Yoga today is one of the many physical disciplines that have the ability to truly sculpt the body. Yes, yoga is not only flexibility, meditation, balance, but also an ally in modeling the body of those who prefer it.

Not in vain, the renowned actress Jennifer Aniston has chosen yoga among her favorite disciplines to mold the body.

In October 2011, the beauty and fitness magazine Yahoo chose Aniston as the woman with the best body of the year, as reported by the newspaper El Excelsior de Mexico.

Likewise, a survey conducted by Yahoo through its portal, with 34% of the votes, named it as the best looking woman of 2011. Aniston was above Halle Berry (who came in second), Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and Blake Lively.

His natural and full of energy was the result of a good diet and numerous yoga sessions, he told the media.

The above and the result of other documentary reviews and interviews conducted by SaludPanama.com seem to reinforce the claim that yoga offers a multiplicity of benefits. It shows that not only allows those who practice to feel better to the extent that your body becomes flexible and strong and reduces stress, but also tone your muscles and help them even lose weight.

The discipline

Yoga is a traditional physical and mental discipline, which originated in India and is associated with meditation practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

According to its practitioners, yoga gives as a result: the union of the individual soul with the divinity (Brahman, Shiva, Vishnu, Kali, etc.), among those who have a religious posture of a devotional type; the perception that the self is spiritual and not material, among those who have a spiritualist position; and physical and mental well-being, among those who have a rationalist (atheistic or agnostic) position.

The term “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit ioga, which in turn comes from the verb iush (yuj in AITS): ‘place the yoke [to two oxen, to unite them], concentrate the mind, absorb in meditation, remember, unite, connect , grant, etc. ‘. The verb iush is the same Indo-European root of the Castilian terms “yoke” and “conjugal”.

According to the US franchise portal Yoga.About.com, yoga originated more than 5,000 years ago and as a system of the mind, body and spirit constitute a complex philosophical body that accounts for the nature of the world and being. Some of its precepts and roots are related to religious traditions.

It is very fashionable in many countries, where mass and outdoor activities are organized , with the intention that hundreds of people practice and obtain their benefits, in at least one session.

Karla Figuera is a physiotherapist and has been practicing yoga with relative frequency for 6 years. She assures that it goes beyond mere concentration, meditation and positions, some simple and others a bit complicated, impossible for many.

“Yoga as a discipline is an integration. It allows you to understand what happens inside you and your environment, and it takes you to your personal limits. These limits can be emotional, physical or mental. Yoga is done every day. Yoga is a philosophy, you live yoga inside and outside the mat, “he says.

For Figuera, yoga is a great exercise . He states that one can go from an aerobic to an anaerobic exercise and return. “Everything depends on the variations of yoga that are made. With them, you modify the energy expenditure, tone up the last muscle, that you did not know you had and most importantly, you flexed the thought. The philosophy of yoga says: ‘you are as young as your column can bend’ “.

“The asanas are a motivation. You always want to do more and better. On the way you realize that the main limit is not the body, it is the mind. You can leave a very euphoric and energetic class to continue another more exhausting routine, just as on other occasions, you come out calm and calm. It is definitely a connection to your body. Doing yoga you learn to read and communicate with it, “he says.

For her part, the Panamanian and psychiatrist Denisse Cotes, believes that “Yoga is everything. It goes much further than a strong and flexible body. Make your mind, a strong and flexible mind. His teachings go far beyond the mat. The practice has the power to transform your life by making you more tolerant, focused and present. ”

“If you have constant practice, you will learn more about your body, mind and spirit, and these three key aspects of your life will be synchronized as your practice progresses,” he adds.

Cotes, main figure of Yoga Day, a specialized program in this discipline that is broadcast by SaludPanama.com through her web site Latisalud.tv, she has been practicing yoga for 13 years and is a certified instructor for 12 years.

Can you lose weight? 
It is well known that to lose weight you must eat healthy and burn calories through physical activity, strong enough to increase your heart rate, on a regular basis.

Although some say that yoga does help you lose weight, others point out that technically not, since it is not an exercise that increases the heart rate enough to burn calories and lose weight, but it does contribute significantly.

The yoga instructor and psychiatrist Denisse Cotes says that it helps, but also depends on the style of yoga that is practiced. “There are fast and strong styles, as well as more passive and restorative styles. What is common in all styles is that with practice, the body becomes more agile, more stylized and lighter. When practicing yoga you work with the whole body, increasing the tonicity, firmness and strength of the muscles, which leads to burn calories when practicing and even at rest, “he says.

Considering the above, one could say that yoga, in addition to leading the person to be in tune with their body, will improve their self-esteem and sense of well-being, and will promote a healthy lifestyle that can be quite useful for those who are interested in losing a few kilos.

Yoga provides tranquility, reduces anxiety and daily stress, which leads many people to advocate for meals .  “As the mind is quieter, levels of anxiety are reduced, which are the main causes of ‘binging’ or feeding,” says Cotes.

