Yes, of course! Yoga is a form of exercise and will inevitably result in weight loss when practiced correctly and consistently. I invite you to consider that physical weight loss is but one expression of losing weight. As human beings, we not only carry physical weight but emotional and spiritual weight as well. Your energy field is multifaceted, we gain and lose weight on many levels as we experience daily life. Daily practices like Yoga, Meditation, and Breathwork, go a long way in shedding the weight of our energetic fields. If they remain unaddressed, weight & stress accumulate in the body, heart, and spirit (consciousness field). The effects are compounding. This is one reason why we get to be diligent about our stress release. The process of gaining weight builds momentum, as does the trajectory of losing it. Let’s explore the more specific ways Yoga supports us in shedding our weight:
Physical Weight
The most obvious expression of weight loss comes in physical form. Yoga asks us to engage, flex, contort, bend, crunch, extend, twist, and invert the body. For extended periods of time, we are engaging and disengaging the body in a multitude of ways that strengthen our muscles and shed our fat. Of course, Yoga is not a quick-fix solution for shedding pounds. The real power of the practice is revealed in our willingness to be consistent over time. If we are committed to losing weight, and we want to use Yoga as a tool, consistency is king. It’s also important that we consider other major life areas in conjunction with our Yoga practice. For example, are your dietary habits also a reflection of your commitment to lose weight? When we synch up different areas of life behaviorally, in service of a unified vision, our results will be powerful and accelerated.
Psychological & Emotional Weight
Less obvious and just as important, Yoga is a vehicle for mental/emotional weight loss. We hold stress, trauma, and toxicity in the physical body. Every physical state has an emotional and psychological counterpart. The mind and body are intimately connected and perpetually reflecting each other. Life experiences that have not been adequately processed, remain lodged (energetically) in the body. This energetic weight finds expression in our mental/emotional experience. A stressed body is a catalyst for emotional turbulence, a hyperactive mind, and the accumulation of physical weight. Without effective outlets, our mental/emotional weight expresses itself through bad behavior, poor health, and toxic relationships. As we mindfully engage our bodies in Yoga, we create the proper environment for healing, releasing, and restorationg to take place. These healing properties flood the body, mind, and heart space, simultaneously.
Spiritual Weight
When our mind/body mechanism is bogged down with weight, the inherent lightness of our Soul suffers. When we are weighed down in mind and heart, consciousness becomes distorted and limited; Our sense of self is confined to the boundaries of individuality. On the other hand, when we lighten the load, more and more of our essence is authentically revealed. Less GUNK in the system means Consciousness is more free to flow. In Sanskrit, the flow of consciousness is expressed as soma. When we do the work to release the weight, soma is given its proper space to expand and flow. With this expansion of self-awareness, heavy identities fall away and the inherent lightness of Spirit is revealed. Namaste!
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