leah Masina, …she recommended to me many of your meditations and exercises, and they have been wonderful. As a result, I have been poking around your site, and I have been amazed at the wonderful things you have here!

The Kundalini Yoga class earlier today was absolutely wonderful. You explained everything so well and you radiate peace. I feel very blessed for the opportunity to be your student. Thanks again.

Thank you for making learning meditation/yoga possible for all the people around the world. May humanity get inspired by your passion.

Your articles are awesome. Thank you so much for sharing.

It was my pleasure to include your article in the blogger carnival. This is an awesome site… one of the ones I was really excited about finding for the healing carnival. I will be back when I have more time to explore all the wonderful wisdom here. It is a beautiful place :-).

25

Excellent 30 Minute Yoga Set – Part 1

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All titles below are links to the yoga techniques article, so click the link to read the full details on the particular exercise.

The following yoga set provides a complete workout and works on all the major muscle groups and systems of the body to ensure good health, healing and well-being.  
In this article you will find part 1 of this set, which is comprised of 6 exercises and takes 20 minutes to complete.  I suggest you start with these 6 exercises and then add the exercises I provide in part 2 next week.

Excellent Yoga Set

Note that although I have given times below for each exercise, you should do as much as you are comfortable with and take breaks as and when needed. 
 
2 Minutes:
Start the set with doing 2 minutes of this excellent breathing exercise.  Kapalbhati has a wide range of benefits, which include improving your respiratory and digestive systems, and it is a great way to get your energy going at the beginning of a set.
Kapalbhati is done by expelling the air forcefully through the nose and allowing a passive inhalation following that.  The stomach is pulled in sharply during the exhalation phase.  Video instruction in included in the article – How to do Kapalbhati Pranayama.
 
3 Minutes:
Now move onto Anuloma Viloma Pranayama for 3 minutes. This breathing exercise is great for promoting a calm, smooth, peaceful mind which is great for practicing yoga and meditation.  Try to do this exercise with full awareness.  

In Anuloma Viloma, you will breathe through one nostril, exhale through the other, then breathe through it, and exhale through the original nostril.  Use your fingers to pinch a nostril closed as required by the pattern above.  

For video instructions and advanced versions you can visit the full article – Anuloma Viloma Pranayama.  

For both Kapalbhati and Anumla Viloma you can use the basic seated pose below.  If you are not able to sit cross legged (or Burmese Style as shown below), then you can sit upright on a chair as well.

Basic Pranayama Pose

https://anmolmehta.com/2011/04/01/neck-yoga-exercises/

2 Minutes:
Next it is time to get the body moving an important region to limber up initially is the neck. So for the next 2 minute do these Simple Neck Exercises.
To do these excises turn your neck right, then left, up and then down.  Holding each position for 15 seconds.  Do 2 full rounds.

https://anmolmehta.com/2010/09/02/best-morning-yoga-stretching-poses-surya-namaskar/

10 Minutes:
If you were not able to dedicate even 30 minutes for your yoga practice and came to me to ask, if I can do just 10 minutes of yoga a day, what should I practice?  I would tell you to do Surya Namaskar daily.
This is a great sequence and it works on many of the essential aspects of your body and systems.  It is also a great routine for promoting weight loss and strengthening your entire body.  Do this routine repeatedly for 10 minutes.  Take breaks as needed.
You will find many more details and variations for Surya Namaskar here.  But to get started the illustration below shows you the sequence step by step.
2 Minutes:
There are 3 things to keep in mind with regard to working on your core abdominal strength.  First, its very good for you both energetically and aesthetically.  Second, you should do some abdominal work everyday.  And finally, it is good to change up the abdominal exercise you are doing from time to time.
So to start with, I suggest the double leg lifts.  From there every week or two I suggest switching to another abdominal exercise for maximum benefit.  Do this or other exercise for 2 minutes.
For double leg lifts simply raise your legs to 90 degrees and then lower them slowly back down.
The following article details the double leg lift and also has other great ab exercises to choose from for your change up – Yoga Ab Exercises to Shape Stomach.
Starting Position
Ending Position
1 Minute:
The next pose to do is a very good inverted yoga pose.  It is the Should Stand.  This pose is not just good for brain fitness, but is also good for your heart and immune system.  In addition, it is beneficial for the thyroid gland and for promoting peace within.
Come into this pose carefully, do not overdo it and hold it for 1 minute if possible.
Shoulder Stand
Stay tuned for part 2 of this set in the next newsletter.  There I will provide the exercises and poses that comprise the remaining 10 minutes of this set.
26

