Can Yin Yoga Help You Lose Weight?
Many students will ask you if yin yoga can help you lose weight. The common answer is that holding postures for longer stretches and strengthens muscles, and helps in toning the body. Or that yoga postures good for digestion will stimulate the digestive fire and improve metabolism. While all of this is true for dynamic, yang forms of yoga; yin yoga works differently towards weight loss.
Yin yoga is a healthy complement to a regular weight loss program
Yin yoga nourishes and balances the nervous system, strengthening the connection between the mind and body. This encourages mindfulness, healthy diet, rest and relaxation and a chance to de-stress, all key factors that affect digestion and weight loss. Not everyone has stamina or is motivated to go on a long run, do a challenging Ashtanga practice or lift weights, especially when juggling multiple tasks throughout the day. That’s where complementing regular exercise with yin yoga is helpful.
The meditative, slow-paced practice improves blood circulation and oxygen supply to rarely-used connective tissues like the fascia, tendons and ligaments. All of these support the muscles and help in strengthening them. It improves flexibility, range of motion and stamina, giving practitioners the energy to take up dynamic exercises for weight loss. A more in-depth and better understanding of this can be achieved through a 50 hour yin yoga teacher training online.
Yin yoga, stress and weight loss
When one is under high stress, digestion is out of sync. When one is stressed, mindlessly overeating is common, leading to hormonal imbalance which doesn’t aid digestion or metabolism. Yin yoga is a strong and effective way to release stress. Yin yoga helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to a more relaxed state. It lowers cortisol levels in the body, which allows the body to melt fat more easily. This easier combustion of fat can contribute to weight loss. Researchers from Switzerland found that stimulating the vagus nerve (which relaxes the body and mind) can be beneficial to psychological conditions like anxiety and depression. Similarly, yin yoga allows one to release negative or blocked emotions, which again balances the digestive system and improves gut health. In fact, this is a key topic in a 50-hour yin yoga ttc.
Furthermore, the reduced stress, with yin yoga practice, balances the digestive system, and keeps your gut healthier. This leads to a better breakdown of food, improves metabolism and weight loss. In a way, yin yoga has a purifying and calming impact on the body, improving the core of everything – the gut.
Yin yoga, mindfulness and diet
The truth is, the only way to lose weight is by decreasing the intake of calories (through diet) and/or increasing the use of those calories (through active exercises). And, the best online yin yoga teacher training programs will tell you this practice is not one such form of exercise.
However, as a complementary practice, yin yoga, which is meditative and calming, makes the practitioner self-aware and positive. With yin yoga one experiences reduced stress and improved mindfulness. This allows for better food choices and less stress eating. This leads to an overall improvement in weight management. Explore the best yin yoga online course to learn about this in detail.
Yin yoga, strength and weight loss
When the above factors start working positively for a practitioner, digestion and metabolism become steady and stable. Simultaneously, with yin yoga postures one is indirectly strengthening the core and muscles. This happens because the connective tissue gets stretched and stimulated. And with better blood circulation and oxygen supply, these tissues work together to support and strengthen the muscles. It provides mobility and flexibility of joints, which translates into better performance when practicing active, dynamic exercises. Gradually, one’s body gets stronger from within. Furthermore, one’s stamina and focus improves. The improved health of bones, ligaments and other connective tissue, makes it possible to exercise better. Online yin yoga courses explore these benefits in a greater way.
Now, with this, when one starts a weight loss program that consists of dynamic exercises, performance is better. The only way to tone a muscle is by making the muscle work against resistance – gravity, body weight, and lifting weights. Here, yin yoga is not engaging the muscles directly. Its target is to bring flexibility to the fascia of the muscle, so the muscle can recover better and quicker after a dynamic workout. Consider a yin yoga certification online for a better understanding.
Restore and recover with yin yoga
A yin yoga course online will help you understand how yin yoga complements a weight loss program. In brief, as a complement to your dynamic workout, yin yoga also allows you to restore and relax. It gives you the downtime you need before your next active workout. It continues to strengthen your body from within, healing strained regions and improving resistance to injuries. It improves the functioning of internal organs and strengthens targeted regions. Regular practice has a positive impact on well-being and quality of life, which itself facilitates natural weight loss.
Contact us if you are interested in learning more about the healing benefits of yin yoga or discovering how you can make it part of your lifestyle. At Sampoorna Yoga Online Academy, you will find specialized help focusing on your well-being, no matter where you are.
