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Yoga for Perfect Weight & Management of Diabetes Print E-mail
Written by Sevadevi   
Developing your yoga practice can empower you with tools to realise your goal of a healthy body and mind.  By resolving to take control and use the techniques of the Yoga science, you can feel a renewed passion for life. Carrying excess weight is a burden for the healthy functioning of the body. This imbalance occurs when we overeat out of boredom or stress, eat fast foods high in fats and sugars on the go, when the body sustains an illness or injury and mobility is impaired, or the result of a sedentary lifestyle and eating to fill an empty gap inside. Carrying excess weight may lead to many diseases including diabetes.

Diabetes Type 1 is caused by an autoimmune or genetic dysfunction where the pancreas fails to release enough insulin crucial to the breakdown of sugar in the body. Diabetes Type 2 is more common in the over 40’s, generally by those who are overweight or inactive, where the pancreas secretes enough insulin but the body cannot effectively use it.

Proper exercise is important as it increases insulin sensitivity and lowers the blood sugar. Blood sugar levels rise when we are under stress so the yoga practices of relaxation, asanas and meditation are extremely effective therapies to help control
diabetes and weight.

Anandasan
Yoga Nidra
Begin your yoga session with a deep relaxation, Yoga Nidra. This is a powerful tool to remold the mind. In Yoga Nidra you make a positive resolve or shankalpa. For example.”I will develop a regular yoga practice and adopt healthy eating habits”. This will have a positive effect for you and those you love. The shankalpa or positive resolve is repeated 3 times at the beginning of the deep relaxation period and reaffirmed by repetition 3 times at the end of the practice. In this way the seed of the resolve is taken to the subconscious mind and your resolve is strengthened each time you practice until your goal is realized.

Energise your body with Agnisara Kriya , which is best practiced in the mornings and always on an empty stomach.
Agni means fire and Sara means wash, so it literally means to wash the fire chakra (Manipura Chakra) located at the navel centre, it also stimulates the immune system, increases the power of digestion. It increases the heat in the body, burning off any toxins and is helpful for diabetes.
Remember to practice on an empty stomach and avoid during pregnancy, menstruation, after abdominal operations and consult your doctor if you have any abdominal diseases.

Khatu Pranam
Hero Pose from Khatu Pranam
Bring your body to life with Asanas that have a flowing rhythmic movement, to assist carbohydrate metabolism, such as Khatu Pranam and Suryaya Namaha. These dynamic sequences assist the functioning of all systems of the body as well as improving aerobic fitness and lowering cholesterol and liquid fats in the blood.

Also recommended are:
  • forward bending postures to improve functioning of the pancreas and release of insulin to regulate the level of blood sugar in the body.
  • standing and balancing postures that build strength and balance the nervous system.
  • spinal twists to stimulate the circulation of the blood into the abdominal organs, and to assist the movement of food and waste through the intestines with a gentle squeezing action.

Asanas are psychosomatic exercises bringing a connection between the body and mind using the breath as a bridge. They strengthen and balance the entire nervous system releasing stress and giving vital energy to the body and clarity to the mind.

Follow asanas with Pranayama (breath exercises), developing control of the breath to nourish and preserve the body’s health, purify the blood, improve absorption of oxygen which nourishes the body at a cellular level through effective absorption of vitamins and minerals. The blood pressure is regulated and nervous system balanced to bring about a state of deep inner peace and concentration.

Finish your session with Meditation, which works at a deeper level to facilitate permanent and positive lifestyle changes. The Self Enquiry Meditation technique of Yoga in Daily Life is a step-by-step system to learn to attain self-knowledge through self-control and self-development enabling you to work on the positive, to love, accept and respect who you are.

Some simple tips:


  • Develop a regular home practice of yoga postures to suit your ability.
  • Attend a yoga class at least once a week.
  • Take time for a 30-minute walk regularly.
  • Adopt a balanced lacto-vegetarian whole food diet.
  • Reduce fats and sugars and replace with vegetables, grains and fruits.
  • Reduce your intake of food in a meal by 30%.
  • Eat slowly with awareness.
  • Eat meals at the same time each day to stabilise the metabolism.
  • Avoid eating late at night as the digestion is slow while sleeping and the vital restorative and repairing energies are instead directed towards digestion leaving you lethargic and dull the next day.
  • Drink water after yoga practice and between meals to facilitate the detoxification of the body.
  • Aid and strengthen digestion by sitting in Vajrasana for 15 minutes at the end of your meal.
  • Bring awareness to the body’s needs rather than substituting with food, whether it be sleep, relaxation or gentle exercise that the body needs to have balance.
With positive thinking, perseverance and discipline you will achieve your goal and your friends and family will not believe the change!
 
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