Yoga Exercise to Burn Calories

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Yoga to Lose Fat

There are countless weight loss success stories from those who have taken up a consistent and serious yoga practice. So there is little doubt that yoga is an effective weight loss solution and that yoga helps burn calories and reduce fat. The reason though that yoga is so good for helping you lose weight and keep it off, is not simply because of the physical workout that a yoga practice obviously provides. It is also due to the many other benefits and powers of yoga, such as helping you find positivity, joy, confidence, self-love, peace and emotional balance, while also helping you detox, heal and move towards a more wholesome and healthier way of life.  All this combined really helps with the problem of excess weight and obesity. 

These emotional, spiritual and mental benefits though do not mean that yoga cannot give you one mean workout. Ask anyone who has taken a class with my teacher, Ravi Singh, and you will know how rigorous a yoga class can be :-).

There are many excellent yoga routines and targeted exercises which are geared towards helping you burn calories and lose weight.  I have provided many such sets on the website and below you will find a list of them.  Today though I want to detail another such calorie burning yoga exercise for you.  

This exercise, called Yoga March, along with being a calorie burner, is also an excellent exercise for starting your yoga practice and getting warmed up.  Often one thinks that stretching is the best way to warm-up, but one should keep in mind that stretching cold muscles and tendons often puts one at risk for strains and tears.  So, although light stretching is ok to do as a start-up, it is better still to warm-up the entire body with some light aerobic exercise before doing vigorous stretching.  Yoga March fits this bill perfectly.

Yoga March will not only get your blood pumping, it will also get your entire system ready for more vigorous yoga, while at the same time getting you started on your calorie burning routine right away.  Below you will find details of how to practice Yoga March along with illustrations, variations, step-by-step instructions, benefits and practice tips.

More Calorie Burning Yoga Sets and Poses:

As mentioned above here are links to other excellent yoga workouts and exercises for burning calories and losing weight.  In addition, you will find links to the Free Online Hatha Yoga Galleries here and the Kundalini Yoga Exercises collection here.  Both these resources have many more yoga poses and exercises which you will find useful in developing your personal yoga practice.

Online Yoga Exercises for Healthy Weight Loss

Best Yoga for Weight Loss

Post Natal Yoga Exercise to Lose Weight

For Yoga and Meditation Certification Course Students:

For students enrolled in the Yoga Teacher’s Training and Meditation Certification Program, I suggest to mix this exercise into your classes as a warm-up from time to time.  There are of course many excellent yoga sets for warming up, but this exercise is as good as any of them.  If you are teaching a targeted weight loss or calorie burning class, then certainly do include this exercise into the routine.  It is an exercise which almost everyone can do and which can be modified according to each student’s fitness level and proficiency.  

For those interested in finding out more about these online certification programs you will find information on the Yoga Teacher’s Training Program here and the Meditation Certification Course here.

Yoga March Illustrations

Yoga March to Burn Calories Right
Yoga March Right Leg – Illustration #1
 
Yoga March Left Leg
Yoga March Left Leg – Illustration #2
 

A. How to do Yoga March:

  • Stand nice and tall, then bring your arms behind your lower back and interlace your fingers.  Palms are facing each other.

  • Next pull your hands away from your lower back to create stretch in your arms and shoulders as shown in illustration #1 above. 

  • Now begin Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise and being to march in place.  Your head should be straight looking forward and try to bring your knees up high as your march in place.
     
  • The higher and faster you march the more calories you will expend and the more difficult the exercise will be.  Also doing Breath of Fire in conjunction with the marching will increase the intensity of this exercise.  
     
  • There are many ways to modify this exercise to suit your level.  You can switch to Long Deep Breathing if Breath of Fire is too much.  You can also release your arms and have them move as if you were walking or jogging.  You can also simply walk in place if you get winded and then begin marching once you recover.

B. Duration:

  • Start with 1 Minute and build up from there to 5 minutes or more.

C. Yoga March Benefits:

  • Helps to strengthen your hearth and cardiovascular system.
  • Helps your respiratory and circulatory systems.
  • Helps to burn calories and promotes weight loss.
  • Good exercise for warming up prior to deep stretching or vigorous yoga.
  • Helps to strengthen your calves and legs.
  • Helps to stretch and open up your shoulders, arms and chest.

