AUTOMATED WEIGHT MANAGEMENT VIA YOGA MEDITATION

AUTOMATED WEIGHT MANAGEMENT VIA YOGA MEDITATION
By Mahaguru Elanggovan
Contact Info: Mobile 0129188619 Email: elanggovan@ancientyogaconsulting.com


“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
Mahatma Gandhi quotes (Indian Philosopher, internationally esteemed for his doctrine of nonviolent protest, 1869-1948)


“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”
Benjamin Franklin quotes (American Statesman, Scientist, Philosopher, Printer, Writer and Inventor. 1706-1790)

“Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy.”
Lao Tzu quotes (Chinese taoist Philosopher, founder of Taoism, wrote "Tao Te Ching" (also "The Book of the Way"). 600 BC-531 BC)


What is overweight or obesity? Excess amount of body fat is Obesity. Excess weight of muscles, bone, fat and water in the body (like body builders and athletes) is Overweight.

Proper level of fat necessary to our body to execute following function:
1. Heat insulation.
2. Absorption of shock.
3. Storage of energy.

According to Ayurveda the functions of body fat are described as follows

“Medaha sneha swedaudhrudatwam pushtim asthyancha”

This means in normal conditions the body fat keeps the body moisturized , causes sweating , gives energy to body (by storing energy) and nourishes bones. (By protecting them from shock).

Distribution of fat

Women have more body fat than men. In women usually the fat accumulates around hips giving them a pear shape. In men it accumulates around belly giving them an apple shape. The obesity related problems start when fat accumulates around waist.

Fat gets deposited in and around belly in all living beings. It is also present in bone. Hence when a person becomes obese his stomach bulges out.

And also the characters of an obese person are described as the hips, belly and breasts of an obese person sag and sagged parts flap as that person moves. An obese person will not be active.

Among hundred of sickness and disease in the world overweight becoming primary health issue. Besides ordinary method such as bacteria, genetic, accident, lake of balance diet food of sickness attack a person overweight also one of the major factor sickness developed for individuals.

You gain weight when you eat more than what your bodies burns. These extra calories are stored as fat. The amount of weight gain that leads to overweight and obesity does not happen in a few days or weeks. It is usually accumulated over months or years.

Major factor for Obesity Causes.

When a person consumes more calories than he burns then the excess calories get stored in the form of fat causing obesity.

Genetic factors–Obesity tends to run in families. If parents are fat then the offspring also show a tendency to accumulate fat. Even the diet and lifestyle habits which are practiced in family also contribute to obesity.

Environment. – A person’s eating habits and the level of physical activities a person has also contribute for excess deposition of fat. When a person eats food containing more calories and has a sedentary work then the calories consumed are more than calories burnt. The excess amount calories are stored as fat.

Psychological disturbances.- There is a tendency to over eat in response to negative emotions like boredom, sadness or anger. This leads to obesity.

Binge eating disorder.

Diseases and conditions like Hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, Depression, and certain neurological problems lead to overeating which in turn leads to accumulation of fat


Medicines such as steroids and some antidepressants may cause weight gain.


Causes of obesity according to Ayurveda

The causes of obesity are very clearly explained in ayurveda. The following reasons which are mentioned in ayurveda increase the deposition of fat.


According to ayurveda the causes of obesity are defined as :

1. Avyayama : Not exerting physically
2. Divaswapna: Sleeping in afternoon.
3. Shleshmala Ahara Vihara : The diet and life
styles which increase Kapha
4. Madhura Annaha : Consuming sweetened foods.

Traitional Ayurvedic tips to reduce Obesity


Numerous tips to reduce obesity have been mentioned in ayurveda. The following ayurvedic tips help you to reduce the obesity.

1. Very good yoga & meditation exercises. Exercises like brisk walking, jogging, playing out door games etc help to reduce weight.

2. Physical and mental exertion. Exerting physically like doing house hold works, walking to distant places to bring groceries, vegetables etc, walking long distances to bring the child back from school, walking to working place, climbing stairs etc are types of physical exertion. Exerting physically as much as you can help to burn more calories. Mental exertion like worrying or involving in finding solutions to problems also restrict food consumption in some and there by reduces the intake of calories .

3. Having sex frequently is also a good physical exertion.

4. Consumption of honey. This is advisable for non diabetic patients. Consuming 2 tea spoon of honey with a glass of herbal tea or fresh lemon which act as weight reducing herbs help a lot in weight reduction. Honey along with these mixer and dissolves the Kapha and medha (body fat).

5. Sleeping for less hours. Avoiding sleeping in afternoons help to increase the burning of calories. This avoids slowing of basal metabolic rate.

