Will Yoga Help Me Lose Weight?

Many of us seeking a more mindful approach to losing weight wonder if yoga can help us, but when we see those yoga bodies on social media, we can feel discouraged instead of inspired. We can feel inadequate in our bodies and wonder how we can lose weight to get from where we are to that fit body. But the truth is that the perfect limber yoga bodies we see on social media are not real yoga bodies. Yoga bodies are ALL bodies because yoga is an inclusive practice that welcomes all bodies, shapes, sizes, and people of any age and gender with adaptations that fit each individual’s needs.

“Yoga bodies are ALL bodies because yoga is an inclusive practice that welcomes all bodies, shapes, sizes, and people of any age and gender with adaptations that fit each individual’s needs.”

Practicing yoga regularly will reap many benefits beyond burning calories because yoga will become a lifestyle, and this will help us with weight management as emotional eating and stress decrease. And as we become more attuned with our body, mind, and emotions, our self-image and self-esteem will improve. We will feel more acceptant and at peace with ourselves, and we will build a more loving relationship with our bodies as we embark on this healthy weight journey.

Overall, the practice of yoga is well-rounded as it supports our physical, mental, and spiritual development to create the best version of ourselves.

With yoga, we strengthen our body awareness and become more mindful of what feels good and is truly nurturing to the body. What movements, what sensations, what foods. And this mindfulness that we cultivate through our yoga practice serves as steady support in our healthy weight journey. We will find ourselves doing things, such as eating, with more presence and intention. And, as the relationship with the body grows stronger, we will begin to gravitate more towards foods that feel nourishing to the body, especially after a yoga practice.

And while yoga can help lose weight as a means of moderate exercise, it’s important to remember that weight loss is not the goal. A better and more sustainable goal in our healthy weight journey is to create a new way of living --a balanced living. And this change of lifestyle is what will help us achieve a more loving relationship with our bodies. And that is what we strive to encourage more here at Live Yoga by offering everyone a variety of classes that create a sense of inclusivity, body positivity, and acceptance.

No matter where we are in our healthy weight journey, we can always learn to embrace ourselves as we are now and, with that acceptance, move mindfully towards inhabiting in a healthy body. Putting ourselves down through comparison or not feeling good enough as we are can only slow us down in this process. So, let’s love ourselves as we take each small, gradual step.

And if we find that we are not quite there in the loving ourselves department, that’s ok. As we practice yoga, we will develop a beautiful relationship with ourselves and, as a result, will benefit our weight goals and support a positive self-image and self-esteem.

So with the help of yoga, let’s work on ourselves while embracing ourselves!