Yoga for Weight Loss

• If you are looking to lose weight doing yoga, you should focus on power yoga. Power yoga is often based on Ashtanga yoga--a form of yoga best suited for very fit individuals--but doesn't always follow the same sequence of poses. Power yoga can also be described as "an Americanized version of traditional Kundalini techniques." One reason power yoga is supposed to be so effective is the combination of breathing techniques with fast-moving poses.
  
  If you are not very fit, power yoga might not be your best yoga weight-loss routine--at least not the type that is based on Ashtanga yoga. There are other forms of yoga that promotes weight loss. Traditional Kundalini and Bikram--yoga done in a hot room-- are both aerobically challenging yoga. Kundalini or Bikram are supposed to give you energy and boost your metabolism. Then we have Vinyasa. In this type of yoga, you practice multiple series of the Sun Salutation, a varying sequence of poses in which breathing techniques are coordinated with moving into different postures. Vinyasa or flow class is the right yoga for your weight-loss efforts if you are somewhat familiar with yoga and are fairly fit.
  
  One significant benefit of yoga is that you become more mindful and aware of your body. Some claim that this is a powerful aspect of why any form of yoga is great for weight loss. On the website Medicinenet.com, instructor Dana Edison, director of Radius Yoga in North Redding, Mass., and a certified personal trainer with the American College of Sports Medicine, says, "Essentially, in yoga you learn your body is not your enemy, and the conscious awareness of the body that you gain translates into better appetite control."
  
  Dr. Janine Blackman, the medical director of the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine, seconds Edison's opinion: "the 'mindful' nature of yoga creates a healthier response to stress, which in turn prevents stress-driven eating and lowers stress hormones."
  
  

Considerations

• If you are looking for a way to lose weight quickly and effectively, yoga might not be your best bet. Medical researcher and practicing yogi Alan Kristal, DPH, MPH, who conducted a large study in 2005 regarding yoga and weight loss, says that, "even the most forceful power yoga techniques won't equal the health benefits of a cardiovascular workout--nor will yoga ever burn calories quickly at a significant level."
  
  Another consideration to keep in mind is that yoga is not the best way to build muscle. The older you are, the more muscle you are going to need to build for effective weight loss.