Burn Calories with Yoga Exercises
Yoga can help burn calories not just by physical exercise but also by increasing your level of awareness of your body, its energy and mass. Yoga is an exercise of the body and mind that has been practiced for centuries and has its origins in India. It involves the practice of various static and dynamic physical exercises combined with breathing and meditation techniques. Yoga Asanas, or exercises, build your stamina and improve your posture while Pranayama, or breathing exercises, positively alter your consciousness to induce a state of inner calm.
The best types of yoga to burn calories are the ones that involve a lot of strenuous physical activity. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga caters for those who are interested in serious workouts. It includes performing challenging poses while focusing on breathing exercises too. Power yoga is a modern offshoot of this ancient form of yoga.
Power yoga begins with the Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation), a 12 step intense combination of Asanas and Pranayama. The Asanas increase your awareness of your body while the breathing exercises stimulate your energy levels. The Surya Namaskara is excellent for increasing the metabolic rate and is therefore useful for weight loss. This form of yoga can be practised by anyone who enjoys exercising. However, strenuous exercise should be avoided by pregnant women or anyone with breathing conditions.
If Ashtanga vinyasa yoga or power yoga seem too difficult, you could begin with easy poses from Hatha yoga. Standing stretches such as the Triangle pose or Warrior pose help improve balance along with toning your hips and legs. Seated stretches such as the Lotus pose and the Forward seated bend aid the metabolic process. You could also perform head or shoulder stands if you are flexible enough. This helps increase the circulation of blood thereby increasing nutrient supply to different parts of the body.
Another form of yoga is Bikram yoga, which is performed in a heated room. By performing poses in the heat, the body becomes more flexible while flushing out toxins as well. You could also perform a breathing exercise called Analom-Vilom, where you breathe in through one nostril and exhale through the other. This exercise increases the oxygen flow to different cells, including fat cells and helps in burning them.
It is important to supplement the yoga exercises with a well-balanced diet that provides enough nutrients. The most important rule while practicing yoga is to make sure you are doing the breathing and physical exercises correctly, otherwise it will not help your body and mind.