6. Avoiding the food and beverages which increase kapha and medha. The foods which increase kapha and medha are sweets, sweetened drinks , large quantities of carbohydrates and oily food.

7. Consuming wheat products than rice products help to reduce obesity.

8. Using Green gram and horse gram help in reduction of kapha and medha.

In this modern world we should care additional activity like :

Eat nutritious snacks such as fruits, vegetables and low fat foods.
Eat in moderation.
Lead an active lifestyle at home and school by exercising and walking more.
Limit your TV and video time to no more than 2 hours / day.

2. You should have your BMI calculated and plotted yearly. This can be done as part of your regular health check routine.

3. Seek advice from a doctor or nutritionist / dietician if you have problems.

What are the treatments available?

Treatment should start early. These include :
1. Nutrition
* Pay attention to what you eat. You should at least have :
* 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
* Whole grains with a fibre intake of 20 grams or more daily (1 slice of whole meal bread contains 2 grams of fibre).
* Less than or equal to 30% of calories from fat.

To reduce your weight :
* You must eat less by decreasing your amount of food and number of servings.
* Eat less fried food. It is better to steam or grill your food.
* Eat less starchy food (rice and noodles).
* Control food intake during festivals and eating out.
* Reduce fizzy (carbonated) and sweetened drinks.
* Read food labels regarding calorie content.

Children
If children become overweight then they will be lazy and/or inactive. Recent study by Kamlesh Khunti and other researchers at Leicester University showing when school children inactive then they face years of ill health because they are not active enough.

Inactive children are vulnerable for future risks of developing diabetes and heart disease, high blood pressure, bone and joint problems, depression, liver and gall bladder disease in children. Also overweight children prone to low self-esteem that stems from being teased, bullied, or rejected by peers.

Shortness of breath that makes exercise, sports, or any physical activity more difficult and may aggravate the symptoms or increase the chances of developing asthma, restless or disordered sleep patterns. Tendency to mature earlier (overweight kids may be taller and more sexually mature than their peers, raising expectations that they should act as old as they look, not as old as they are; overweight girls may have irregular menstrual cycles and have fertility problems in adulthood)

Rate of overweight and obese children is rapidly increasing.
Studies show about 15% of children 12-19 years old are overweight and 15% are obese.

A child with a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex is considered overweight. BMI uses height and weight measurements to estimate how much body fat a person has. To calculate your child's BMI, divide his or her weight by his or her height squared, or wt/ht2. (Important: To use this formula for BMI, the child's weight and height measurements must be in kilograms and meters, respectively. If you use pounds and inches, multiply the result by the conversion factor 703.)

For male as well female high recommended to screening of Weight and height for BMI 6 months once especially age between 20 - 59 years old.
According to the Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey 2003, the prevalence of adult obesity has tripled in less than 10 years. Six million adult overweight and obese. If this trend continues, almost half the Malaysian population would be overweight in another 15 years.

The University of Southern Denmark found that, compared with men of normal weight, overweight men – defined as men with a body mass index over 25 - had a 24% lower sperm count.

Some illness like hypothyroidism leads to obesity. Here too things are not in the hands of the suffering people.

Gender plays an important part to play in causing obesity. On an average, a man has more muscles than a woman. Since muscles consume more calories than other forms of tissues, a man uses more calories than a woman even when he is not doing anything.

It proves that women are more vulnerable to obesity than men with same food intake.

Age is also a vital factor. Older people lose more muscles and thereby they tend to get fatter than the youth. Elderly people thus become obese more than the young generation.

During pregnancy, women get extra weight. This weight gain may lead to obesity. This can compound with each pregnancy.

Medication and Drugs

Certain medications also lead to overweight. For example taking too many pain killers, sedatives, anti-depressants and typical antipsychotics cause extra fat to build in an individual.

People should be very cautious in consuming such drugs. The less you take the better. Over consumption of alcohols also causes extra fat cells to develop.

Lack of Exercise

Sedentary lifestyle lacking in the realm of manual labor in the day’s schedule also leads to obesity. Those who do not spend a few hours engrossed in manual works give way to becoming heavy weight. Lack of physical exercise also leads to the miserable fall out becoming heavyweight.

Wrong Diet

A high glycemic diet, for example, a diet that consists of meals having high postpandial blood sugar causes a person to become obese. Heavy consumption of sugary food raises blood sugar level which in its turn makes one overweight.

A repeated attempt to lose weight by dieting is also risky. Eminent pop singer Carpenter died by practicing over dieting.

Depression

DepressionHigi level of stress are capable of leading to obesity. In this world of competition, it is hard not to become anxious, but too much of it is dangerous. Some people overeat because of depression, hopelessness, anger and boredom, it is not true that obese have more emotional problems. What we want to say is that emotions force people to take a particular eating habit that may not be healthy.