D. Practice Tips for Yoga March:

  • Do interval training in order to develop your fitness and stamina.  This means that you can do 1 minute vigorous marching, followed by 30 seconds walking and then 1 minute high intensity again.  This kind of training is very good for developing your fitness rapidly.
  • Keep in mind that in addition to yoga exercises, yogic breathing is also a proven method for weight loss.  2 good pranayama techniques for weight loss are Kapalbhati and Bhastrika.
  • If you are looking for a combined approach for burning calories, reducing fat and losing weight, you will want to explore the Free Online Weight Loss Program here.
  • Teachers if you are requesting the students do this exercise with their eyes closed, be aware they will end up all over the place, so ensure there are no unwanted collisions :-).

PS: If you enjoy this yoga exercise, please do share it with your friends.  I appreciate your support.

27

5 Best Yoga Techniques and 5 Top Spiritual Articles of 2012

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For those who are not signed up to receive my monthly newsletter, here is the January 2013 edition.  It was quite popular as it featured the best yoga techniques of 2012 and the top 5 articles from last year as well.  So in case you missed any of the top content here is your chance to catch up :-).

For those who missed the previous newsletters you will find them archived here – Mastery of Meditation Newsletter Archives.

Also, for those who are interested is self healing and healing others, I want to introduce you to a great Online Reiki Master Certification Program.  You will find more details below. 

This Edition Features :-

  1. Top 5 Articles from 2012.
  2. Top 5 Yoga Techniques from 2012.
  3. Online Reiki Master Certification Program.

 

Top 5 Articles from 2012:

 

Titles below are links to the full article.

 
https://anmolmehta.com/2012/07/10/how-to-stop-negative-thinking-and-overcome-negative-thoughts/
 
Learn what the 6 signs of negative thinking are and then learn 10 proven techniques to help end negative thinking and overcome negative thoughts.

https://anmolmehta.com/2012/04/10/how-to-be-happy/

So now that you have ended negative thinking, it’s time to take it to the next level and live a meaningful and joyful life :-).  So hear over to this article to learn 5 great techniques for accomplishing that.  

 

 https://anmolmehta.com/2012/01/05/help-me-lose-weight/

Here is Pat’s true story of how she lost significant weight doing Kapalbhati Yoga Pranayama.  In this article you will also find links to other weight loss resources, including Ayurvedic Diets, Yoga Sets to burn fat and Meditations to help you reach your weight loss goals. 
 

https://anmolmehta.com/2012/05/30/ayurvedic-treatment-for-healing/

This article details an excellent 8 Step Ayurvedic Program to help you get healthy, quit addictions and live a vibrant, energetic and long life. 
 
 
https://anmolmehta.com/2012/01/23/signs-and-symptoms-of-the-kundailni-awakening-experience/
 
If you think you are experiencing Kundalini Awakening you can head over to this article and read all about the signs and symptoms that accompany a full blown kundalini event.

5 Best Yoga Poses of 2012:

 

Titles below are links to the full article, so click the link to read the full details on the particular exercise.

 
https://anmolmehta.com/2012/11/27/increase-willpower-yoga-exercise/
 
Here is an unusual Kundalini Yoga exercise which is actually designed to improve your nervous system, but serves a dual purpose by also being excellent for building your mental strength and willpower.
 
From the position below, you will be raising and lowering your arms rapidly 6 inches in each direction.  Check the article for all the details and tips.
 
Starting Position
 

https://anmolmehta.com/2012/12/05/root-chakra-yoga-exercise/

Along with Yoga Crow Pose, this is another great yoga pose for clearing and balancing the root chakra.  It also, of course, helps to stretch the groin and hips to assist in sitting in meditation.


 
Yoga Frog Pose 

 

 https://anmolmehta.com/2012/03/07/beginners-yoga-exercises/ 

Here is an exercise that has been enjoyed by almost every student in my yoga classes and it is a regular part of my yoga routine as well.  This simple exercise helps you stretch, warm-up and also strengthen your abs and core.  Very useful indeed :-).
 
To do this exercise you will simply rock back and forth as shown below, inhaling as you lean back and exhaling as your lean forward.
 
 
Yoga Rowing Back
 
Yoga Rowing Front
 
 

https://anmolmehta.com/2012/12/11/yoga-to-release-tension/

Here is a more recent addition to our Online Hatha Yoga Collection.  It is the beautiful Cow Pose, which is wonderful for relaxing and releasing tension, while at the same time stretching your hips, ankles and thighs.
 
Please follow all cautions for this exercise given in the article so you can avoid any injury.
 

