Avoid These Common Weight Loss Mistakes

My Yoga Online - Part of an overall healthy lifestyle is maintaining an appropriate body composition. When attempting to decrease body fat percentages, many people make these common mistakes that greatly hinder success in achieving effective weight loss.

1) Not reading and understanding food labels: In order to properly engage a weight loss program, you need to be aware of the contents of all food consumed. Many processed foods have great variability in calorie, sugar, and fat content. Also note when you are reading food labels, take extra attention to the ‘serving size’ listed – these food items may appear to be low in calories, but the serving size may be small and unrealistic.

2) Being fooled by food marketing terms: Choosing food products because they are labeled as ‘low fat’ may be misleading. Often ‘low fat’ products contain higher levels of simple sugars and/or sodium. Again, read the food labels carefully.

3) Going alone: Regardless of what goals you have in life, you will be far more successful when you surround yourself by people who inspire and support you. Get your family and friends involved on your path to wellness. Seek out support (personal trainer, nutritionist, counseling, support groups).

4) Calorie Restriction: In order to effectively increase your lean body mass percentage, you need to add adequate exercise to your nutrition program. Without proper levels of food, your muscles will be depleted of necessary energy. Without this exercise, your ability to exercise and burn off fat calories will be highly diminished. Instead of thinking “calorie restriction”, focus on changing to nutrient dense foods packed with clean energy. Severe dieting should always be avoided as dieting can generate adverse hormonal reactions that can lead to increased retention of fat stores.

5) Consuming Energy Drinks During Exercise: When you exercise, you typically have 90 minutes of energy stores in the muscles, blood stream and liver. Most people do not exercise longer than 90 minutes and at high performance levels to justify the need for energy drinks. Consuming energy drinks during moderate length workouts keeps blood glucose levels up, thus preventing the body from tapping into fat stores. Drink room temperature water instead to stay hydrated.

6) Guessing what to do and following fads: Seek out qualified advice and guidance in your weight loss program. Get a personal trainer to properly assess your needs and establish a SMART fitness routine (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely). Also receive qualified guidance from a sports dietician. With this framework, you can empower your program with knowledge and awareness. Through proper planning, you also move to a level of greater ownership and responsibility.

7) Not changing the environment and patterns that led to weight gain: Without changing or removing yourself from the conditions that led to your weight gain, losing weight will be an uphill battle. Be bold and decisive by truthfully acknowledging who, what, where and how your current lifestyle factors contribute(d) to your weight gain. Make an honest list of what you feel has be the downfall to maintaining your proper body composition and then work diligently to change these lifestyle elements. For example:

*Do you tend to eat while watching TV at night? Replace watching television with a light physical activity, go for regular evening walks, go to an evening yoga class etc.

*Do you tend to overeat? Use smaller measuring devices when preparing food. Use smaller dishes to eat from. Prepackage your meals in advance and stick to this nutrition routine.

*Do you tend to purchase high calorie, low nutrient groceries? Shop alone (do not bring children to the grocery store). Eat a healthy meal before shopping for groceries to reduce cravings and temptations. If you lack discipline when shopping, subscribe to a grocery service that will deliver only high nutrient foods.

*Do you find yourself too inactive? Be inventive with increasing physical activity. Take the stairs as much as possible. Go for walks during lunch breaks. Do squats, lunges, sit-ups, and other quick muscle conditioning exercises during TV commercial breaks. Get a pedometer to track your daily physical activity levels and work towards slowly increasing your daily pedometer count. You will surprised how little changes and additions to your lifestyle can greatly increase your daily caloric expenditure.

*Do you feel constant stress? Constant states of stress lead to hormonal imbalances which often blocks the body’s ability to shed body fat. Explore daily methods of relaxing and resting. Learn to say ‘no’ and be willing to focus on yourself. Appreciate what is in the moment and discover how things and events of the past and future have little relevance to emotions you should be experiencing right now.

