This is Ira Trivedi, and I am very happy to be going live from my URLife account. I am a yoga teacher and an author. Today is your time to ask me all questions related to weight loss and how yoga can help in weight loss.

 

People think to lose weight you have to sweat it out, work hard, and struggle. But that's not the case. To lose weight, you have to cooperate with your body, and you have to get your system into sync. Oftentimes, the reason for weight gain is not the way you eat badly, but the reason can be that you are stressed out, your hormones are out of balance, and your endocrine function is not in sync with the rest of your body. It could be multiple things. Sometimes, it is related to the nervous system, you tend to get anxious, and the nervous system goes into a stress response which leads us to eat more.

 

As per Ayurveda, this is true because when we are angry or when we are stressed out or Doshas go out of balance, we tend to eat food that is sweet or full of carbohydrates to pacify our Doshas. I can tell you personally when I began to feel anxious, I knew my Vata shoots through the roof. In many ways, medical science and holistic science are related, and that’s what I love about URLife, that it brings together so many different aspects and wellness altogether. Today, I am going to tell you what is the quickest and easiest way to lose weight. It has been tried and tested by me and all of my students. This is such a simple way of weight loss through our ancient yoga technique, so do nothing beyond breathing correctly. That's all it takes! It doesn’t require anything too aggressive or too intensive. Just remember, when trying to lose weight, you can do these simple things that’ll allow you to bring your parasynthetic system into action, and then it will allow your hormonal system into balance which will automatically lead to weight loss. Because sometimes the body holds onto fats when it's stressed out or anxious, that release happens when we begin to cool down.

 

 

Let's begin with my first technique, which is (kriya).

Some traditions consider it Pranayam because it’s powerful.

 

Kapalbhati (stomach pumping exercise)

1. Sit straight; make sure your back is straight and your hands are on your knees.

2. Just breathe in and breathe out and begin to pump the stomach. The pumping stomach has to be on an exhale. And breathe in properly to inhale.

 

Do not do it too fast or too slow, it has to be on a middle ground with these practices.

 

It is great for toning abdominal muscles.

 

How long should you do

• Start with 3 rounds with 30 pumpings each. Take a break in each round.
• Then move towards 50 pumpings and then increase to 70 and 100 pumpings.

 

Alom-vilom

1. Take your right hand and make a Vishnu mudra, fold your index and middle fingers leaving your thumb, ring finger, and pinky finger free.

2. Place your right thumb lightly over the right nostril and the other two fingers on another nostril. Close the right nostril with your thumb while breathing (inhale) with the left nostril. Now, close the left nostril with a ring and pinky finger and release the thumb to breathe in (exhale) from the right nostril.

3. Repeat another way round. Inhale from the left nostril and exhale from the right.

 

How long should you do

• Try working on your breath slowly for 5 minutes initially.
• Then you can go from 5 to 10 minutes later bit by bit.

 

How will this asana help in weight loss?

We are working on resolving our stress responses, moving from a sympathetic nervous system to a parasympathetic nervous system. When we are calm, just by breathing correctly so many systems and functions improve. So, Pranayama can be used very well for weight loss. These two simple yogasana take only five minutes of your time in a day and can help to achieve satisfactory results in weight loss.

Try to slow down and lengthen the inhale, exhalation, and retention as well. You can become more comfortable doing these as you practice.

 

Now, let's take some questions, I am looking forward to questions from you all.

 

Questions and Answers

 

1. Can I join yoga after the gym?

A: Absolutely, yoga and gym can be done together. Going to the gym after yoga can improve your yoga asana practice. Going to yoga will help you improve your strength. Both are co-related.

 

2. Can Surya namaskar help you lose weight?

A: Yes, it is a wonderful cardiovascular practice. Doing slowly with a controlled breadth can help you lose weight.

 

3. Can you do Pranayam throughout the day?

A: I think it’s good to start once a day. I prefer doing it every morning. If you do it in the morning, you can avail the benefits all day long. If you do it in the evening, the benefits might last for a shorter amount of time.

 

4. Is it a rule to exercise in the morning?

A: It’s not a rule, but it's considered good or beneficial to exercise in the morning.

 

5. How to choose asana daily for the upper body?

A: I like to do it as a set of asanas. It depends on how much time you have and varies as per individual. Say, if you have 10 minutes a day you want to work on your lower back, you should choose 3 asanas and do them every day for ten minutes. After about a month, you can change those asanas a little bit because your body will get used to one exercise, and you can change occasionally. Establish a routine of posture, the more you do one asana and improve in it, and then you can reap the benefits and try out some new asanas. Develop a sequence that you can do daily. If you are a regular yoga practitioner then, you can play around with different poses each day like one day for your back, one for your legs or stomach so that your body is not getting used to one asana. It depends on what you want to achieve from yoga. Some people do it to feel good. Some do it to lose weight, or for regular help. Yoga is versatile so it works on different aims people might have.

 

6. Which asana relieves headaches?

A: You can do Alom-vilom asana I gave you 5-7 minutes a day, you will be able to eliminate headaches.

 

7. I have PCOS. Will yoga help me lose weight?

A: Absolutely, for PCOS we give a specific set of asanas that works on the endocrine system, thyroid, and thyroid gland. I would suggest that you be regular in your practice and work on your diet. If you do a few asanas a day for your PCOS, it will help in PCOS results. There are several programs on my platform (Instagram link) that you can see.

 

8. Do you incorporate chanting in your daily practice?

A: I like to incorporate chanting into my daily practice. I like to make my practice a secret and I do believe in adding that secret element to my meditation in yoga that becomes to me like a prayer.

 

9. Can I do Pranayam after exercise?

A: Yes, you can do pranayam after exercises. Be it a job, a walk, or a gym, you can do this asana. Just make sure your stomach is empty.

 

10. Why does yoga give slow results, whereas gym gives a faster result?

A: It depends upon what the core issue is. Yoga can show fast results, it depends upon what area you are targeting. If the reason for weight loss is stress, then definitely doing yoga will show quicker results than going to the gym as the gym increases stress. If it is due to PCOS, then yoga may give you benefits. In my experience, yoga has shown extremely good results. When I used to go to the gym, I was exceptionally hungry all the time, which was many years ago. I was stressed, and angry, and used to eat sweets and carbs all the time. After yoga, I gained control over my eating habits, lifestyle, and stress. I feel yoga is a more sustainable form of workout even if it is a little slow, it is worth the long-lasting effect.

 

11. I have arthritis. What should I keep in mind while doing yoga?

A: Just be safe and consult your doctor before doing yoga. Ask them if it is something you should avoid as you have arthritis in your knees.

 

12. What should be the duration of the yoga class?

A: It could be anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours if you do proper yoga. Just ensure you remain consistent and try to do every single day even if it is a little bit of something.

 

13. Please suggest a weight loss diet.

A: For me, a weight loss diet is following a sattvic diet, mostly plant-based, getting rid of carbohydrates and unnecessary sugar.

 

14. Can we do yoga during periods?

A: Avoid during the first two days; afterwards you can be comfortable enough for yoga.

 

15. Any suggestions to control food cravings?

A: My best tip is to replace the food. If you are craving popcorn, try makhana instead. If you crave pizza, eat an avoidant (elimination) diet. Have a cup of green tea if you feel unhealthy.