The Link Between Yoga, Mindfulness, and Weight Loss (Part 1)

Across the Globe, nutritional and fitness experts are baffled at the results of a study, conducted by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Dr. Alan R. Kristal, the lead researcher of this study Regular Yoga Practice May Help Prevent Middle-Age Spread , remarked, "I was very surprised with the results. Considering that people gain about a pound a year during this time, this is pretty substantial." (Note: He found that men and women who were of normal weight at age 45 and regularly practiced yoga gained about 3 fewer pounds during that 10-year period than those who didn't practice yoga.)

Shortly afterward, from nutritional and fitness experts in New England, the first question I heard right away was, "How can Yoga burn that many calories?" Soon to be followed by comments from many fitness experts, across the United States, were remarks like, “Most Yoga students don’t practice vigorous styles of Yoga."

While this is debatable, my questions to them were as follows, "How many of you practice Yoga?" Have you ever heard of Kundalini Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Hot Yoga, Power Yoga, Bikram Yoga, and more vigorous Hatha Yoga styles?

To make a small comparison, I can’t really comment on the game of Cricket, just because I am familiar with baseball. I can appreciate the similarity and skill, but never had the experience of playing the game. Also, just like Yoga, Cricket requires time, practice, and patience, in order to acquire skill.

Now, instead of jumping to conclusions about Yoga from the sidelines, my first suggestion is to join a Yoga class. This would allow the top nutrition and fitness experts to experience the many benefits that Yoga has to offer.

However, this will not be the case with all the experts. The lack of male presence in a typical American Yoga class is visibly apparent and worthy of a study in male insecurity. This is a subject that I promise to address in a future article, but let’s get back to the point.

So, female fitness, nutrition, and medical experts will confirm what most of them already know. Yoga is a complete health maintenance system and has been for around 5,000 years.

When a Yoga student becomes serious about practicing on a regular basis, this is a lifestyle change. Burning over 200 calories per hour in a gentle or Restorative Yoga class is not the foundation of weight control. Most Yoga students engage in some form of cross training.

Many of them walk, take other fitness classes, and are conscious of what they eat. Being mindful of what you eat is a point that the masses have lost. Eating nutritionally dense food, in moderation, and being mindful at the dinner table is a recipe for a lifetime of weight control.

Many thanks to author Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html .

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