Entering a weight loss program is a major undertaking that requires proper goal setting and knowledge. Start off right with the proper education and support systems. Instead of just working hard, be wise and informed so your weight loss goals flow forward with greater ease.

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Five Important Health Reasons to Reduce Stress

My Yoga Online has added a new health and wellness article by Kreg Weiss, Five Reasons to Reduce Stress. With people needing to work more, save more, and find more time just to manage schedules, stress is becoming a chronic ailment for most people. Without recognizing the effects of stress and not having a stress management plan in place, this negative energy can produce physiology and psychological health hazards. Here is our top reasons why it is so important to reduce and management stress.

1) Prolonged Stress Weakens the Immune System

Studies have shown that prolonged stress presents strain on the cellular functions that support the immune system. Stress causes hormone imbalances, poor sleep patterns, and wears down on organs. Suppressed immune function readily leads to increased sickness and reduced ability to combat ailments.

2) Stress Promotes Unwanted Weight Gain

Some resources suggest that increased hormone cortisol levels related to stress cause weight gain. No studies have concluded that this increased cortisol level does increase weight gain and studies suggest that the increased levels of cortisol in short to medium stress periods are insufficient for creating weight gain. However, chronic prolonged periods of stress (in terms of years) still present some possible argument towards a correlation between weight gain and stress. There is however still a strong correlation between stress and weight gain. This correlation suggests that ongoing stress patterns generate poor nutrition habits, increased use of food as a support system, and improper meal schedules.

3) Stress Hinders Proper Sleep

Studies have shown that elevations in stress-related hormones increase the prevalence of insomnia. This increase in sleep disorders was shown to be even more prevalent as people age as the sensitivity to stress-related hormones increases as we get older. Studies have also shown that people who focus on the emotions and anxiety stemming from stress more often suffered from shortened sleep and encountered more sleep deprivation issues.

4) Stress Creates Musculoskeletal and Physiological Imbalances

Stress is a highly tacking process that depletes energy from bodily systems affecting work and activity performance. Stress is often a culprit for generating muscle tension throughout the body. This muscle tension is most commonly experienced in the spine with discomfort radiating through the neck, back, and shoulders. Neck tension is often diagnosed as the origin of many headaches. Stress also greatly affects digestive function, reproductive organ health, and hormone balance. One can see how readily stress generates hormone and energy imbalances especially for those who have skin disorders like acne and eczema.

5) Stress Reduces Quality of Life and Social Relationships

Most people have difficulty managing stress and associate themselves with the factors causing this stress. Without managing stress, this negative energy manifests into emotions and physical reactions. As social beings, others encountering someone else’s stress manifestations will either facilitate these stress reactions further (like attracts like) making the environment even worse. Or, those who are sensitive to others’ stress responses will choose to remove themselves from this social environment. Stress can adversely affect our relationships with others causing us to lose healthy relationships and foster further negative social relationships.

The first element in managing stress is to become sensitive to the physical responses that stress creates. Emotions and physical sensations (tension, lack of breath, headaches, low energy) are clear signs that we can monitor and use as tools to help us make changes when needed. When stress responses are apparent, we can stop, breath, and observe. How relevant and true is my allowance for this stress to enter and act on my mind and body? I may not be able to remove myself from the external stressors, but I can dissociate myself from these factors causing stress and not become bound to them. As we become more accustomed to recognizing stress, we can then engage in stress management activities like exercise, yoga, meditation, Yoga Nidra and relaxation programs offering great physical and mental benefits.

Related Article:
Yoga: Cure for Modern Day Stress

Top Yoga Poses for Lower Body Strength

Practicing Yoga offers a great deal of benefits including the strengthening and toning of muscles. This strengthening and toning supports joint structures, promotes injury prevention, improves physical performance, and enhances body weight management. This strengthening is more appropriately classified as endurance, the degree and length of time in which a muscle can sustain a contraction, since most Yoga poses involve 'holding' the position versus the action of loading the joint through repetitions.

