How to Boost Your Metabolism Through Yoga

There are numerous ways to improve a sluggish metabolism. Sometimes herbal teas or supplements are recommended and sometimes, exercise holds the key. This article explores the role of yoga in revving up metabolism for improved health and immunity.

Give Your Metabolism a Boost With Yoga

When one is active and fit, the body has a good metabolic rate and consequently, better heath. One of the key areas of focus (in yoga practice) for increased metabolic activity is the abdomen and the manipura chakra located in that area. The manipura chakra controls digestion and all organs in and around the digestive system. A strong and healthy digestive system means better immunity because the immune system virtually resides there.

Therefore, a poor digestive system and a sluggish liver are among the most easily identifiable reasons for a sluggish metabolism.

How then do you raise your metabolism when it is slows down or if it tends to be sluggish anyway? Asana and other techniques in yoga that work out your core can be very useful. Surya namaskar for example, is a system that works out the body and increases metabolic activity simply because it gets the heart pumping and the blood flowing. Practices that strengthen the core and therefore the manipura chakra include certain pranayama that are dynamic.

A good example of such a pranayama would be bhastrika. Bhastrika (also known as bellows breath) is a breathing technique that makes the most of the muscles of the abdomen, warms up the body, gets the blood circulation going and increases vitality by leaps and bounds. It also reduces the fat reserves in and around the abdomen.

Bhastrika should be practiced on an empty stomach. It is best to learn bhastrika from an experienced teacher, as it can be a fairly advanced practice. It is better to begin the practice of bhastrika after considerable practice of asana.

It is not to be practiced in cases of hypertension or during pregnancy. Like bhastrika, there are other vitalizing pranayama and when done in conjunction with asana (especially suraya namaskar) it is a powerful practice and can transform the functioning of the body. It bestows on the practitioner tremendous energy and alertness throughout the day. It increases metabolism by toning up organs of the digestive system and in some cases, by improving appetite as well.

The endocrine system is also responsible for normal metabolic activity. The thyroid makes hormones that normalize your metabolism. It follows therefore that a healthy thyroid is all-important for optimal metabolic activity. Simply put, metabolism is the rate at which you burn calories. Therefore, metabolism out of balance can create a chaotic bodily environment with very little energy to lead a normal life or maintain a healthy body weight. There are asana that can help regulate thyroid functioning. These asana specifically target the thyroid area in the neck and stimulate it appropriately.

In summary, if metabolism is slow due to sluggish digestion, then bhastrika can help boost it. If, however, there are other reasons, especially related to the endocrine system, then it is best to consult your doctor before starting any of these practices.

Yoga Exercises for Sciatic Pain Relief

If you've ever suffered from lower back pain or shooting pains down the back and leg, you may have an inflamed sciatic nerve. Those who sit for long periods of time are prone to sciatic nerve pain. The good news is that many yoga poses can help provide sciatic pain relief.

Sciatic Pain

Sciatic pain can be bothersome at the least, but for some people it can be debilitating. The sciatic nerve can become irritated in several different ways, resulting with shooting pains and burning sensations in the lower back and radiating down the leg. Along with many other benefits, Yoga can provide sciatic pain relief. Sciatic pain is frequently caused from a tight piroformis muscle. This muscle runs from the spine's base to the top of the thigh. The piriformis muscle rotates the thigh outward. When the piriformis muscle becomes tight, excess pressure is put on the sciatic nerve. Other common causes of sciatic pain are lumbar spine disorders and even chronic dehydration. Those who sit for long periods of time are susceptible to sciatic pain. So if you have a desk job, keep that piriformis muscle well stretched!

Yoga exercises can be used for effective sciatic pain relief. Before you start a yoga practice while suffering from sciatic pain, check with your doctor. Once you get the ok, don't forget to let your pain guide you. Don't perform poses that cause pain. You'll want to feel a moderate stretch, but if you experience pain, back off. Be sure that you are adequately hydrating yourself with at least 8 glasses of water each day. Dehydration causes many sciatic nerve pain attacks and can be alleviated with good hydration habits in addition to the following yoga stretches. Rest for the first day or two following the onset of a sciatic attack. Then start slow with some easy yoga poses. Forward bending poses are not recommended for those suffering from sciatic pain. Side bending poses may be performed with caution.

