Yoga For Weight Loss – Top 27 Asanas: 1. Setu Bandh (Bridge Pose):
For doing this, you have to lie down on your back and bend your knees in such a way that your feet rests on the floor. Now the distance between your feet & buttocks should be the same as your hands. Now, try to lift your body in the upward direction. Try doing this 5-10 times & then release. This asana gives a good massage to your thighs & lower back.
2. Mandukasan:
Sit down on the floor in Vajrasana position. Now make fists with both your hands & place them on your stomach in such a way that the joint touches the navel. Press both the fists against your abdomen. Now try to touch the ground with your forehead. Try bending downwards as much as you can. Hold this position for 20 seconds & then release. Practicing this yoga asana daily will help in reducing belly fat.
3. Dhanurasana:
This is also known as Bow pose. All you have to do here is to lie down on the floor with your belly touching the ground. Keep your hands besides your chest. Now take a deep breath and lift your legs & thighs up. At the same time, you have to try to catch your legs with your hands. Remain in this position for 30 seconds & release
4. Shalbasana:
Lie on your belly with your hands resting below your thighs while forehead and chin are resting on the floor. Now try to raise your left leg up to 10 inches. Keep your leg straight. Do not bend your knees. After that, try doing the same with your right leg too. At the final stage, do this with both your legs.
5. Chakki Chalan (Grinding Pose):
This is again a very effective exercise & asana for reducing belly fat. For this, you have to sit in a comfortable position & spread your legs straight in front of you. Both your legs should touch each other. Do not bend your knees. After that join your hands & move it in circular motion over your legs. This gives a good massage & stretch to your stomach, hands & legs. Do it 10 times in clockwise position & 10 times in anti-clockwise position. Release slowly.
6. Nauka Chalan (Boat Pose):
For this, you have to sit down in a straight yet comfortable position. Spread your legs straight in front of you. Your legs need to be joined to each other. Do not bend your knees. Place your hands besides your body. Now try to move your hands forward & backward. Also, move your body in the same manner as you move your hands. They should move as if you are riding a boat. Do it 10 times in clockwise position & 10 times in anti-clockwise position. Release.
7. Pavanmuktasana (Wind-releasing Pose):
Lie down on your back in straight position. Now lift up your left leg & bend it from the knee. Now, try to press your left leg towards your stomach. Try to touch your chin to your knee. For this, you will have to lift up your head a little. Try doing the same with right leg as well. Once you successfully do this, try doing the same movement with both the legs at the same time. This gives a good stretch to your stomach & helps in reducing unnecessary fats.
8. Ardha Matsyendrasana:
Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend your knees, put your feet on the floor and then slide your left foot under your right leg. Lay the outside of the left leg on the floor. Step the right foot over the left leg and stand it on the floor outside your left hip. Pressing right hand against the floor just behind your right buttock, and set your left upper arm on the outside of your right thigh near the knee. The right knee will point directly up at the ceiling. Here, you have to exhale & turn towards the inner side of your right thigh. Remain in this position for about 30 seconds & then release. Try doing this the other way too.
9. Vakrasana:
For this, you have to sit in a comfortable cross-legged position. Now, keep your right hand on your left hand on your left knee. Try to twist your body in the left direction. Do not forget to keep your posture straight. Try doing this in the right direction too.
10. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose):
In this pose, you have to position yourself into a curved pose which resembles a snake. Sleep on the ground in such a way that your forehead touches the ground. Now place your palms under your shoulders in a manner that it gets tucked close to your body. Stretch your legs in a way that the top of your feet presses down into the mat. Now inhale & slowly press your hands to stretch your arms, sending your chest upwards. This pose looks like a snake & hence it is called the cobra pose or the snake pose.
11. Padahastasana:
Stand straight with your feet touching each other. Now exhale and bend downwards from your hips to touch your feet with your fingers. Keep your arms stretched in the whole process. Now slowly rise upwards and go back to the first position.
12. Trikonasana:
Stand straight, separate your feet wide apart. Now turn your right foot out to 90 degrees & left foot out to 15 degrees. Ensure that you body’s weight is balanced equally on both feet. Now bend your body to the right side, downward from the hips. Make sure that you keep your waist straight, thus allowing your left hand to come up in the air and your right hand comes down and touches the ground. Try to keep both the arms in a straight line. Repeat on the other side. Trikonasana stretches the sides of your body. It tones your arms & thighs. It also improves the flexibility of your body.
13. Paschimottanasana:
Sit down on the floor with both legs extended forward in front of you. Stretch your arms and body forward and try to touch your toes. Do not bend your knees & try to reach your toes. This asana gives a good stretch to your hands, arms & your spine. Also, it reduces extra belly fat & keeps your healthy & free from diseases.