Yoga Cow Pose
 
 
 
https://anmolmehta.com/2012/01/18/easy-fat-burning-exercise-yoga/
 
A really fun, energetic and good fat burning exercise is Yoga Jumping Jacks.  They are actually not as easy as you think and to do it right you will require quite a bit of mental focus and concentration as well.  Just try it and see :-).
 
To do Yoga Jumping Jacks, from the starting position, inhale half way and jump to the half-way position as shown.  The legs should only be half-way apart at this time.  Then complete the inhalation and complete the jump as shown in the full jump illustration below.
 
Then exhale half way and come back into the half-way position. Finally complete the exhalation and come back to the starting position.  Slowly build up to a set of 100.
 

Starting Position
 
Half-Way Jump
 
Full Jump

Online Reiki Master Certification:
 

I have always been fascinated by energy and holistic healing arts and of them, Reiki especially has been of great interest to me. So when I found Adele and Gary’s Certified Usui Reiki Master Self Study Course, it certainly caught my attention.

Since I offer online training as well, I know it can work well if the course is well designed, properly thought out, affordable and a product of love and passion.  I am happy to say that this course is really all that and more.

If you are interested in self healing or becoming a Certified Reiki Practitioner or even a Reiki Teacher, I suggest checking out this program.  It is really comprehensive and Reiki, like other holistic sciences, can certainly transform your entire being and life for the better :-).

Click the link or image below to explore the program more… 

 

CLICK HERE FOR REIKI MASTER CERTIFICATION COURSE

28

Best Yoga Poses of 2011

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Top Yoga Poses

For all the readers of Mastery of Meditation and Yoga that read my articles via RSS feed or directly from the website, please find below the 10 best yoga poses from last year.  This was the topic of my January 2012 – Edition 1 newsletter.  Edition 2 featured the 10 best meditation from last year.  If you would like to sign up for the newsletter simply enter you email at the top left corner of the website.

The next newsletter will feature the 10 best articles from 2011, so in case you missed any of them, you will have a chance to catch up :-).

Yoga Poses

Each title below is a link to the article with all the details including cautions, benefits, practice tips, etc.  So click that to get full details for that pose.

Last year I uploaded a full Kundalini Yoga Class DVD to give you a flavor for what a live class feels like, in case you have not had a chance to experience one for yourself.
This online video will not just teach you many Kundalini Yoga poses and exercises, it will also show you how to organize a complete yoga session end to end, and give you lots of tips and techniques that can generally only be found in a live class. It incorporates some of the best kundalini yoga techniques.
Given that almost 80% of adults in the US suffer from back problems at some point of their life, it is no surprise that coming in at #2 is Yoga Bridge Pose.
This video article teaches many variations of Bridge Pose.  Some of these variations are perfect for beginners, while others are for advanced practitioners.  The best part is that all of these pose variations are excellent for strengthening and toning the lower back and spine.
Here is a picture of Advanced Bridge Pose.  Check out the article for full details and modifications…

 

Advanced Bridge Pose Picture

2011 was the year of Free Yoga Videos.  I created videos of many of the best yoga poses and exercises to help you learn the techniques easily and as well as possible.

One of these videos, was for Chair Pose, which is designed for improving sexual virility and energy.  This pose is also great if you are looking to tone and strengthen your thighs and buttocks.

You will find the original article for Chair Pose here – Chair Pose for Sexual Health.  For this pose there are modifications for beginner’s as well, which you will also find in the video.

Kundalini Yoga Chair Pose

This is one of best power yoga poses and is great for those who are really looking to challenge themselves.

This pose works your upper and lower body simultaneously and is excellent for building grit and character.  Below is an advanced version of this difficult pose.  I suggest trying the basic version first, as that is quite difficult in and of itself.

You will find the original article, which is part of the Free Kundalini Yoga Exercises Collection, here – Tough Power Yoga Pose. 

Advanced Elbow Platform

For those aspirants interested in stimulating Kundalini Shakti at the base of the spine, this is an exercise worth exploring.  You should note that this exercise done with particular hand positions is best for kundalini awakening affects.  

