Satya Yoga

A common question that tops the list on yoga is –
can yoga help with weight loss?

source http://weightlosstopic.com/

This question is really subjective. I used to take it as a closed ended question – yes or no. The purpose of practicing yoga is not to shape up the body and base it on an expected image that we perceive from the external environment. The practice is meant for us to learn how to be hands off by allowing our body to return to its natural condition and shape.

An over-weight person will need to lose weight in order to minimize obese-related medical conditions. And an under-weight person will need to gain muscle mass because the body needs to protect itself and for proper day-to-day bodily functioning.

The point is that we don’t trust ourselves anymore; instead we prefer to adopt beliefs created by others to define us. Nobody understands ourselves more than we do, not even our parents. Practicing yoga helps dissolve the doubts we form and strengths the bond of trust within us.

Our body is very intelligent and way beyond our imagination. It knows how to heal itself, given how much injury the egoistic mind has inflicted. Learn to release that grip and trust the body during the practice, and allow the ‘magic’ to unfold.

Whether there’s a need to lose or gain weight, we’ll know as the practice progresses!