You may be surprised to hear that in addition to practicing yoga asanas, yoga relaxation and Yoga Sound Meditation can also help you lose weight.
One reason is because these techniques are so effective at reducing stress. Studies show that stress is one of the main reasons people overeat. Stress may also cause the body to hold onto fat, making it harder to lose weight. So by using these yoga techniques to reduce your stress, you’ll be well on your way to dropping a few pounds (provided you still watch what you eat, of course).
Yoga relaxation techniques give us a time out, a few minutes to let go of tension, to relax our bodies and minds, to slow down and take care of ourselves. Even just 5 to 10 minutes of yoga relaxation can work wonders, and it’s much more beneficial—and satisfying—than eating a junky or fattening snack.
Another reason many people overeat is that they try to fill up their inner emptiness with food. Sometimes we don’t consciously realize this is happening; but if we look inward, we sense this gnawing sensation in the back of our minds, a discomfort deep in our hearts that we can’t quite pinpoint. Whether this unhappiness is subtle or more obvious, as in the case of depression, it can lead us to eat unhealthy and fattening foods or derail us from our healthy intentions.
The regular practice of Yoga Sound Meditation (try it with breathing here) offers us shelter from these feelings of emptiness. As a person begins to experience inner calm and contentment through this meditation, they become happier overall and much less likely to overeat.