Insufficient Sleep

Insufficient sleep may also lead to danger. One should remember that sleep is a food for the body. Denial of this vital food necessarily leads to complications.

Smoking

Smoking is also extremely bad for a person’s health. It leads to many serious medical complications. But sudden cessation of smoking may also lead to danger. If a person makes the healthy decision to quit smoking they should talk to their doctor about their quitting options.

Ethnic Group

Ethnic diversity plays a part in the growing epidemic of obese people among certain cultural populations worldwide. It is proven that some ethnic groups are more vulnerable to becoming obese than others. It depends on the food habit of the ethnic group in question.

People having large adipose reserves are more likely to survive food shortages or famines. On the other hand, these people are in a disadvantageous position in a society where food supplies are plentiful.


Generally known for modern medicine world of health risks due to Obesity are:
1. Type-2 diabetes
2. Heart disease.
3. High Blood pressure.
4. Stroke
5. Few types of Cancers
6. Gall stones
7. Liver diseases
8. Osteo arthritis.
9. Gout
10.Infertility
11.Irregular menstruation in women.

Additionally according to Traditional Ayurvedic the obese persons are more prone to the further following diseases.
1. Diabetes.
2. Kidney related problems.
3. Hepatitis.
4. Low libido.
5. Low energy levels.
6. Skin problems.
7. Fistula
8. Piles.
9. Filariasis


With Yoga Meditation Weight Managemet is Autonomic.
Reduces the excess fat.
Rejuvenates the body.
Increases the body energy.
Increases the body resistance.
Metabolizes the fat without any side effects.
Reduces cholesterol levels.
Purely natural.
Do not have any side effects.

Yoga has considered all aspects of Obesity (physical, emotional and mental).
Regular practice of Yoga and controlled life style reduces obesity (weight is reduced).
Yoga makes human being agile, efficient and slim.
Yoga is suitable for people in any age group.
Yoga helps achieve control over mind and behavior (one can easily control food habits and change life style to reduce the obesity.)
Yoga has different effect on obesity, which is permanent in nature than other techniques for obesity reduction. Weight loss is permanent but one needs to practice few important techniques regularly.

A plan and natural way to reduce weight or automated weight management.

What is Yoga Therapy?

Yoga-chikitsa (Sanskrit) or Yoga Therapy has never been very easy to define, largely owing to the depth and breadth of the subject.

And yet, simply stated, Yoga Therapy could be called a system of health care that helps treat human indispositions as naturally as possible, to alleviate pain and suffering through set of exercises, both physical and mental. Ideally, yoga therapy is preventive in nature, as is Yoga itself, while being curative in many instances, soothing in others, and restorative in most.

Yoga therapy is of modern denomination and represents man’s first attempt to combine age-old concepts and techniques with contemporary medical and psychological know-how. So, where traditional Yoga was primarily concerned with spiritual transcendence, yoga therapy aims at holistic treatment of a variety of psychological or psychosomatic disorders ranging from sinusitis and asthma to emotional distress.

What is the principle of Yogic Therapy?

Yoga holds that a person’s health condition depends on himself. It lays emphasis on physical, mental and emotional balance and development of a sense of harmony with all of life. There’s nothing mystical about it.

Nor is it external. Rather it is an inner faculty. Yoga endeavors to re-establish inner balance through a variety of ways, ranging from the gross to the subtle. Which is why it is considered a holistic art.

Rather than prescribe treatments, yoga therapy encourages awareness. Through age-old yogic techniques, we get to know ourselves better.

From that knowledge, comes the ability to more easily accept and adapt to change, resulting in enhanced well-being in body, mind, heart and spirit. Hence its applicability to almost all chronic conditions.

What approach does yoga therapy take?

Contrary to modern medical science that tries to identify the pathogenic factor (be it a toxic substance, a micro-organism, or metabolic disorder) then eliminate it, Yoga takes a totally different point of view. It holds that if a person is sick there must be a deeper reason behind it – that illness doesn’t arise by chance. It is the result of an imbalance, a disruption in the body-mind complex that creates the condition. Here the symptoms, the pathogenic factors, are not the issue. Yoga believes that the root cause lies somewhere else.

How is yoga therapy done?

The 7 steps of Yoga for overall well being:

1. Right Posture – Asanas
A set of postures that tone up the muscles and internal organs, revitalize the system, create overall awareness of the body and its function and help tranquilize the mind. they also energizes and stimulates the body’s major endocrine glands. And by toning up the internal organs, they also prevent and cure many an illness.


2. Right Breathing – Pranayama
A set of simple breathing techniques that slowdown and normalize breathing while simultaneously exercising subtle influences on the entire system.