Yoga Poses for Sciatic Pain Relief

Yoga poses that provide sciatic pain relief are those that open the hips as well as poses that provide a gentle twist for the back. You'll find five easy to do, effective poses below. To try the following yoga poses, click on each link for a complete description and illustration.

1. Downward Facing Dog: One of the most basic of yoga poses, this provides a stretch for the back and hamstrings.

2. Reclined Spinal Twist: The reclined spinal twist is a gentle, easy twist for the spine. You can take this one as slow and easy as you like.

3. The Reclined Hip Opener: Relieves back tension and opens the hips.

4. The Knee Hug: Stretches out the hips and lower back. Great for sciatic pain.

5. Marichi's Pose: A seated spinal twist.

Headstand: Getting Fit the Yogic Way

Are you contemplating a regular practice of yoga as a way to get healthy and fit? If you are, then specific asanas help specifically to work certain muscle groups, in particular, and provide certain health benefits, making it a holistic approach to getting fit. This article looks at the headstand.

Importance of the Yoga Headstand

For those who are hooked to a daily asana practice and have been practicing regularly, a practice without a headstand is incomplete. Headstand is the fulcrum on which yoga practice is based. For the new-comer, however, a headstand seems an unattainable goal or an exciting possibility, halfway between acrobatics and exercise. The truth is, headstands are not that difficult to learn and of course, we all agree that practice makes perfect. With time, it will become second nature. In the meantime, we must fully experience the act of standing on the head and the benefits of this wonderful asana.

Benefits of Yoga Headstand

It is not without reason that headstand is dubbed king of asanas. It is a crowning glory of sorts when you finish off with a headstand. It exhilarates the practitioner because of the blood rush to the brain. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. BKS Iyengar, one of the world’s foremost authorities on yoga, has expounded on this asana. According to him, this asana helps ease problems related to digestion such as sluggish bowels, it aligns the spine and gives elasticity to it. As the old Chinese saying goes, the more healthy and flexible the spine, the longer you will live. Besides, a healthy digestive system means overall health is optimized.

In my personal experience, I have noticed that each time I do headstand, I feel like I am getting a little better at it because something seems to adjust itself in my body to help me get the most out of my practice. But that aside, BKS Iyengar continues his treatise on headstand by discussing it’s benefits in depth. This asana has many variations. There is a basic one, taught when you are new to headstand and then there are more advanced versions taught in logical progression. Headstand gives strength to the neck and shoulders. It gives power to the wrists and hands. It greatly improves blood circulation, gets the heart pumping and displaces organs ever so slightly so that they bathe in the new blood flow as a result.

It tones the abdominal muscles, works out your balance and hence massages the nervous system. A few minutes on your head will do you a world of good. However, please exercise discretion when you do this. Never practice on a full stomach, and don’t attempt a headstand if your blood pressure tends to be high, if you have vertigo or if you are pregnant. There are bound to be other health conditions which may not permit the practice of this asana, so talking to a doctor and an experienced yoga teacher before taking on this practice is important, if in doubt. Moreover, if you feel dizzy after headstand, it means you did something incorrectly.

On a final note, most yoga books (and yoga teachers) will caution that if you are a beginner to headstand, then a blanket should be placed under the head for support, before hoisting yourself into the final position. However, while a blanket may be necessary for the beginner or the relatively inexperienced, you could well be a beginner to headstand even after years of practice. It depends on your approach to it. What you take to it is what you will get from it. So go into headstand with awareness and let it lead you to health, wellness and over time, even fitness.

Hot Yoga Facts: What does a non-biased professional say?

“Hot Yoga”: Physiological Concerns while Exercising in the Heat

by Leslie S. Funk

Introduction

As “hot” Yoga classes gain in popularity, it is crucial to inform potential students how heat affects the body while exercising. This article explains the physiological demands placed on the body while exercising in a heated environment. It is important to understand how the body cools itself when heat stress is present, and how excessive heat stress can cause heat illness. Recommendations for how to exercise in a heated environment are given, including hydration and acclimatization guidelines to minimize the risk of heat illness.

