yoga + mindful eating = healthy weight

Regular yoga practice is associated with mindful eating, and people who eat mindfully are less likely to be obese, according to a study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

The study was prompted by initial findings reported four years ago by Alan Kristal, Dr.P.H., and colleagues, who found that regular yoga practice may help prevent middle-age spread in normal-weight people and may promote weight loss in those who are overweight. At the time, the researchers suspected that the weight-loss effect had more to do with increased body awareness, specifically a sensitivity to hunger and satiety than the physical activity of yoga practice itself.

The follow-up study, published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, confirms their initial hunch.

"In our earlier study, we found that middle-age people who practice yoga gained less weight over a 10-year period than those who did not. This was independent of physical activity and dietary patterns. We hypothesized that mindfulness - a skill learned either directly or indirectly through yoga -could affect eating behavior," said Kristal, associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program in the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center.

The researchers found that people who ate mindfully - those were aware of why they ate and stopped eating when full - weighed less than those who ate mindlessly, who ate when not hungry or in response to anxiety or depression. The researchers also found a strong association between yoga practice and mindful eating but found no association between other types of physical activity, such as walking or running, and mindful eating.

Read more...

yoga + weight loss

It's not high intensity, but a gentle yoga routine blasts fat as effectively as weight lifting does, says research represented at the American College of Sports Medicine's 2004 conference.

In one of the few studies that have compared these radically different exercise regimens, University of Pittsburgh researchers put 59 obese, inactive women, ages 25 to 55, on a low-fat diet. Everyone walked for 40 minutes 5 days a week; a third of the volunteers did additional strength-training exercises; and another third added a yoga routine 3 days a week.

After 4 months, the yoga devotees dropped an average of 27 pounds - the most!; the strength trainers whittled away 23; and the walking-only group lost 20. Study author Kara Gallagher, PhD, an exercise physiologist, warns that the differences aren't big enough to conclude that yoga is better than dumbbells. But it appears to be a soothing option with a surprising power to fend off excess pounds, equal or exceeding strength training with weights.

source: from Prevention.com

The yoga classes I teach have plenty of sun-salutations, which engages, flexes, and extends all of your major muscle groups. Additionally, you are consistently lifting your own body weight, building strength, burning calories. Many new students say, "I didn't think I'd sweat in yoga, but I sure did!" Yet, a yoga workout is much more gentle than doing reps in a harshly lit gym, pumping iron. I speak from experience - I've definitely put in gym time. But I must say, I never walked away from a session of lifting weights feeling as de-stressed, centered, and rejuvenated as I do with yoga. And that's all the difference in the world.

do you need an eco yoga mat?

do you know what your mat is made of?

If you are not using an eco-yoga mat, which are a fairly new, non-vinyl concoction, your yoga mat is made of vinyl or PVC, a petroleum-based, non-renewable source, which continues to give off gases throughout its existence.

Vinyl contains phthalates, or plasticizers, which have been linked to a host of health risks, including damage to the liver, lungs, and reproductive system. Phthalates, which can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin, have veen banned from some products by the European Union , but not by the US or Canada.

Eco-mats are made with other materials, such as polymer envrionmental resin, natural rubber, or blends containing natural fibers such as jute. They are free of heavy metals. And being biodegradable, they'll revert to their origins at the end of their lifecycle.

source: envionmnet.about.com; PVCFree.org; Grist.org

Men's Yoga Workshop: Smart Guys do Yoga

Mens' Yoga Workshop, Wednesday, September 17th, 5:15 - 6:15 pm, @ Rejuvenate, in the Sun Trust Gardens Building, Lobby Floor, Downtown Atlanta. Parking Garage under the building.

Guys, here's an opportunity to give this "yoga thing" a try. I've designed this Power Yoga workshop to explore your dynamic power, balance and finesse, as well as destress and unwind. Yoga is an excellent complement to any sports or fitness activities you are already doing.

You will sweat. You will test your body. I promise, yoga won't kill you, it will make you stronger, and a more mindful, enlightened dude. There will be no judgements. It will be fun!

Special pricing - $10/class includes mat and all materials.

Pre-registration is required for attendance.
Call 404.577.4877 or email info@rejuvenatespas.com to register.

Read "Where are all the men?" in Yoga Journal

yoga news: yoga makes you feel groovy

How does yoga improve mental health?

On a physical level, yoga postures are designed to massage the internal organs, increasing and decreasing blood flow to targeted areas. This circulates the blood and lymph, thus removing stale bodily fluids from vital organs and helping flush toxins. The physical movement can also stimulate certain hormones and neurotransmitters, leading to positive feelings and emotions.

Additionally, according to the Eastern medical model, yoga exercises are also designed to specifically move the “prana” or life force energy in the body (traditional Oriental medicine calls this “chi”). Keeping this life force fresh and alive is vital to well-being, according to Eastern philosophy.

Yoga poses stimulate certain aspects of the body's energetic system, comprised of “chakras” (energy centers) and “nadis” (the yogic term for “meridians” or energy channels). As stuck prana is moved and energized, old emotional wounds manifesting as blockages in the energy centers and channels can be released. This may explain why so many yoga practitioners experience a sense of emotional release from practicing certain poses, such as a spontaneous expression of tears, providing a sense of extreme relief and peace afterwards.

The special breathing exercises that go along with yoga (called “pranayama”) also serve to energize the body by bringing fresh quantities of prana in through the breath. These breathing exercises can also alleviate anxiety and create a sense of calm and well-being.

from naturalnews.com, read more...

design your own eco-yoga mat

yogamatic.com

now you can design the graphics to inspire you on your yoga mat! As a designer, this is right up my alley. You upload your image, a .jpg or .tif file, and it is printed on an eco-friendly yoga mat.

Brilliant!

yoga shown to positively affect your genes

Researchers have discovered how meditation and yoga improve health, reports The Washington Post. "It's not all in your head," said Dr. Herbert Benson, president emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "What we have found is that when you evoke the relaxation response, the very genes that are turned on or off by stress are turned the other way. The mind can actively turn on and turn off genes. The mind is not separated from the body."

"We all are under stress and have many manifestations of that stress," Benson added. "To adequately protect ourselves against stress, we should use an approach and a technique that we believe evokes the relaxation response 20 minutes, once a day." - from YogaJournal.com

It always seems when we are "too busy" for yoga, that is when we need it the most. I am going to design a 20 minute yoga routine and post it here on my blog in the next few weeks. Surely we can carve out 20 minutes to rejuvenate and refresh amidst a chaotic day.

advanced yoga classes

Currently I have been teaching some group yoga classes that are "open" level, with students ranging from brand-new to yoga to more advanced students, all coming to the mat with different expectations and goals for the hour. You don't want beginners to be overwhelmed, nor do you want advanced students to be bored. The challenge for me as a teacher is to find a happy place for everyone: getting newbies aware of foundation poses safely, and cuing more advanced students on finessing their practice further and providing more difficult modifications. The great thing about yoga is, that no matter how an advanced/flexible/strong yogi you are, there is always something new to learn. It could be a new pose, it could be uniting your breath with flowing movements, it could be patience, with yourself or other students. Every moment, every day of practice is different.

This article from the NY Times addresses the need for separate, advanced level yoga classes: Yogi, Take Me to a Higher Place. My suggestion, if you're not finding the challenges you crave in regular studio classes: rally a few like-minded yogis and schedule a private session package with me. We could meet monthly, bimonthly, whatever works with your schedule, and work the advanced poses you are missing in class. I can also put together a sequence so you can keep working on the advanced poses at home.