The following yoga postures are asanas that can be easily performed at a various intensities by beginner and advanced yoga participants and present direct endurance and toning benefits to the lower body:

Virabhadrasana A (Warrior 1 Yoga Pose): due to the isolated forward knee bend, this standing yoga pose directly targets the quadriceps (thigh) muscles and the gluteal muscles of the same limb.

Virabhadrasana B (Warrior 2 Yoga Pose): similar to Warrior 1, the flexion of the knee and hip deeply condition the quadriceps and gluteal muscles. Due to the groin opening position, additional muscular contraction of the abductors and external rotators are needed to maintain proper knee alignment over the forward heel.

Chandrasana (Elevated Crescent Yoga Pose): this standing high lunge Yoga pose presents similar toning benefits and alignment components as Warrior 1. Since the back heel is lifted off the ground, you are now balancing on the back toe mounds and additional conditioning is directed into the forward and back limbs. Any addition of proprioceptive/balancing work adds a greater element with conditioning efforts.

Utkatasana (Chair/Fierce Warrior Yoga Pose): there are a wide array of Chair pose variations from closed knee, open knee, and twisting forms. The basic performance of flexing both knees and hips generates direct muscular toning of quadriceps and gluteal tissues. Play with different degrees of knee and hip flexion as deeper bending motions increases the degree of conditioning - take note that bending the knees deeper lower than 90 degrees begins to add potential for tissue damage and injury.

Virabhadrasana C (Warrior 3 Balancing Yoga Pose): a personal favorite for overall conditioning and development of flexbility, this balancing Yoga pose directly targets the gluteal muscles of the leg that is extended in the air. To fully benefit on the conditioning of these gluteal muscles, emphasis the extension coming up and out from the hip all the way through to the heel.

Setu Bandhasana (Spinal Lift/Bridge Pose): this classic yoga back bend is typically viewed as an asana for strengthening the back, but the use of gluteal, upper hamstrings, and quadriceps presents wonderful toning of the lower limbs. With practice and mental isolation, you can deactivate the hamstrings and utilize more of the gluteal muscles to generate the pelvic lift.

Marjariasana (Balancing Cat Pose): the balancing variation of this yoga pose (one leg lifting as the opposite hand also lifts forward) is another great posture that not only benefits the core and back tissues, but also greatly tones the gluteal muscles of the extending leg. Hold this posture for many breaths and again focus, like Warrior 3 Balance, on the gluteal isolation and heel reach to fully target the buttock muscles.

Purvottasana (Table/Slide Yoga Pose): this classic back arch on the hands and feet presents similar gluteal muscle isolation and toning as our Spinal Lift. Explore both the knee bend and full leg extension variations and note the changes in muscle loading due to lever/limb length changes - what lower body muscles become more dominant from one variation to the other?

Garudasana (Eagle Yoga Pose): often participants focus solely on the leg-binding aspect of this pose resulting in less appreciation and application of the strengthening benefits. With a proper knee bend and alignment, the supporting limb receives a great muscular loading on the quadriceps and hip. Adjust your weight off the toes and into the supporting heel-this will direct the toning benefits into the thigh more effectively and reduce potential sheer forces out of the supporting knee. Like Warrior 3, the balancing component adds to the limb conditioning substantially.

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Standing 1 Leg Extension Exit): following this standing leg hold, we can release the big toe and hold the leg forward feeling the immediate effects of gravity. The primary muscles holding the leg in the air against gravity are the hip flexors (psoas, iliacus, and rectus formis). The secondary muscular toning we experience is via the extension of the knee which is performed by the quadriceps. Depending on the degree of muscular development, we can clearly see the bands of quadriceps firing in this pose to maintain the knee extension.

By understanding how we can manipulate gravity, body position, and joint alignment, we can effectively work and condition lower body muscle groups. From this foundation of select Yoga poses, we can apply further variations to further deepen the benefits of strength, endurance, and muscular health in our Yoga practice.

