Yoga For Weight Loss - Does Bikram Yoga Work?

There is no doubt yoga can help you with weight loss. But be careful ... it's not just about slimming down the "lbs" or "Kgs".

In fact, your "weight on your scales" probably has almost nothing to do with it!

I'm betting that what you REALLY want is to look good in front of the mirror ... so read on (and sign up for my Free Mini-Course below while you are here! - It'll get you highly motivated!) ...

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So let's get started. We've made a simple 7-step formula below that will help you with your weight loss program using hot yoga (and I'll show you how to take this further at the end - stay tuned!).

Before I begin, let's also get something straight: You shouldn't be counting calories burned in hot yoga, it's an archaic method and you deserve the cutting edge!

But if you are curious about the comparative calorie burning in a Bikram class, then the calculator below will give you an approximate comparison with other activities!

Alright - back to "normal programing"! ... This is a super-easy way to think about all the various things you'll want to implement - and the good news is, they are all easy!

All you need to do is B.R.E.A.T.H.E

B eliefs

Yoga helps you place attention on your beliefs and thought processes.

To permanently change shape and achieve weight loss by practicing yoga also means to shift some of your thought processes and beliefs.

For example:

"When I eat fatty food, it goes straight to my hips" may not be as empowering as "I easily burn up all the food I eat".

Some beliefs are simply self destructive -- around self esteem or low self worth.

Yoga will help you banish these -- sometimes consciously, sometimes they just go away with a regular practice.

You'll also find that you may be able to do without any therapy or counseling as your yoga practice starts to establish a "better and more balanced you".

R egular Practice

You'll need to practice at least 3 x every week.

Less than this won't establish the new body patterns you need to stimulate all the other changes.

5 or 6 yoga sessions every week will get you there super-fast!

Wonderful side-effects:

  • You'll experience a natural change in your "cravings"
  • You'll find yourself doing different things -- changing your behaviors -- around "health"
  • Your breathing will improve dramatically -- which in turn, apart from all the marvelous physiological side-effects, allows you to handle stress so much more effectively. And less stress = less tendency to be too thin or too fat.

A better way to fine-tune your shape-change program!
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E ating regime

It's one of those common questions; "Do I have to be vegetarian to practice Yoga?".

Well no, not for most of the physical benefits that most westerners come to yoga for.

But there is an accepted ancient principle of yogic life called Ahimsa, which means "avoidance of injury" or, refraining from injuring living creatures.

Since this means not killing animals for food, many pure yogis are vegetarian.

But what does this have to do with eating?

A vegetarian diet is likely to be more affective at helping you with weight loss and changing your shape -- so we recommend it as an effective option.

However, what is more important is a balanced diet and one which concentrates on proper food combining.

Luckily, a regular yoga practice (3 or more vigorous classes a week) will kick-start your metabolism and lead to quite natural changes in the foods that you desire.

You will also become more conscious of what you eat and how it affects you as your own capacity to notice and calibrate your own body improves.

We love the work of famous biologist, Humberto Maturana who offers the idea that nature is conservative -- it leaves behind what doesn't work and conserves what does. Change does not have to be chaotic, hard or dramatic.

With a regular practice, your body will discard "old" food behaviors and conserve those that support your emerging shape and identity.

A cceptance of self

Along with the physical elements, yoga (especially Bikram Yoga) is a wonderful emotional cleansing.

It teaches you to accept yourself -- emotionally.

You'll find it easier to live with yourself and the "conditions" you have right now.

You'll stop needing to "live for the future".

You become comfortable "in your own skin" -- no matter what shape you are - then you'll find your body won't resist changes and it becomes a real pleasure.

Trying to change your shape out of desperation is the hard way!

You may not end up being the shape that the magazines think we all should be -- but you will learn to completely accept yourself and who you are.

T hrow away the scales

This is one of our favorites!

  • Stop counting the lbs and kgs.
  • Throw away the scales.
  • Don't count calories.

And do:

  • Concentrate on dress size and waist size changes.
  • Notice how any previously "pudgy" areas become sleeker.
  • Watch your skin develop "the Bikram glow" as we call it.
  • Notice your eyes becoming brighter (and sometimes cleaner and whiter looking).
  • Some people see their skin change color -- from gray (poor circulation) to pink (good circulation). (This is a real example from our own studio and is obviously based on white anglo-saxon skin coloring, which is all we often see in our own studio -- if you'd like to tell us what changes you've noticed for other skin pigments, we'll post it here!)
  • Faces can change expression -- perhaps from pinched-looking to open. Or from looking disturbed to looking full of life and happiness (a real example from our studio -- and in just a few weeks!).

H ydration

Many of us have a liquid intake that does the reverse of keeping us well-hydrated. Drinks such as teas, coffees and sugary-soda drinks tend to leech the body of it's vital water.

This is even more important when practicing with a view to slimming down. You'll need to continuously replenish fluids lost from simply sweating -- but also those lost due to the massive physiological cleansing you will go through when breaking down fat and improving body functioning.

You will even lose pounds and kilograms that are lost as sweat into your towel during a particularly intense Bikram session -- and you may even find you feel slimmer around the waist as a result. But make sure you put plenty of water back into your system!

E xcellence

Finally, nothing will work to change your shape in your practice if you don't make an effort to be accurate in the poses and to really engage muscles fully.

Develop a consciousness about your body.

Work hard the right way (listen to your instructor for the fine distinctions in any pose).

After all, if you are: (depending on the pose of course)

  • Locking the knee/engaging the thighs;
  • Squeezing your butt;
  • Sucking in your stomach (to engage your core muscles);

Then not only will this create a better pose and therefore work your physiology and internal organs as intended, it will also help to tone and slim these specific areas!

And your stamina and perseverance will skyrocket -- great assets to have in shaping up!

So there you have it ... just B.R.E.A.T.H.E!

If you'd love to take YOUR hot yoga practice to a completely new level AND use it to create that beautiful shape you know you deserve ... then I strongly recommend you check out my new, custom-designed program: Easy Weight Loss With Hot Yoga!

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