Thermoregulation: A Balancing Act

The body maintains its core temperature at 98.6º F (37º C) by balancing the rate of internal heat production with heat loss to the environment. This balancing act is technically called thermoregulation, and it is crucial, maintaining core temperature within a narrow range to avoid life-threatening conditions. To regulate core temperature, the cardiovascular system, comprised of the heart, blood vessels, and blood, adapts during exercise in the heat. Adaptations to transport heat from the body’s core to the skin surface include increased heart rate and stroke volume (the volume of blood ejected from the heart with each beat). These cardiovascular changes are controlled by the central nervous system. At core temperatures greater than 103–104º F (39–40º C) the central nervous system becomes severely impaired, rendering the body helpless in lowering core temperature. Basically the nerve impulses are decreased, leading to an inability of the brain to send a message to the blood vessels and sweat glands to increase heat loss. If the core temperature reaches 106º F (41º C), medical intervention is needed immediately or death will ensue.

Thermoregulation is challenging in a heated environment, especially if the air temperature is greater than the skin temperature. During moderate exercise, core temperature rises and the additional heat must be moved from the core to the skin. Heat is removed from the body to the environment in four ways: radiation, conduction, convection, and evaporation. The first three occur in environments where air temperature is cooler than skin temperature or where cooler air blows over the skin. In a “hot” Yoga class the room is typically heated to 90–105º F (35–40º C), which exceeds skin temperature, and is possibly above core temperature in an exercising person. Assuming a fan is not present in the Yoga environment, three of the four ways the body releases heat are not viable options, forcing the body to rely on evaporation to dissipate the heat generated by exercise. Additionally, when the room is warmer than the body, the body will actually gain heat from the environment, increasing core temperature.

Sweat and Heat Loss

Evaporation is the body’s primary protection against overheating. Through this process, the body transfers heat from its core by evaporating sweat from the skin and respiratory passages. It is important to understand, however, that sweating alone does not cool the body. To produce a cooling effect, the sweat must be evaporated to lower the skin temperature. By blowing cooler air over the skin, sweat vaporizes and heat is released. Humidity impairs evaporation, which increases the rate of sweating, causing a greater loss of body water, which in turn leads to more severe dehydration. In a Yoga class, humidity may be high, depending on the heat source, the room ventilation, and the number of students participating. Humidity will increase if the ventilation is poor and there are lots of students exercising and sweating. A separate concern is the practice of wiping sweat from the body using a towel. If the sweat is removed from the skin, evaporation will not occur, and heat will be retained. Sweating will subsequently increase, leading to a greater loss of body water and increased dehydration.

Dehydration

As the sweat rate increases, body water loss increases, and the need for replacement fluids becomes crucial. Without adequate fluid replacement during exercise, the body’s ability to dissipate heat is compromised. Hydration status prior to exercise is equally as important in avoiding dehydration. If properly hydrated at the start, the effectiveness of fluid replacement while exercising is increased. As dehydration occurs, the body experiences a decrease in the plasma volume of the blood. As plasma volume decreases, the body’s ability to lose heat is compromised. As little as a 2% loss of body mass from fluid loss will impair exercise performance. This means a 150-pound person who loses 3 pounds during a “hot” Yoga class from increased sweating will experience increased heart rate and decreased blood volume, causing a loss of endurance.

Heat Illnesses

There are several types of heat illness, the most common being heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion occurs when blood plasma volume is reduced and the heart is unable to maintain cardiac output (heart rate and stroke volume combined). The symptoms of heat exhaustion include a weak, rapid pulse, dizziness, headache, general weakness, and low blood pressure when upright. Body temperature is not severely elevated and sweating may be moderately reduced. To treat heat exhaustion one should move to a cooler area and rehydrate by taking fluids orally or by IV if necessary. In most cases, a 0.1% NaCl electrolyte solution will be used to replace sodium. If blood sodium is depleted, symptoms of heat exhaustion can include vomiting and muscle cramping, combined with progressive weakness. Heat exhaustion can range from mild to severe.

