The Yoga rules

By Paul Jerard

With America tipping the scales on obesity, and weight-related health problems, it is more important than ever for all of us to stay fit. Many of us have already gone past the ideal weight category. We need to find our way back to a healthy, fit form. Yoga cannot entirely replace the benefits of regular aerobic activity, such as walking, but yoga can provide the basis for a healthier lifestyle.

What Hollywood and the "get skinny quick" master minds of modern marketing would have you believe is that rapid weight loss is healthy. The reality of the world we live in is that gradual weight loss of one pound, or two, per week is healthy. Gradual weight loss has the best chance of becoming permanent.

Holistic health has everything to do with balance in the body and all of the body's systems. Crash dieting and excessive / obsessive workouts only create further imbalances of the body and mind. The best way to reach a truly healthy state is to eat life-giving foods, strengthen and sooth the body, and renew the mind and spirit.

This may not be what you want to hear if you're coming here for advice on weight loss. Yes, if you are overweight or obese, now is the time to lose the weight. Extra weight increases the risk for nearly every disease, including heart disease, cancer and stroke. The simple fact of the matter is that being overweight puts stress on all systems of the body. Stress, in turn, creates imbalance, lessens immunity, and increases cellular oxidation. This is all the more reason to seek balance in the body.

To begin, make a concerted effort to increase your activity level in your everyday life. Pay close attention to what you eat and follow the yoga diet as closely as possible. By eating foods as close to their natural state as possible, you absorb the most nutrients, and gain the most positive effects from your food choices. The yoga diet is also high in fiber, which will aid in digestion from beginning to end. Once again, here we are on the topic of complete balance.

ฉ Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html