Namaste,
Kreg Weiss
My Yoga Online

When a Yoga Workout Goes Wrong

My Yoga Online - I was recently asked about my opinion about 'fatigue' and reaching to one's physical limits in yoga practices. I had presented my earlier opinion that excessive fatigue should be avoided in a yoga class. As teachers, we should apply this principle and as students, we need to observe this mindfully. I realized that my definition of 'excessive fatigue' was not well presented as I was challenged on the idea that working the body to a place of fatigue is actually beneficial. I, therefore, decided to redefine my philosophy on fatigue in this blog post.

The body is highly adaptable to the stressors or lack of stressors presented to it. Without conditioning and challenge, the body weakens and looses vitality. Regardless of the type of physical activity, we should present the musculoskeletal and circulatory with progressive overload conditioning. This means we should bring the body's systems to an elevated state of conditioning that is very near maximal output in a variety of conditions. This overload principle acts as a stressor telling the body to adapt, to improve, to be able to accommodate this physical loading in the future - this is represented in many ways:

*increased muscle density if challenging strength
*improved alveolar capacity and oxygen uptake in the lungs if challenging the cardiovascular system
*improved elasticity of tendons and muscle fibers if challenging flexibility

Change will not occur without mindfully challenging the systems. However, it is often mistaken that deep, excessive fatigue is the representation of proper stressors in progessive overload. The problem with coming into a place of deep fatigue is the high potential for injury. Take Warrior 1 Yoga pose as an example. If you hold, and hold, and hold the pose, the quadriceps will develop lactic acid and the muscle fibers loose the capacity to generate contractile force (lactic acid prevents the reformation of ATP - the energy component crucial for muscle contraction). Therefore, the next series of tissues that need to takeover are the quadricep tendons. If the pose is already positioned very deep, the strain moving into the tendons can be highly stressful. Combine this with repetitive stress of other activities (like skiing or jogging), there is strong potential for acute or chronic tissue damage.

Another example: I see so many yoga students attempting full chaturanga (pushup transition to the ground) while ignoring their fatigue level and strength capacity. With deep fatigue setting into the triceps and shoulders, we often see the elbows fall outwards (as the body is struggling to shift the force load into the chest muscles). We also see the collapse of energy being transmitted into the shoulder girdle and core. Where is the functionality in this? Is it worth it to have excessive fatigue while placing harm to the wrists, shoulders, and spine? All for strong or sexy arms? All to appease the Ego?

So I present this thought to Yoga Teachers and students who wish to approach their yoga practice as a 'workout', do you wish to have a long term practice? Does a body free of injury have getter priorty than accomplishment? When you bring your students or yourself to the edge of strength or endurance, pull your inner gaze in with full defined focus and see what the rest of the body is doing-is everything in check? Is the integrity and function still intact? If not, modify, rest, or change the state of the pose.

Consider as well the energetic quality. For anyone using their yoga practice as a workout, go watch a yoga video of David Svenson. The level of his practice is outstanding, but with such grace and control. You do not see fatigue in the body, the eyes or in his breath. Complete essence of integrity. Getting to this level of practice does not come from pushing the body to extreme fatigue and with Ego.

As a side note, we are wonderfully inspired by athletes, the Olympics, and other sporting events. We often become inspired to become 'fit' and view these athletes as role models. Keep in mind, almost every single high level athlete endures some form of major injury in their career. And this is a 'career'. They eventually retire from the sport and many retire with chronic injuries plaguing them for the rest of their lives. Do we need to treat our yoga practice as a sport, as a competition, as something we will need to retire from eventually? Whether you are in the gym, out for a run, or in the Yoga studio, ask yourself why I am doing this? To feel good? What is it that is making you 'feel good'-the health benefits or the accomplishment of physicality? What if a sudden deep injury eliminated all those accomplishments? Would you still 'feel good' within yourself?

