Health and fitness goals are generally measured in terms of weight loss or inches loss. Even those who practice yoga are not immune to this trait. A goal of healthy weight is always desirable and appreciable as you can protect yourself from lifestyle diseases, look more beautiful and young, and live longer healthily and happily too. But considering your yoga regime just a mean to shed your extra pounds is like asking a Genie a fruit plate or a glass of water when he can offer you something more magnificent than your expectations.
Some of my students keep on asking me when they will achieve their targeted weight loss (in kilograms). This question generally comes after they registering desirable changes in their sleep quality, breathing patterns, and shape of the body, looks and overall health. Sometime they carry just 5 to10 pounds excess weight than their ideal weight. And I have to observe their body through zoom lenses to find out where those extra pounds reside in her/his body as his/her appearance looks quite in shape and attractive too. But obsession with ideal weight doesn’t allow her/him to enjoy other side-benefits of yoga practice which make a yogi; a real yogi.
The concepts of health, fitness or wellbeing cannot be defined mere in terms of weight loss. You need to focus on many other dimensions like sound sleep, constructive thoughts, inner peace, positive emotions, balanced diet, well-defined day-to-day routines, challenging yet self-satisfying work, harmony in relationships and self-love. When Patanjali put together Yoga Sutras around 2000 years back, he had on his mind the total wellbeing of individual.
If you are the one who is practicing yoga regularly can check following changes/signs at physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. These radical changes motivate several yoga followers continue their yoga practice forever.
1. Body feels lighter.
3. Body pain and aches start dissolving as you progress in your practice.
4. Body follows a natural cycle of hunger.
5. Energy level goes up. You feel more enthusiastic. You could take up more work without getting fatigue.
6. Overall improvement in the shape of your body as your muscles are toned and tightened.
7. There is a considerable loss in circumference of your upper arms, waistline, hips, thighs and calves.
8. Your core muscles become supple and strong.
9. You feel that your skin looks younger. It feels fresh and soft.
10. Eyesight improves (applicable if you practice trataka regularly).
11. You digestion improves.
12. Your constipation gets relieved.
13. Acidity and gas occur less frequently.
14. Your backache of many days either out of posture disorder or slipped disc starts settling down.
15. You get relief from migraine or tension headaches.
16. You can notice improvement in breathing patterns. You breathe more deeply from diaphragm and recognize the changes in the breath in different situations. Your breath notifies you of joy or stress before your mind.
17. You can see remarkable improvement in functions of lungs. There are many cases of asthmatic people going on off medication with the help of yoga.
18. Your immunity may soar to new level. A need to visit your physician frequently may change into occasionally or rarely.
19. If you are suffering from hypertension, your blood pressure may settle down to normal level.
20. You can observe a correction in sleep patterns. Your sleep is more sound, undisturbed and deep
now.
21. You choose healthy food, not out of compulsion but out of awareness.
22. You can register a good boost in your willpower, confidence and self-esteem.
23. You can keep cool even during crisis whether personal or professional and respond to it in a better manner.
24. You loses interest in smoking.
25. Enhancement in focus and concentration power.
26. You accept yourself the way you are.
27. You identify your strengths and weakness.
28. You can witness more moments of inner peace and calm.