Heat stroke is the most dangerous heat illness and is considered a medical emergency. Heat stroke occurs when the core temperature of the body increases to 103–104º F (39–40º C), a life-threatening situation. In heat stroke, the body’s heat-dissipating efforts have failed, usually due to central nervous system impairment. At this point, sweating ceases and the skin becomes hot and dry and the core temperature continues to increase. Internally, organ damage occurs as cell membranes are ruptured. Individuals experiencing heat stroke will be disoriented and confused, their mental acuity will be impaired, and they may lose consciousness. Immediate medical intervention is required to prevent death.

Heat cramps are a less dangerous but painful form of heat illness. By definition, heat cramps are muscle spasms that occur during or after intense physical activity. Imbalanced body fluids and/or electrolytes are the believed cause of heat cramps. In most cases, the cramps occur in the abdomen and extremities.

Prevention of Dehydration

The ideal situation is the prevention of dehydration during exercise. To achieve this goal, students must be informed of good hydration practices before they participate in a “hot” Yoga class. The recommendations for hydration before, during, and after exercise are as follows:

Daily intake of 8–10 glasses of water (8 oz. per glass) for normal activity, not including exercise.

At least 2 hours prior to exercise, drink 16 oz. of water or fluid without caffeine.

If possible, determine body weight while hydrated, prior to exercise.

During exercise, drink frequently and early, before you are actually thirsty. Your goal is to replenish fluids at the same rate you are sweating. The maximal rate of replacement is between 20–40 oz. per hour, based on absorption of fluid by the stomach.

After exercise, evaluate change in body weight. Consume fluids to return to body weight prior to exercise.

Since the environment in a “hot” Yoga class increases body fluid loss, the above guidelines become even more important. Of additional concern, caffeinated beverages such as coffee, many teas, and sodas will increase fluid loss by increasing urinary output. Wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages cause fluid loss as well. Advise students who drink beverages with caffeine or alcohol to consume equal amounts of water (in addition to the daily recommendation of 8–10 glasses) to avoid dehydration.

Heat Acclimatization

Acclimatization is a way to train the body to tolerate a particular environment. In the case of “hot” Yoga, it would be ideal to acclimate to the temperature of the room to reduce risk and improve exercise performance. Heat acclimatization involves the body adapting to heat stress by stimulating physiological changes that will improve heat tolerance. The physiological changes include changes in cardiovascular function and autonomic nervous system adaptations. Ideally, the body should be exposed to heat stress gradually, over a period of 10–14 days. The initial exposures to heat should be without exercise, then with light exercise in the heat for 15–20 minutes. The duration and intensity of the exercise sessions should be systematically increased, in small increments, over 10–14 days.

Summary

By increasing your understanding of how the body regulates its core temperature, of proper hydration, and of acclimatization, you can decrease your risk for heat illnesses. Your understanding will be applicable to exercise of any type in the heat, including the “hot” Yoga class environment.

References

Armstrong, L. E. Performing in Extreme Environments. Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics, 2000.

McArdle, W. D., F. I. Katch, and V. L. Katch.Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance. 4th ed. Baltimore, Md.: Williams & Wilkins, 1996.

First published in the April-June 2001 issue of Yoga Research and Education Center’s Yoga World newsletter.

Copyright © 2001 Leslie S. Funk

Hot Yoga Benefits: Why is Bikram Yoga performed in a heated room?

If you think about it, it makes sense.

Any exercise program focuses on warming up our bodies before vigorous activity. The temperature of the yoga room is similar to our body's own temperature. This accelerates improvement in many of the benefits of your yoga practice.

Regular exercisers recognise that peak performance occurs when fully warmed up and your body generates heat from the inside radiating out and into your muscles.

Why is sweating beneficial?

After experimenting with different levels of heat and moisture, we have found that the increased moisture in the air is more likely to make you sweat, rather than the absolute temperature! And the more people in the room, the more moisture from our breath, the more we sweat.

