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Find out if yoga helps you lose weight and the surprising benefits of this practice

Does yoga make you lose weight? This is one of the questions that often come up when we think about practice. To learn more about and learn about the benefits, in addition to the differences from Pilates, we talked to yoga instructor Kari Nunes. Check out!

Does yoga really help you lose weight if combined with a good diet?

“Yoga, combined with a good diet, can help in the weight loss process. Within a complete yoga practice, we perform asanas, which is the name we give to postures. Twisting asanas awaken our digestive system in an effective way, contributing to a better functioning of Organs digestive organs”, he explains.

The practice with extension asanas creates internal space, contributing to a better spacing between the organs, as Kari comments. “Imagine you wearing super-tight pants, you can stay with them for a while, until there comes a moment when you can’t breathe anymore. This is how our body is, yoga helps to create spaces, favoring the work of Organs internal organs.”

But be careful: yoga loses weight and helps the digestive system if performed regularly, combined with a good diet. And it doesn’t stop there: it acts directly on the nervous system, favoring it! Another important point is meditation techniques, such as pranayamas, which help us connect body and mind. Learn all about this and other benefits below!

10 benefits of yoga that connect the health of body, mind and soul

More than knowing if yoga makes you lose weight, we propose complete information about the practice, which has surprising benefits. Follow the details!

  • Helps to control anxiety: Kari explains that this effect is thanks to breathing techniques, called pranayama – the control of vital energy. Wonderful, right?
  • Increased flexibility: “the idea of ​​yoga is to create space where you are tied up, the opening of space on a physical level reverberates at a subtle level, promoting a deep state of well-being”, he comments.
  • Antidepressant effect: Performing yoga not only improves quality of life, but can fight diseases such as depression. That’s because the practice helps to decrease the levels of a hormone called cortisol, often associated with depression, as shown in an article (1).
  • Improves posture: Kari told us that yoga works the body as a whole. “All the asanas are performed with impeccable alignment. By taking regular classes, the practitioner develops body awareness and starts to make their everyday movements, such as sitting and walking, in a more aligned and conscious way”, he concludes.
  • It can reduce inflammation: A study of 218 volunteers divided them into those who practice yoga and those who don’t. The result showed that those who practiced yoga and exercise had reduced markers of inflammation. “The regular practice of yoga can protect the individual against inflammatory diseases by favorably altering the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines” (2).
  • Promotes self-knowledge: Yoga is a fascinating practice that helps us take care of ourselves from the inside out, especially when it comes to breathing. “All postures and breathing techniques within yoga aim to bring full attention to what is processed from the skin inward. With regular practice, the student starts to observe himself, contributing powerfully to the process of self-knowledge”, points out Kari.
  • It helps in gaining strength: “Anyone who thinks yoga is just meditation and relaxation is wrong. During the practices, we perform challenging postures, which help the body and mind to work on self-improvement, promoting resistance and resilience”, he explains.
  • It can improve heart health: which helps to reduce the chances of various heart diseases, contributing to good heart health. One study showed that participants over 40 years of age, who practiced yoga, had lower blood pressure levels than those who did not (3).
  • Increases focus and concentration: According to Kari, yoga practice is totally focused on the present moment. Breathing and meditation techniques are used, which together promote the abstraction of thoughts. Yoga offers a break in the day for internal alignment, bringing benefits that can be felt from the first practice.
  • Helps with sleep quality: as relaxing as it is, the practice of yoga helps to improve sleep quality – an important factor for having more quality of life and healthy habits. Even for the elderly, practicing yoga brought improvements in sleep aspects, providing easier sleep, an increase in the total number of hours slept and a feeling of rest in the morning, as demonstrated by research (4).

Yoga loses weight, but it also allows for all this incredible connection with who we are and what makes us feel good. So nothing better than knowing how a yoga class works, right? See more information below!

How does a yoga class work

Kari told us a little more about the step by step of a yoga class. Also fall in love with the vibe that this practice gives!

“The practice of yoga starts with meditation, so that we can turn off thoughts and be present in body and mind. Then, we started the breathing exercises, known as pranayamas, the control of vital energy – except when we program according to the practitioner’s need “.

“We have techniques that bring energy to the body and others that work balance or even relaxation. The third moment of practice is the realization of postures. There will always be asanas of alignment, stretching, twisting, strength and balance.”

After the asanas, comes yoga nidra – a moment of relaxation that is almost unanimously preferred by practitioners, as Kari says. It is the perfect time when the subtle body enjoys the benefits of the technique so that the energy flows for a long time.

In addition to all this, in a yoga class, which lasts about 1h or 1h15, you can burn 220 to 300 calories!

Yoga X Pilates

Have you ever been in doubt as to what differentiates yoga from pilates? If the answer is yes, find out now!

“In yoga, breathing is completely nasal, it is as if we are learning to breathe. When we are born, we breathe correctly – look at a baby and its precise way of breathing. In Pilates, inspiration happens nasal and we exhale through the mouth”, she explains.

According to Kari, in yoga, we use our own body to develop strength. In Pilates, you have equipment. This makes yoga much more practical, as we can practice anytime and anywhere – even outdoors, enjoying a spectacular sunset!

“Yoga treats the body as a whole: there is no point in designing a beautiful body entirely, without a healthy mind, it makes no sense. Yoga promotes the integration of body, mind and soul”, he adds.

5 yoga videos for beginners to start practicing today

After seeing how yoga is good for our lives, did you also want to start enjoying these benefits? Take a look at the videos we selected, which bring very cool information for you to start and fall in love with the practice!

First class ever for you who want to start practicing yoga

If you’ve never practiced yoga or want a quieter class, this video is ideal! In it, Fernanda Raiol introduces some yoga movements for you to start in the best way. Take the opportunity to put it into practice!

Basic yoga poses

On her channel dedicated to yoga, Fernanda Cunha teaches some basic yoga postures, based on asanas – physical postures. Follow the step by step in detail!

Yoga class for beginners to strengthen and stretch the whole body

Fernanda Raiol prepared a class a little more challenging, but perfect for those who have never practiced either or are starting to get involved in the practice. The class is super complete and all guided by the professional!

yoga in the morning

This is a class prepared by Raissa Zoccal, which shows an energizing sequence for you to start the day connecting with yourself through breathing and physical exercises.

Yoga to help with bad posture

Here, the exercises are focused on improving posture, so you can get rid of pain and discomfort – especially for those who sit a lot daily in front of the computer.

Whether yoga is for beginners or for those who have been practicing for a long time, taking a moment to take care of yourself is very important. Thus, it reflects on the lightness of your daily life, providing a more sensitive and peaceful way of seeing and living the world!

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.


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