Yoga for weight loss: Try these asanas to stay in shape

If one adopts the practice as a part of everyday routine, one can actually feel the difference - mentally, physically as well spiritually. And as an added bonus, it can bring about weight loss too.

Yoga is an ancient form of exercise and way of living that focuses on your mind, body and soul. It's a holistic practice for all ages. The word 'Yoga' has been derived from the Sanskrit word 'Yug' which refers to the union of our individual consciousness and the universal consciousness.

Yoga is not a recent phenomenon. It is an ancient Indian practice which is associated not just with the physical well-being of the body but with the overall health of a human being. If one adopts the practice as a part of everyday routine, one can actually feel the difference - mentally, physically as well spiritually. And as an added bonus, it can bring about weight loss too.

With the growing trend of people getting more cautious of their expanding waistlines and increased instances of metabolic disorders - cancer, diabetes and others - there has been a sudden upsurge in people prioritising their health and resorting to tailor-made diet plans and fitness regimes.

Yoga for Weight Loss: before we target weight loss, it is important to understand the various factors that contribute to weight gain. Apart from faulty dietary habits, one should identify that weight gain also stems from inefficient functioning of various bodily functions. Yoga has some of the most basic breathing practices at its base which aims at cleansing, balancing and rejuvenating our inner organs and their functions. Various breathing exercises and basic asanas help in increasing metabolic and heart rates. Once you are healed from within, the focus then shifts towards the outer body. Here are few simple yoga asanas to help you get started.

Veerabhadrasana: It involves going into the mountain pose, followed by stretching one of your legs back and with the other leg going into a lunge like position with your knee at a ninety degree positioning and your hands stretched right above your head. You can take this further to the veerabhadrasana II or warrior pose 2 wherein you bring your hands in front of the chest and straighten your stretched leg, pointing it outwards while your other leg is still at ninety degrees and your both arms are stretched out wide apart.

Boat pose: You lie down on your back and as the name suggests go into a V shaped position resembling a boat. Try holding the position for 10 seconds to begin with and increase the bar with every passing day. You will feel your stomach muscles going for a toss but trust me, this will kill that stubborn belly fat.

Purvottanasana: This may seem a bit difficult to crack towards the start but the results that this asana yield will leave you much gratified. This works extensively on your back, shoulders, arms, spine, wrists and fortifies muscles. It is also great for the respiratory system. It is great for the core strength of the body as it works on your legs, inner thigh muscles as wells as hips.

Trikonasana: Start with a wide legged stance; turn your right foot out. Now stretch your arms out, wide open pushing the right side of your waistline over your right leg and slowly go down, facing downwards with a flat back. Keep your right palm on the ground (you can choose to keep it in front of your right foot or behind it) or on a block with your left arm stretched upwards. Repeat the other side.

Bridge pose: Lie down on your back with your hands stretched sideways now fold your knees, spread them out and raise your body up from your pelvis area. Take support from your hands and hold the position. This works wonders on your hips, thighs, stomach as well as back.

Surya Namaskar: One of the basic, most well-known and widely practiced asanas, surya namaskarliterally translates to sun salutation. It comprises a series of twelve different yoga poses that focus on various parts of body. What makes surya namaskar great for the entire body is the fact that it involves twelve different poses encompassed in one - for example, basic prayer pose, forward bend and the bhujangasana (cobra pose).