Also this article not just contains a video demonstration of this movement, but has links to other important resources for those interested in awakening kundalini.

https://anmolmehta.com/2011/04/13/core-yoga-pose/
If you have been a reader of my blog, then you know that core and ab work is something I always stress.  This not only helps tone and shape your stomach, it also helps you build character and willpower.
To work on the core there is of course the classic Kundalini Yoga Stretch Pose and in 2011 I finally got a chance to create a video of this wonderful exercise, which you will find in this article.
Kundalini Yoga Stretch Pose
One of the great things about yoga sequences is that a single sequence can work on many different parts of the body.  I see these types of exercises now being done at the gym, but yoga has incorporated them for thousands of years already.
The sequence in this article, is great for healthy weight loss, toning your things and buttocks, building your cardiovascular system and improving your flexibility.  It is a one of the best combo exercises.  
Another video from 2011 was for the yoga crow pose, which is excellent for cleansing the root chakra.
As all other videos, this one also teaches important modifications for this pose.
A perfect exercise for starting your yoga session and warming up the entire torso and back are these easy spinal twists.  This exercise is recommended for daily practice by many schools of yoga and they are excellent for beginners, seniors and kids as well.
Easy Yoga Spinal Twists
This is a very nice set for stretching the neck in a safe and healthy way.  If you have tension, pain or stiffness in your neck, or are looking to warm-up prior to doing more advanced yoga asanas then this set is perfect for you.
The set is also good for those with thyroid issues or looking to work on the Throat Chakra.

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29

Easy Fat Burning Exercise | Yoga Jumping Jacks

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Easy Exercise to Burn Fat

Simple Yoga Fat Burning Exercise

Today I read an interesting piece of advice regarding using simple Jumping Jacks 3 or 4 times a day to help you expend extra calories, burn fat and speed up your weight loss results.  The article suggested doing 3 sets of 100 Jumping Jacks scattered throughout the day to complement your weight loss exercise program.  It stated that you could burn an additional 60 calories a day by including this easy exercise into your day, and that each set would take just 2 minutes to do.

I like this idea and I think its benefits will go beyond just burning fat and losing weight.  Today a lot of jobs and life styles lack physical activity and there are many studies that strongly suggest taking a break from prolonged sitting and getting periodic exercise throughout the day.  I think this will help with cardiovascular health, respiration, relieving stress, and also help with issues such as back problems and the like.  But if you are going to make the effort of sprinkling in the Jumping Jacks during the day, why not do the advanced form of Jumping Jacks which will not just help you burn fat, but will also help you develop mental focus and concentration.  In other words, do Yoga Jumping Jacks :-).

Fat Burning Exercise

The yoga variation of this exercise will be just as good in getting your heart rate up and help you burn fat, but the design of this movement is such that it will require additional concentration from you to do correctly.  This additional concentration will work your brain along with your body and help you build mental focus.  The variation will also help expand your lung capacity. 

We should all be familiar with simple Jumping Jacks, and have probably done plenty in gym class or physical education training, but for yoga jumping jacks, you break up the exercise into 4 parts instead of the 2 parts it normally consists of.  Step by step details and illustrations are in the instructional section below.

For those who are familiar with the popular Healthy Weight Loss Yoga Set here on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, this exercise is part of that set.  In an upcoming article I am going to discuss how fast you can lose weight with yoga, and this set will certainly be a part of that discussion.

More Yoga Exercises and Poses:

You will find plenty more yoga poses and exercises in the following 2 free online collections.  There you will find both, easy yoga exercises and poses, as well as more advanced one. Free Hatha Yoga Galleries and Free Kundalini Yoga Exercises.

For Yoga and Meditation Certification Program Students:

For students enrolled in the Online Yoga Teacher’s Training and Certification Program or Online Meditation Certification Program, this is a great exercise to do early in your class, especially if you want to get the energy going and get everyone’s blood pumping.  Also, as this is a relatively easy exercise to do, almost all students can participate.  Make sure you have plenty of spacing between the students prior to starting.

Yoga Exercise to Burn Fat – Yoga Jumping Jacks

Below please find details of how to practice Yoga Jumping Jacks, along with illustrations, step-by-step instructions, benefits and practice tips.  Please note the special breathing that goes along with the movements.

