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Using yoga for weight loss might not look effective to most people. I bet you they’ll go: “Naw, it’s just stretching…what can it possibly do to burn calories?”

Well, a lot my friend. Yoga can work for weight loss if you use it right and I’ll tell you what to do in due course.

“But how exactly can yoga work for weight loss Foras? (That’s my name by the way), ya’ll just stretching that’s it…!”

Boy, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that comment.

Well for interested parties, yoga as an option for weight loss is wise, safe and effective.
Remember, it is the oldest physical culture known to man and not only does this exercise work the body, it works the mind and soul as well. Hey, have you seen Madonna, Sting or Russell Simmons lately? (I can just see you go: “Foras…they were never overweight so don’t go there! Well…they never gained weight either and they actually all still look good for there ages right?

Okay, here are the poses I recommend you use when using Yoga for weight loss.
Now my friend, I will go over what I believe is the CORE of Yoga Poses.
Trust me, there have been times when I did this alone and still got the benefits that yoga gives from daily practice.

Let’s take notes:

The Sun Salutations When using Yoga for Weight Loss:

These exercises are a combination of Yoga Poses, Breathing Exercises, Sun Bathing and Prayer. They have been practiced for centuries by Yoga Practitioners in India, Martial Artists and African Wrestlers and as a system to rejuvenate the body and soul are beyond compare. It’s been said in the Drugless Healing circles that one round of the Sun Salutations is much better than a week of exercises at the gym!

They are very simple to learn and just about anyone, regardless of their fitness or flexibility levels can learn these simple exercises. In actuality, if you are familiar with “burpies” (the calisthenics exercise), they do derive their origin from the Sun Salutations.

Here are some of their benefits:

-They alleviate disorders of the skin and waist.

-Flexibility increases and breathing is corrected, moreover, they mildly exercise the legs and arms, thus increasing the circulation.

-They are the best way to burn calories and reduce weight and are often recommended for obesity and depression.

-They are an effective way of loosening up, stretching and massaging all joints and internal organs of the body.

-They stimulate and balance all the systems of the body including the endocrine, circulatory, reproductive and digestive system.

Technique:

1. Stand straight with the palms together as in a prayer position.

2. Inhale and stretch the arms above the head.

3. Exhale and bend forward while touching the toes.

4. Inhale and stretch the right leg away from the body in a big backward step and keep the hands and left foot firmly on the ground. Bending the head backward the left knee should be between the hands.

5. Inhale and hold the breath. Move the left leg from the body and, keeping both feet together and the knees of the floor, rest on the hands (arms straight) and keep the body in a straight line from head to foot.

6. Exhale and lower the body to the floor. In this position, only 8 portions of the body come in contact with the floor: the two feet, two knees, two hands, chest and forehead.

7. Inhale and bend back as much as possible bending the spine to the maximum.

8. Exhale and lift the body of the floor. Keep the feet and heels on the floor.

9. Inhale and bring the right foot along the level of the hands; left foot and knee should touch the ground. Look up, bending the spine slightly (same position as #4)

10. Exhale and bring the left leg forward. Keep the knees straight and bring the head down to the knees as in the third position.

11. Raise the arms overhead and bend backward inhaling. As in Position 2.

12. Exhale and drop the arms and relax.

You have now completed one round.

Perform as many rounds as possible in multiples of 3. Ideally you want to aim for 6 rounds minimum and up to a maximum of 30. It only takes about 5-10 minutes, depending on your speed and intensity and is best practiced with as little clothing as possible before an open air window first thing in the morning.

Okay, we’ve gone over the core pose or combination thereof when using Yoga for weight loss in this part of the series of this article. I’ll go over SPECIFIC poses (asanas) that will target the trouble spots and some breathing exercises that would speed up burning up of calories. But my friends, note, when I say use yoga for weight loss; I mean ALL its limbs: the poses, the prescribed diet for practice and mind-set. If you were doing conventional exercise for weight loss, you’d know to eat a healthier diet right…?
Well the same applies to yoga for weight loss as well friends.

See you in part 2 of this article.