Diversity of bibliographies assure that those who practice this discipline are often aware of, or even become aware of, the importance of health for their own bodies and their environment, which is why they are always moving towards a healthier, richer diet in vegetable foods and clean of preservatives.

For its part, Yoga Fitness Guide also states that this discipline can be an ally in weight loss. It emphasizes that when you practice, you do much more than burn calories. It also improves mental health, which helps reduce anxiety and therefore, eat less and better. Ensures that combining a healthy diet, with some yoga exercises , can help to take care of the figure.

Where to start? 
If you have never practiced yoga, it is advisable to start by beginner classes, taught by certified instructors, to avoid the risks of injury.

If what is wanted is to use yoga to sculpt the body, the most athletic yoga styles are those that fall within the vinyasa or flow category.

According to the Nosolodieta.com portal, this style usually begins with a series of fast-paced postures that will maintain movement. Once warmed up, deeper stretches are performed and push-ups are introduced backwards.

There are some postures that can help better digestion and intestinal transit, which together with a diet can result in sustained weight loss.

Yoga Fitness Guide recommends the following postures for those seeking weight reduction benefits:

– Posture of the fish or Matsayasana.
– Posture of the Cobra
– Posture of the Candle
– Posture of the Warrior
– Postures of the Greeting to the Sun

This portal also points out that yoga tones up the body, reducing the flaccidity that often accompanies weight loss. The exercises of yoga tone muscles and improve posture, which results in a better appearance.

On the other hand, in an interview with the Salud180 portal, Ana Paula Domínguez, director of the Mexican Institute of Yoga, says that these positions, in addition to helping to burn some calories, strengthen the cardiovascular system. Ensures that to achieve the objective requires 26 repetitions of each of the positions or asanas mentioned above.

On the other hand, on what postures to perform to sculpt the body, the Panamanian psychiatrist and yoga instructor Denisse Cotes says: “more than a particular position, since each posture or Asana has a special focus on some part of the body, I I always recommend practicing the Suryanamaskar or Saludo al Sol. It is excellent. It consists of several asanas, almost all the muscles of the body are used and it is the best way to start the day “.

Why does yoga lose weight? 
According to Yoga Fitness Guide, asanas tone muscles and allow the body to better release toxins; improve breathing, which provides oxygen to the cells of the body, making them work better; and provide the physical and psychological energy necessary to control the desire to eat.

“Yoga not only tones the body, it also helps you lose weight. Studies have shown that due to its ability to reduce stress and regulate hormones that have to do with the circadian cycle, insulin sensitivity is increased. All this, contributing to a greater weight loss “, adds the yogi Denisse Cotes.

It can be concluded that yoga does lose weight, in most cases. As a discipline, yoga is integral. Works different aspects, both physical and psychological and emotional, providing an inner balance.

When this happens, the person is calmer, connected to their body, which leads them to consume just enough if they are hungry and to prefer nutritious, healthy and natural foods that make them feel good.

According to Beatriz Dávila, known as “The Yoga Expert” of the franchise portal Yoga.About.com, in this way and gradually, without dieting and with balance, it is possible to minimize the action of eating out of anxiety and carry out more suitable eating habits.

“As a consequence of this, the safest thing is that our figure is better, but in the way of health and not of the prohibition and obsession with beauty,” says Dávila in his article entitled “Yoga thins? Truths about discipline and figure.

“When you practice yoga, you can begin to see changes after three weeks of constant practice,” says psychiatrist and yogi Denisse Cotes.

Proper

nutrition Healthy eating complements what yoga can do for those who want to lose weight. Kuppu Swami Iyer, better known by his pseudonym Svami Shivananda, was a spiritual master, yogi and Hindu guru, founder of the Divine Life Society. He was the propagator of yoga and the Vedānta doctrine. His motto was: “Serve, love, give, meditate, purify and realize yourself”.

He wrote about 300 books on yoga, religion, spiritualism, Hinduism, morals, hygiene and health. He was a pioneer in taking yoga to the West.

In one of his books, Swami Sivananda embodied 10 tips for proper nutrition, which combined with yoga, would provide full well-being. These are:

1.  Eat at fixed hours. If you do not feel hungry at lunch , fast until the next meal .
2. Cook only the amount you are going to eat . The food reheated has very little vital energy.
3. Take raw vegetables at least once a day. This prevents the blood from becoming too acidic.
4. Eat slowly and enjoy the food . Chew each bite well. Digestion begins in the mouth.
5. Take only 4 or 5 varieties of food in each meal . It is difficult to digest very complex combinations.
6. Try not to eat between meals .
7. Do not overload your stomach. Fill half with solid foods and a quarter with liquids. The remaining room must remain empty for the natural development of gases.
8. Avoid talking about problems or negative thoughts while you eat. Do not eat when you are angry. The toxins are secreted through the glands when you are angry and are released into the bloodstream. Rest for a while until the mind calms down and then take your food .
9. Try to fast once a week. Fasting eliminates toxins, regenerates bodily functions and provides rest to organs.
10. Eat to live, do not live to eat .