Fatigue in Yoga and exercise is beneficial and is good, but when done with the right intention and application. As Yoga Teachers, we should offer practices that our students NEED and not WANT. Health is often one of the most undervalued assets when we have it. Remember this when you move deep into a physical practice. Breathe in humility. Exhale out the Ego. Understand where your desire for accomplishment in physicality stems from. Be your practice with grace.

Namaste,
Kreg Weiss
My Yoga Online

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Yoga and Finding Expansion

My Yoga Online - The function of our hatha yoga practice is to generate physical expansion and to facilitate circulation of positive energy with the end result being balance. This physical balance is then meant to deliver support for the mind and soul to experience balance and harmony as well. All too often, the Ego sneaks in during our Hatha yoga class and the intention of expansion becomes diluted with goals leading to postures that are driving damage and strain into tissues. By taking time before our practice to center and to experience the sensation of holistic, non-judging expansion, we offer our practice a foundation to grow from.

This centering exercise can be done any time of the day and even beneficial when you need a break from working at a desk/computer:

*Come to comfortable sitting on a cushion or chair. Modify the legs so that your knees and ankles are very free to settle and release. Gently shift through your pelvis and clearly feel the rocking motion on the sitbones. Slowly decrease this motion until you find the center of the sit bones. The pelvis sets the framework for the rest of the spine and posture.

*With your pelvis balanced, notice how the belly and lower back retain equal expansion. The belly is long, but the lower back is not caved in nor belly pushed out. The lower back has length as well, but not generating a forward collapse into the organs. Equal space for balanced flow of energy.

*The natural, healthy curve of the lower (lumbar) spine now can be easily transmitted up into the remaining spinal curves. At this point, many people tend to drive muscular tension into the body to generate a lifting motion. To stay free, imagine your sit bones lightly sinking into the cushion/chart. This light anchoring or rooting allows the body to traction open next. Keeping the front bottom ribs slightly contained, visual 2 points: on the chest and directly behind on the upper back. Feel that these 2 points rise up at the same time without any tension or muscular contraction involved. With each additional lift through gravity, we reciprocate with tissue release and softness. Feel as though the mid section of the body spreads vertically - keep your sit bone anchors intact.

*Now transmit this lightness further up threw the top of the head. Play with the head position. Make subtle shifts back, forward, side to side until you find that the back of your neck is no longer required to hold up the weight of the skull.

*With this tension-free vertical expansion in place, we keep breathing deep into the belly and bottom ribs. We explore how the vertical openness can be expressed in other directions.

*Fully relax the shoulders and arms. Elongate the neck and the upper shoulder muscles. Invite in horizontal expansion - feel that you can open the chest and collar bones while also opening the upper back - lower ribs still contained and lower torso balanced. Your body now opening right and left. Every adjustment feeling minute in motion, but profound in effect.

*The horizontal space can easily be brought into the forehead, especially between the eyebrows. Dissolve the vast number of muscles in the face: in and around the eyes, soften the cheeks and lips, relax the tongue, and become free all through the jaw and into the throat.

With all these expanding adjustments, the nervous system becomes more and more receptive to balance. When you find yourself sitting and collapsing, mind cluttering with negative energy, stop and find your physical space and bring this into the mind. Take the extra few minutes before each Yoga class to center and observe your capacity to expand without effort. Then invite this effortless quality into every pose. We often believe that we have to 'push' the body in order to progress. This Ego driven intention gets us nowhere. Consider running - you can easily see the difference between an experienced, high performance runner who moves with control, fluidity, and expansion versus another that runs with compression, tension and struggle. Who is receiving the benefits more readily?

Observe your yoga practice - from beginning to end - does each pose regardless if it is a forward bend, back arch, side stretch etc, bring the quality of space? Does your posture facilitate wellness beyond the physical? In order to bring forth balance and openness, we need to expand equally in all directions. If only one part of the body expands, another may be closing to compensate. Enjoy feeding reciprocating lines of gentle pulling into the physical tissues and feel the grace of space cascade throughout the rest of the practice and living. Notice how every yoga posture can integrate the qualities of your initial centering.