Our room is thermostatically controlled so the temperature never gets too high and in dry conditions we use a steam vaporiser to ensure correct humidity.

The heat has many benefits ...

The heat means we can get into postures more deeply and effectively - plus the benefits of the postures come quickly. Like thousands before you, you will find that practising yoga in the warm room creates a satisfying and almost addictive feeling of achievement.

The benefits are many:

Your body burns fat more effectively, fat may be redistributed and burned as energy during the class. It is common to lose centimetres of shape in a very short time

The heat produces a fluid-like stretch allowing for greater range of movement in joints, muscles, ligaments and other supporting structures of the body

Capillaries dilate in the heat; more effectively oxygenating the tissues, muscles, glands and organs and helping in the removal of waste products

Your peripheral circulation improves due to enhanced perfusion of your extremities

Your metabolism speeds up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids

You benefit from a strengthening of willpower, self control, concentration and determination in this challenging environment

Your cardiovascular system gets a thorough workout

Your muscles and connective tissue become more elastic and allow for greater flexibility with less chance of injury and improved resolution of injury

Sweating promotes detoxification and elimination through the skin - which is the body's largest eliminating organ

Just as when your body raises its temperature to fight infection, the raised temperature in the room will assist in improving T-cell function and the proper functioning of your immune system

Your nervous system function is greatly improved and messages are carried more efficiently to and from your brain

Metabolism improves in your digestive system and in the body's cells (that is food in the gut and nutrients in the cells)

Yoga Flexibility Poses to Get Limbe

Looking for yoga flexibility poses to loosen your muscles and make you more limber? Check out these four poses, which will help you get more flexible in large areas of your boy, like your spine, lower back and legs.

Yoga for Flexibility

Yoga offers several different health benefits. Building strength, reducing stress and achieving better posture are just three of these. But yoga really shines in the flexibility department. It offers poses of differing challenge levels, so even beginners can benefit from practicing yoga.

Straddle Forward Bend

The straddle forward bend involves the entire body, so you get an all-over flexibility workout with this move. You’ll likely feel the most relief in your back, neck and spine.

Begin by straddling your feet more than shoulder width apart. Place both hands on the ground in front of you, then crawl your fingers back in toward you. You should end with your palms on the ground in between your feet and the top of your head on the floor just in front of your hands. Hold this pose for 10 to 15 seconds, then slowly release your body back up to your starting position.

Cow Face Pose Modified

The original cow face yoga flexibility poses might be difficult for beginning and intermediate yoga posers, so we’ll focus on the slightly easier pose that still offers flexibility in your lower body.

Sit on the ground with your legs out in front of you. Pretend as though you were going to cross your legs. But instead of crossing them next to each other, cross one over top of the other, so they both create a triangle shape and remain stacked.

Your bottom foot will support one side of your hips. Place a shallow object, like a yoga block, between the hip and the floor on the other side so you don’t topple over. Fold your hands in prayer position in front of you with a straight back and shoulders. Hold this pose for at least 10 seconds and switch legs.

Seated Spinal Twist

Seated spinal twists work your whole body in a gentle flexing motion. This is great for relieving pops and tightness in your lower back and middle spine.

Start out sitting down with your legs crossed, right leg on top. Lift the right leg up so that your knee is about at chest level. Draw the bottom foot around to your hip so the knee points ahead of you. Bend your left elbow so your hand points to the ceiling. Cross it over your right knee, twist your core and place your right hand behind you for balance. Remain in this position for at least 10 seconds and switch legs.

Ankle to Knee Stretch

This is one of many yoga flexibility poses that involves crossing the body over the legs and ankles. It’s fairly easy and offers relief in your legs, back and shoulders.

Begin sitting down with your feet crossed, one leg on top of the other so that your legs and feet are stacked. Place both hands in front at each side, then crawl your fingers out as far as you can without overextending your hips. Hold this position for at least 10 seconds, then switch legs.

Things to Consider

Twisting poses should not be performed by pregnant women. Before starting this or any other exercise program, consult with your physician to ensure that it's physically and medically safe for you to do so.