I first became interested in yoga when I met an amazing older woman in her 60’s who radiated youth and had the body of a teenager. I had recently become health- conscious, having shed 10 lbs of post-high school fat put on in my constant pursuit of the better beer and burger.
I had become vegan and stopped drinking milk. But even after shedding the weight, I wanted to make sure I looked (and felt!) as great as my aforementioned yogi role model!
I started reading about yoga in books. I remember my very first yoga book was on Sivananda Yoga. I didn’t dare try the headstand but I started becoming familiar with these postures. I didn’t dare try the headstand, but I started becoming familiar with the various postures.
My advice to beginners in yoga is to focus only on sun salutations first until you can perform them by heart. Once you have memorized them, you can relax more. I have made for you a very useful sun salutations guide in PDF format that you can download and print! CLICK HERE for Sun Salutation Guide (PDF)
Always remember: When you go against gravity, inhale, and when going down with gravity, exhale.
As I advanced, I learned that a shoulder stand stimulates your thyroid, therefore actually speeding up your metabolism! (you can read more about increasing your metabolism in this post)
It seems to work for me, because I’ve remained 120lbs for the past decade! People often guess I’m 19 rather than nearly 30…
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I started Yoga as well. I had no lost any weight doing Yoga but I have noticed definitely increased flexibility. I prone to less injuries now since I have increased my flexibility.
@sanjib: how long have you been practicing and which type of yoga do you do? Hatha? I find after practicing yoga for awhile it trains your body to remember how it should feel posture wise and muscle tone wise. since practicing I naturally adjust my posture and I feel like if I take a break and my body gains weight or is out of whack it seems to jump back where it was quickly with yoga! besides that it is meditation for me! it is an excelent way to control stress! keep it up!
The link to your sun salutations pdf isn’t working.
Would love to see it!
I do enjoyed reading your blog, and I wanna ask, if I can do yoga even if I am scoliotic. I enrolled in Jazz lesson and surprisingly I found out that some stretchings are from yoga. I bought a book that’s why I know it’s yoga…but then I am not sure if it won’t be detrimental to my spine. But somehow most of the excersises are the same to what my ortho-doc adviced me to do regularly…I want to be a little slim. I was 181 then, now I am 145…being scoliotic I want to stay on the lighter side of the scale.
@leonore:
I’m happy you are benefiting from reading my blog
as far as doing yoga, I feel I can’t answer that and someone who is more of a medical professional (ex: chiropractor) could better answer that.
I believe most yoga poses will help your condition however you should find out from a professional which poses to avoid.
Please let me know what you find out!
I work in a yoga studio which offers a program called yoga medics. through the program they are able to work with peoples physical limitations on a one on one basis and allow for a healthy and safe yoga work out. try to see if there is a studio through your are that offers something similar. If not talk to your doctor and work along side a techer you trust to find modifications for poses you can do.
check out yogashelter.com (its the place that offers the yoga medics program) maybe it will help lead you to somethig in your area.
hope that helps.
Hi,
I love your website. I teach meditation and TriYoga and don’t need to advertise because the benefits speak volumes and my students love to share their improved health and peacefulness stories with others.
Keep sharing what you do.
Margaret