Yoga: Align your spine for weight loss

Yoga brings about weight loss in countless different ways. We have been talking about hormones, blood circulation and so many other body related functions that need to be set right for weight loss to occur effectively. A little known connection to weight loss is the alignment of the spine.

A SPINE ALIGNED TO WEIGHT LOSS

Spinal connections that spout from the spine in the form of spinal nerves connect all parts of the body to the brain. These nerves which lie along the spinal cord are wires which allow the flow of current, in the form of signals, to their intended destination. When these messages are received by the body it functions optimally. For instance the cycle of food and waste functions with the help of these spinal nerves. So digestion, immune system, hormonal secretions, et cetera, are all controlled by these signals. Digestion and elimination are the two activities that prominently aid weight loss and they are the most impacted by such alignment problems. Your nervous system controls and coordinates all the functions in the body. When one or more vertebrae move out of position, the signals travelling over the nerves get hindered and some parts of the body cease to function at 100 per cent capacity. In such a scenario, weight loss becomes a distant dream.

YOGA IS THE ANSWER

Yoga helps the nerves to work without structural interference. When the spine with all its vertebrae is kept harmoniously stacked and in balance, it allows the body to fully realise and express its potential. A misaligned spine loses its ability to communicate with the brain having dire consequences beyond headaches and back pain. All the organs rely on the respective nerves to keep them in good health and when they are compromised so is the total health of the system.

TERMS OF ALIGNMENT

Alignment is the body’s ability to be upright despite the gravitational pull. It largely depends on good posture.

A good posture is an easy feeling in your spine, joints and bone structure. Yoga, the 5,000-year-old science, has defined posture as one that gives you the feeling of ease and wellbeing. This says it all because really a posture is not a physical expression alone, it relates to your entire wellbeing and state of health, and it definitely has a direct, cascading effect on weight. A well-aligned body, with all the bones fitting properly, is a beautiful, shapely and healthy mechanism.

The bones in the body are much like a large community or family. They need to have a harmonious relationship with each other to be happy. Your bones too need to properly fit with each other. Your joints are those connections between the bones, just like the elderly or wiser members of the community who with their wisdom keep the community together.

BENEFITS OF STAYING ALIGNED

An aligned body works like a well-oiled machine. It keeps you in shape, gives you stability, mobility, freedom of movement, which means freedom from disease, pain and joint problems. It keeps you young and beautiful because a pain-free body is a happy and restful abode. Yoga postures are so designed as to keep the body’s natural alignment intact. When practised with breath awareness they help correct and maintain a beautiful posture, with supple, taut and shapely muscles supported by strong bones.

This is an interactive series, in which we will bring you practical tips on daily living, inspired by the vision of yoga. Write in to tabloid@gulfnews.com with your questions and doubts regarding enhancing your

lifestyle through yoga. For more information, call 800-YOGA (9642) or log on to artisticyoga.com