3. Right Cleansing – Kriyas
A set of easy and effortless hygienic procedures that draw the attention to the affected areas and buttress the body’s own cleansing mechanisms.


4. Right Diet – Balanced Yogic Diet
Most, of not all, illnesses are in some way linked to wrong food habits. A slight modification in dietary habits can rehabilitate the entire system.


5. Right Relaxation – Shavasana
A relaxing asana done several times as part of the Yoga program. A process designed to soothe both mind and body. Yoga holds that tension is dis-ease (i.e a state if unease) and relaxation is health. To this end the whole eightfold path of Yoga is to purify the body mind complex.


6. Right Mindset – Meditation
Meditation is a technique used to stabilize the mind, increase concentration and will power, balance cellular and chakra energy and develop one-pointedness.

7. Right Symbols - Mudras
Hand gesture symbol form using finger. These different type of Mudras contribute various impact towards brain & neurons which work in principle of acupressure (Indian Academic) or acupuncture (Chinese Medicine).


All these, if performed together and consistently, help rid oneself of a variety of psychosomatic disorders. Which is why, every yoga therapy session should include all these practices. They help eliminate the aggravated toxins from the system, balance the tri-doshas and stimulate the essential biochemical substances in the affected organs.


In Conclusion
The golden rule in achieving optimum results through yoga is regularity and punctuality, for only abhyasa, regular practice can produce desired results. Over a period of time, it helps reduce illnesses, increase vitality and vigor, restore balance, and enhance attitude to life. Which is also why yoga therapists prescribe specific regimens to suit individual needs. Research has conclusively proven the effectiveness of yoga therapy in healing psychosomatic and stress-related conditions. This is done by bridging the gap between body and mind, ranging across the entire spectrum from physical to emotional to mental.

For optimum benefits, yoga therapy should be coupled with a balanced diet, Naturopathy, Ayurveda and Aromatherapy.

YOGA MAJOR ESSENCE DESCRIPTION
Yoga Asana Yoga Posture
Pranayama Breathing Techniques
Dhyanam Meditation
Chakra Spool energy in the form of rotating Wheel. (Specific centre of consciousness)
Mudra Icons or Symbols
Bandha Bandha means lock (air)
Mantra Seed word or Vocal Vibration
Yantra Instrument or geometric design of drawing
Tantra (Sound & Vibration) Application of cosmic principles sciences and mystic.
Kriyas Purification processes
Vedanta Philosophy

Through different asanas of Yoga we can easily reduce extra fat from our body. Some of the asanas stimulate sluggish glands to increase their hormonal secretions. For example, the thyroid gland has a big effect on our weight as it affects body metabolism. Asanas like shoulder stand and the fish posture are particular for the thyroid gland. These asanas increase fat metabolism thereby converting fat to muscle and energy. This is like killing two birds by a single stone. You will not only loose fat but also have a better muscle tone and vitality.

Yoga deep breathing helps in increasing the oxygen intake to the body cells, including the fat cells. This results into burning up of fat cells. Another amazing aspect of Yoga is that it reduces anxiety which, in turn, reduces anxious eating. It is human tendency that whenever we are tensed we tend to swallow our food without deriving much satisfaction and pleasure. In the process we end up eating more. On the other hand, if we approach our meals with better mood, we tend to be less likely to overeat in a worried effort to calm our anxieties. Yoga plays an important role in making us more calm and cool.

Some of us have a habit of eating between the meals. Here also Yogic practices come handy. One can take the help of Yogic aids when feeling tempted in between the meals. In such situations one may intentionally turn to Yoga rather than looking for some snacks. The knowledge and power derived from Yoga also makes us aware of problems like obesity which may prevent the individual from overeating. Such is the magic and charisma of Yoga that you tend to attain a balanced weight i.e. if your weight is normal, it will remain the same where as in case of underweight, you will gain weight.

12 Steps of Sun Salutation
(Practice 2 times and hold each pose for 3 breaths)


1. Asanas
As listed in PDF files.


2. Pranayama
Khabalapati Breathing.
Alternate Nostril Breathing.
Brahmari Pranayama - Inhalation clears and vibrates the throat.
Invigorates the thyroid gland increasing metabolism.
Helps oxidizes fats in the body.

3. Kriyas
Kunjal Kriya (stomach wash and lung cleansing)
Basti (colon cleansing)
Laghu Shankha Prakshalan (digestive system cleansing technique)
Note: For fast and simpler these Kriyas can be substitute with using other natural herbs
methodology.

4. Balanced Yogic Diet
As mentioned above.

5. Shavasana Yoga Posture

6. Dyanam
Alpha Level Meditation.
Heart Centre Chakra Therapy Meditation technique.

7. Mudras
Surya Mudra specially to reduce weight.