Yoga Jumping Jacks Illustrations

 Yoga-JJ-To-Burn-Fat-Start

Illustration #1: Starting Position

Easy Yoga JJ - Half

Illustrations #2: Half-Way Jump

 

Easy Yoga JJ Exercise Finish

Illustrations #3: Full Jump

A. How to Yoga Jacks for Weight Loss:

  • Stand with your arms down by your sides and feet together, as shown in Illustration #1.
  • Now take a half inhalation and jump your legs to about shoulder width apart and swing your arms straight out to the sides parallel to the ground.  The palms are facing down finger are extended.  This is shown in Illustration #2 above.
  • Now complete the inhalation as you jump and bring your feet wide apart.  At the same time swing your arms directly above your head and clap your palms together.  This is shown in Illustration #3.
  • Now do a half exhalation as you jump your feet back to shoulder width apart and swing your hands back to being parallel to the ground with palms facing down and fingers extended.  This is Illustration #2 again.
  • Now complete the Jumping Jack and exhalation by jumping your feet back together and bringing your hands back down all the away.  You are coming back to the staring position, as shown in Illustration #1.
  • Continue on for the duration of the exercise.  You will soon feel your heart rate picking up and your body warming up.  Sure signs that you are starting to burn calories and melt away fat :-).

B. How Much To Do:

  • For the purpose of losing weight, burning fat and doing it frequently during the day, as I mentioned, do 2 minutes or a set of 100.  Try to do 3 times a day to burn more calories.
  • In general though you can even do 5 minutes of this exercise.

C. Easy Yoga JJ Exercise Benefits:

  • Good for Burning Fat and promoting weight loss.
  • The different variation and coordination with the breathing makes it good for building concentration and focus.
  • Works on your heart and lungs.
  • Helps tone and strengthen your calves and leg muscles.
  • Works on your arms and shoulders.
  • Great exercise for getting your entire body warmed up and getting your energy going.

D. Practice Tips for Yoga JJs:

  • This yoga exercise is not as simple as it looks as you really have to focus in order to break the pattern of how you normally do Jumping Jacks.  Once you get the rhythm though, it should get easier and start to flow.
  • To modify this exercise just move the legs or just the arms.  This easier version is good for seniors or the disabled.  Also, if you are getting tired you can switch to doing just arms or just legs, to allow yourself some time to recover.
  • You can also of course do normal Jumping Jacks instead of these more difficult ones.
  • This is really a fun exercise to do, so enjoy yourself as you do it.  Embrace a child like mentally and jump away.

More Fat Burning Exercises and Poses:

Post Natal Yoga Exercise to Lose Weight

Best Yoga Exercises for Weight Loss

PS: If you enjoy this exercise or any other exercise on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, please do share them with your friends. I appreciate your support.

30

How to Manifest Your Desires | Manifestation Techniques

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Desire Manifestation

Techniques to Manifest Desires

With the new year upon us and many of us having forged resolutions and goals, I thought this would be a good time to summarize all the techniques and wisdom from previous articles on how to manifest your desires.  This knowledge and these techniques can be very useful, not just in helping you manifest your intentions, but very useful in helping you determine what indeed is worth manifesting in the first place.

Manifest Your Desires

Below are the best articles on the topic of manifestation from past years.  I have provided a summary of each of these articles below, and you can click the title link to read the articles which are of interest to you.

1. The 4 Key Laws of Manifesting Desires:

If you are interested in manifestation, law of attraction and intention manifestation this article is a must read.  It summarizes the topic of desires end to end.  It discusses the mysterious states of desirelessness and witnessing, and also explains what kind of desires one ought to pursue and what kind of desires the Universe helps fulfill.  This is one of the most popular and important articles on the topic of manifestation.

2. Secret to Manifesting Abundance and Wealth:

In this followup article to the 4 Key Laws of Manifestation, I discuss what I consider the fifth law of manifesting desires.  This article goes into the difficult topic of security and how it needs to be approached in order to have the Universe taking care of you and fulfilling your desires. 

3. Relax and Let the Universe Fulfill Your Desires:

Along the lines of the fifth law of manifestation, this article explores the value and practice of “going with the flow”.  The great challenge and benefits of this approach are discussed, and it includes a funny real life event of mine to illustrate the points.

4. Meditation for Making Money and Success:

This article details a visualization meditation often used for manifesting money, success, or anything else you feel you need in your life.  It exploits the power of the Third Eye and the mind to assist with the manifestation.

5. Infinite Energy and Prosperity Meditation:

Here you will find details of the powerful kundalini yoga technique to bring upon you blessings and rewards.  There is also a video demo of how to practice this potent technique.

In addition to the above articles, the following posts also explore manifestation and mind power, and you might find them useful in helping you realize your desires.

Visualization Technique to Manifest Desires

Weight Loss Meditation

Mind Power to Manifest Desires and Intentions

If you have used techniques to help you manifest your desires successfully, please do share them with us in the comments section below.  I am sure everyone will benefit from your feedback.

If you enjoy any of the articles of Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, please do share them with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, E-mail, etc.  I appreciate your love and support.