Yoga and weight loss do not mix unless you are practicing Ashtanga or power yoga. Nevertheless this should not stop you from practicing it because Yoga is an excellent discipline for flexibility, coordination and stress reduction. Aerobic exercises are most indicated for fast calorie-burn, but these require continuous work with large muscles groups for long periods of time (up to 1 hour). This way you will add lean muscle tissue, which will help the metabolism and burn a lot of calories. Diets based on some yoga principles (vegetarian with no meat, fish or eggs, no coffee, tea , spicy or fried foods) would help losing weight also. Another way of losing weight is by decreasing your everyday calorie consumption and increase daily activities.
Ashtanga Yoga is being taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. Here Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute is located. Breathe synchronizing along with postures series will give you an improved circulation, a calm mind and of course a light and strong body, by purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs.
Patanjali Ashtanga Yoga literally means “eight-limbed yoga” while the following eight spiritual practices will drive you to the path for revealing the Universal Self, as Patanjali says. Yama or moral codes, Niyama or self-purification and study, Asana or posture, Pranayama or breath control, Pratyahara or sense control, Dharana or concentration, Dhyana or meditation and Samadhi or contemplation.
An ancient manuscript, Yoga Korunta, that was said to contain lists of many groupings of asanas, vinyasa, drishti, bandhas, mudras, and philosophy, makes the base for Ashtanga Yoga as recorded by the sage Vamana Rishi. Pattabhi Jois has been teaching Ashtanga Yoga since 1948, after the text of the Yoga Korunta was passed down to him by Sri T. Krishnamacharya in 1927.
Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama which make the first four limbs are considered to be external cleansing practices that are pretty correctable, while pratyahara, dharana and dhyana are considered to be internal ones that are not correctable and can be really dangerous to the mind if the correct Yoga method isn’t followed.
Vinyasa and tristhana must be used in order to perform asana correctly in Ashtanga Yoga.
Vinyasa or breathing and movement system involves for each movement only one breath. There are nine vinyasas and, as an example, the first one is inhaling while raising your arms over your head, and hands together, the second is exhaling while bending forward and placing your hands next to your feet, etc.
While synchronizing breathing and movement in the asanas heats the blood, it also cleans it, improving the circulation, relieving joint pain and removing toxins and disease from all internal organs. Impurities are carried out of the body trough the sweat generated by the heat of vinyasa, making your body healthier, lighter and stronger.
Tristhana, on the other hand, refers to the union of posture, breathing system and looking place, in order to cover the three most important levels of purification: the body, nervous system and mind.
Asana is the method for purifying and strengthening the body and it is grouped into six series: the Primary Series called Yoga Chikitsa are responsible for detoxifying the body, the Intermediate Series called Nadi Shodhana for purifying the nervous system and the Advanced Series A, B, C, and D called Sthira Bhaga are responsible for integrating the strength and grace of the practice. Before proceeding to the next, each level must be fully developed and the rigorous order of asanas must be followed.
The breathing technique that comes with vinyasa it’s called ujjayi or victorious breath, and it consists of inhalation and exhalation or puraka and rechaka. Both must be of the same length and intensity or the exercise will not be complete. Over time, the increased stretching of the breath will initiate the increased stretching of the body.
Among the essential components of the ujjayi we can find Bandhas, which means, “lock” or “seal”. Its main purpose is to unlock and direct the pranic energy to the 72,000 nadi (energy channels) of the subtle body.