Foras Aje is an independent researcher and author of Fitness: Inside and out, a book on improving physical and mental health naturally. For more information on yoga exercises visit http://www.bodyhealthsoul.com/yoga.htm

In Part 1 we discussed the fact that alternative medicine
(so called) was being used in ancient times long before
conventional medicine came on the scene. It is interesting
to note that there were not so many diseases plaguing mortals
in those days. What has caused this never-ending increase of
deadly diseases that wreak such havoc on the body today?

If conventional medicine was the answer to health problems,
why have diseases increased, and why are so many people dying
from these devasting illnesses? Why do so many persons seem
to be convinced that alternative medicine made by God do not
have healing virtues as the conventional medicine made by man?

There is also what is called complementary medicine, that is,
other treatment used along with conventional medicine to effect
a cure. However, not all substances categorised as complementary
medicine must be used with conventional medicine to be effective.

For example, aromatherapy is regarded as complementary since
it is used in many cases with conventional therapy. I have had
great results with the use of essential oils in the case of
swollen joints, arthritic pains, nasal and chest congestion,
‘flu and other ailments. No conventional medicine was used
in these cases.

Why is information about cures by alternative medicine often
suppressed even though conventional medicine very often
interferes with the natural process of healing?

People are so coerced to use conventional medicine that they
refuse to even give alternative medicine a chance because
advertisements have such great influence when heard often
enough, that the public is convinced.

Have you ever noticed the way conventional medicine is
advertised? It would seem that every effort is made to down
play the possible negative effects.

The ads begin by distinctly emphasizing the benefits of the
medicines; then with hurried words they are changed to
something like this, “If you have gallbladder problems, or
ulcers, (or other ailment) you shouldn’t take this.”
Then in closing, someone affirms that the benefits have
been personally experienced!

Beware such deception and trickery; your health may be
seriously compromised. I often say to myself, “If this
conventional medicine is likely to affect my stomach, kidneys,
liver, whatever, why should I take it at all when I can use
some form of alternative medicine that is not toxic?”

Many people, so trained to distrust natural remedies and eager
to get well, jump at the announcement of some apparent new
super healing conventional medicine; and, without any
hesitation, embark upon a regimen with the belief that it is
the answer to their problem; Yet, they continue to be sick or
even get worse. In spite of that they keep on ingesting them.

I am of the opinion that if persons are encouraged to use
alternative medicine to treat disease before it develops into
a serious illness, they might very well have but little need
for the administration of conventional medicine such as
chemotherapy, synthetic drugs, and surgery. If the body is
kept in a healthy state, it is not likely that disease will
develop.

Day by day warning signs of an impending illness are being
ignored, then when that illness becomes overwhelming a quick
fix is sought through conventional medicine which,
unfortunately, seldomly delivers the required result.

I just cannot understand why most people will not try natural
remedies. My son, who was diagnosed with an exceedingly high
count of diabetes, was given the conventional treatment of
insulin and told that he would have to use it for the rest of
his life. He decided to try a herb called Gymnema Sylvestre
that is known in India as ’sugar destroyer’ and, instead of
using sugar, he used the extract of another herb called Stevia.

What a surprise when he tested the level of sugar to discover
that it had drastically dropped! After a few weeks, he
stopped using insulin altogether. This was well over a year
ago and to this day he has not resumed the insulin therapy.
His blood sugar is back to normal and he now uses the natural
treatment only for maintenance.

I am not saying this to suggest that you will have the same
results, or to suggest that you rush out and buy these items.
This is only to support my confidence in natural remedies. If
you have diabetes, you are well advised to consult your doctor.

Very often a simple massage is the answer to a problem. I
personally have not had a headache for many years. There
was a time when I was headache-prone, and got into the habit
of using synthetic medicines to ease the pain, but after I
decided to try natural treatments and medicines, I changed
my diet from eating ‘junk’ foods and tried to stop using those
synthetic headache remedies.

I started to massage my head and shoulders whenever a headache
came on. Then to my delight, I realised that headaches were few
and far apart. Now they are virtually no more a part of my life.

Whenever I sense the feeling that a headache is imminent (which
is exceedingly rare), I just give myself a quick head and
shoulder massage and I am OK again. No more headache remedies
for me, like the ‘Oh-so-famous’ ones that are so often advertised.

I have helped many, many persons to be rid of a headache by just
simply giving them a massage as mentioned above. Many had
headaches lingering for days, and after about 20 minutes of
massage, they miraculously stopped.