Breath and Expand

Namaste,
Kreg Weiss

Is Your Yoga Hygienic?

My Yoga Online - Plantar warts and athlete's foot are not desired benefits of doing Yoga. However, there is a steady increase in the occurance of skin infections and conditions related to communal use of Yoga mats. Even though there are no direct studies linking Yoga to increased skin infections, there is a common element of Yoga studio participation and these increased infections.

Yoga mats are a breeding ground for viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Yoga participants walking around the room pick up and spread infectious agents on mats. The mats become moist and warm, and then rolled up, acting as a perfect environment for growth.

With teachers becoming more creative with Yoga flows, where one has stepped multiple times with the feet easily becomes a place for the face and other skin contact points to rest as well.

Keep your practice clean:
*Be aware of your personal hygiene and address any skin conditions. Respect your yoga neighbors and do your part to reduce the spread of infectious agents.

*Clean any communal Yoga mats prior to using them. If possible, use your own mat and also make a point to clean after each use.

*Wear your socks to your mat. Walking barefoot around a studio and then jumping on a 'clean' mat can still spread germs.

*Ask your studio owners what type of Yoga spray they are providing. Is it natural antibacterial product and in a concentration strong enough to kill germs? Reusing yoga rags over and over to clean mats can do more harm than good. How often are rags changed? Most antibacterial sprays need to be in high concentration and left to sit for an extended period to truly be effective. Again, best to use your own mat and clean it properly at home after every use.

We enjoy sharing our energy and experience with others in our yoga class, but we do not need to share everything. Keep your mat clean and engage your studio owners to insure that they are taking measures to keep your skin and the rest of your body healthy.

Related Articles:
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Balance and Intentional Flow in Yoga

My Yoga Online - I was recently reviewing some Yoga anatomy material by David Keil and was reintroduced to a wonder concept of creating balanced energy and flow in your yoga practice. David presented the common bandha applications of mula and uddiyana in a more generalized concept throughout the entire body. As a reminder, mula means to root and uddiyana means to flow or rise upwards. In our yoga practice, we strive to generate expansion and balance. By looking at your practice in terms of creating both a state of mula and uddiyana, we can establish a constant intention towards balance.

We can see how this is applicable with various points in the body. Let's take the foot, for example. In any standing yoga pose, we wish to ground or root (mula) through the toe mounds and heel. This earthy support allows us to draw energy from ground while bringing stability into the physical and mental state of the pose. In an opposing intention, we also wish to engage the medial (inner) arch of the foot. This mimics the intention of uddiyana-bringing a lifting energy from the base of the body up through the crown of the head. Hence, grounding flow downwards into the earth is reciprocated with an uprising intention. With lines of opposing energies and intentions, a natural expansion forms in the body. This physical expansion then readily transmits back through the nervous system into our mental practice.

Consider this application in the hands in Downward Facing Dog pose. As we establish our hand and arm positions, we encourage a mindful and rooting expansion downwards through the index finger pads and thumb pads. This rooting mula effect balances force loads across the wrist and hand joints. We can also create a subtle lifting energy (uddiyani) into the center of the palm that generates a direct unloading of the carpal tunnel. With the hands now properly aligned and balanced, imagine how this intention of balanced mula and uddiyana can be carried further into the pose. The uddiyana flow in the center of the palm can be welcomed up the arms, into the spine, and right out through the sacrum and sit bones. In opposite direction, the crown of head flows with release and grounding heaviness (mula) with the application of the rooted index and thumb pads. With the head and pelvis traveling in opposite flow, the vertebrae are holistically opened giving life and vitality to the spinal column.

Whether you are standing, sitting, inverted, lying, or balancing, visualize how the intentions of mula and uddiyana can coexist to bring greater integrity and purpose to your yoga practice.

Related Articles:
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