Every person should find the time to learn about the natural
treatments that could be taken to protect his/her own body
and prevent or cure diseases. I do, do you? I have studied
and read about hundreds of cures by natural means, and have
experienced some myself.

Think of the many thousands of persons who might have been
alive today if only they had known, and had been encouraged,
to use certain natural remedies to be healed.

It is not the intention of this article to condemn the use of
conventional medicine which plays a wonderful role in the case
of surgery and other traumatic conditions. There have been
countless such cases where, without the administration of
conventional medicine, many persons would not have survived.

However, it is my hope that conventional medicine in the field
of drugs will one day give way to alternative medicine, and
conventional medicine retain its place in the field of surgery
and other traumatic conditions where it cannot be ignored.

Many persons have begun to take charge of their health and have
wisely shifted their preference to alternative medicine with satisfactory results. It is likely that this trend will continue
and alternative medicine will one day regain the recognition it
so rightfully deserves, as greater emphasis will be put on the prevention of disease and maintenance of health by natural means.

A word of caution. If you have decided to try alternative
medicine, be sure to get in touch with a qualified practitioner.

This article is written for information only and is not
intended to suggest treatment of any disease. Information
contained herein is based on my own experience and research I
have done and just want to share with interested persons.
Anyone suffering from a disease is advised to consult a
qualified recognized health care professional for advice.

Jem is author and webmaster of 1-personal-improvement website.
She is also a certified Natural Health Consultant and takes
pleasure in sharing what she has learned with others.

If you would like to read more you may do so at:

http://1-personal-improvement.com

Why Walking Could Be the Solution to Your Fitness Dilemma.

Walk, don’t run, to your local fitness store and try on a pair of walking shoes.

For cardiovascular fitness, there isn’t an activity that’s more sensitive to the wear and tear of your body than a stroll through the park. Aside from being a tremendous tension releaser and a great metabolism booster, walking is a great exercise to strengthen your legs, abdomen, and heart.

But before we get into the crucial elements to this growing craze, first kick off the old shoes and slide in with the new.

Walking shoes, obviously, are the walker’s tools, much the way a baseball player relies on his bat and a golfer does his putter. So you can never be too choosy about what you slip your feet into.

Most importantly, perhaps, is that the shoes fit. If you seem like you may be in between shoe sizes, always choose the larger size. It is imperative that you can wiggle your toes inside your walking shoes and that you can squeeze a finger between your heel and the inside of your shoes. After securing a proper fit, it’s time to hit the streets.

Stretching, of course, is the first order of business, so take a few minutes before each walk to stretch your legs properly, increasing flexibility while decreasing the risk of injury. You want to emphasize the stretch around your hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles, allowing these muscles to warm up before you begin your walk.

Walking may seem like merely an integral part of your life. You walk every day, whether it’s to your car, to the mailbox, or through a shopping mall. But what many walking hopefuls don’t understand is that there is an actual technique involved.

Walking is a heel-to-toe type exercise in a sense that you should always land with your weight on your heel before rolling onto the balls of the feet. Then, push off with the ball of your foot before landing on the heel of your opposite foot.

Throughout the stride, your arms should be loose and swinging with each step. Your back is straight during this and your knees are bent a tad. As you walk, your eyes should be focused straight ahead, with your chin up, your shoulders straight, and you chest pushed forward.

Your stride should be at a comfortable distance, not too short and not too long. The right stride will conserve your energy and allow you to maintain proper balance, form, and speed.

The more moderate pace for a walk is somewhere around 3 mph while a more advanced competitive walker will chug along at a 5 mph pace. Many walkers prefer to perform with weights, whether held in the hands or strapped to the legs. Before attempting this, you may want to work up such an exercise. However, walking with weights can build up strength and endurance.

Usually after the first two weeks of taking on this method of fitness, the walker will feel an increase in stamina and perhaps a loss of fat. Roads with sidewalks are ideal for the walker. That way, the walker doesn’t face the danger of being struck by motor vehicles. Under circumstances where sidewalks are not present, be sure to walk on the left side of the road so you are facing the oncoming traffic.

Athletic tracks usually provide a smooth surface for the walker, but when doing so, be considerate to others. Be sure to walk on the outside lanes. The inside lanes are generally reserved for joggers and sprinters so the slower your pace, the further outside you should be.

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