14. Shirshasana:
While doing this asana, you have to first sit down on the floor in Vajrasana position. Now place your hands on the ground in such a manner that you will be able to hold your left arm with the right hand & the right arm with the left hand. Now try to place the crown of your head in between your palms. Now try to take your legs slightly upwards. This is known as Ardha Shirshasana. Try balancing it this way. After you successfully learn balancing, then try to move your legs in the upward direction in a straight line with your body. Remain in this position for 30 seconds & release. Always remember, the right way to come out from any asana is the way you enter into it.
15. Sarvangasana:
Image: Shutterstock This is also known as shoulder stand. Here, you have to first lie on a mat & rest your back on the floor. Then you have to try lifting your legs in the upward direction. You can even take the support of your hands for the same. Try to rest your hands on your back so that they can help you remain steady in the position. Now, once your legs are up in the air, try to bring them in a straight alignment with your body & stretch it as much as you can. Stay in this position for 30 seconds & then release. [ Read: Yoga Nidra Swami Satyananda Saraswati ]
16. Halasana:
Image: Shutterstock When you are steady in the Sarvangasana pose, try and bring your legs downwards from over your head. Again here, rest the palm of your hands on your back in order to support your position.
17. Tadasana(Mountain Pose):
Image: Shutterstock This is popularly known as the mountain pose. Here you have to stand straight on a mat. Now, you have to put your hands up & stretch it as much as you can. Try to keep your hands straight. This gives a good massage to your hands, back, spine and the whole body. This is the most recommended asana for increasing height as well.
18. Warrior Pose:
Image: shutterstock This asana is popularly known as ‘Virbhadrasana’. For this, you need to stand straight and then move your feet about 4 inches apart from each other. Raise your arms up in the air & stretch them. Now turn your right leg to 90 degrees on the right side & accordingly turn your left leg in the same direction & stretch it. Keep your back straight. Look upwards towards your hands facing the sky. Repeat this asana 10 times daily. It is an effective weight loss technique.
19. Uttitha Hasta Padangustana:
Image: Shutterstock Stand straight in Tadasana position. Now try to lift up your left leg in the upward direction. Now try to touch the ankle of your left leg with your left hand. Try it the other way too. Do not stretch beyond your capacity. This asana gives a good massage to your spine, lower back, hips, legs & hands. It also helps in reducing the fat in these areas of the body.
20. Garudasana:
Image: Shutterstock Stand straight in Tadasana position. Bend your knees a little. Now try to lift up your left leg and wrap it around your right leg. Do the same with your hands. Now try balancing in this position. Remain steady for 10-15 seconds & release. This asana helps in reducing extra fat in the thighs & your arms.
21. Vasisthasana:
Image: Shutterstock Stand in the Ardha Mukha Shvanasana position. Now try to lift up your right leg in the air. Try to touch your right leg with your right hand. The left hand and left leg should touch the ground. Your face should be in the upward direction facing the sky. Repeat 10 times every day.
22. Ardha Chandrasana:
Image: Shutterstock Stand in a straight position. Spread your legs wide apart. Now turn your right foot outside in a 90 degree position. Try to touch your hands, palm to the ground in a straight line with your feet. Now, lift up your left leg and try to stretch it up in the air as much as you can. Do not stretch beyond your capacity. Now lift up your right hand & stretch it up in the air. Remain steady for 30 seconds & release.
23. Utkatasana (Chair Pose):
Image: Shutterstock Stand in Tadasana position. Stretch your hands up in the air. Now bend your knees and try to keep your thighs parallel with the floor in the same manner in which you sit on a chair. Stay in this position for 30 seconds and release. This will help you in reducing fat from the arms and thighs.
24. Side-Bend Asana:
Stand in a straight position. Keep your hands beside your body & leave it loose. Now simply turn towards your right side. Do not put any pressure on your body or your hands. Just stretch from your side as much as you can. Try it in both the directions. This will help you get rid of the unnecessary fat on your side.
25. Tittibhasana (Fire Fly pose):
Image: Shutterstock This pose combines the arm balance pose and the forward bend, an arm balance and a hip opening pose. Settle into a wide squat. Bring your palms flat on the floor just under your feet. Bend the elbows back into Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose). Shift your weight back to rest on your upper arms and bring the feet off the floor. Straighten the legs and then your arms into the final posture. Hold this asana for 10 seconds daily and build it over time to One minute.
26. Kati Chakrasana – Half Wheel Pose:
Image: Shutterstock This is a side stretch and is a great way to melt away those love handles. It is also an excellent way to tone your lateral muscles. How To do: 1. Stand on the yoga mat with the feet joined together, with the toes and heels touching each other. 2. Allow your hands to rest on your waist; make sure that your thumbs point towards your spine. 3. Taking a deep inhalation, slowly bend backward until you experience the tingle on your spine.
4. Make sure your knees are straight. 5. Hold the pose, breathing deeply, until you finish counting 20 slowly. 6. Exhaling and then inhaling, slowly release your body from the pose and relax in the
initial position. 7. This makes one repetition. Repeat 3 to 5 times.
27. Adhomukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog Pose:
Image: Shutterstock Along with helping you tone your tummy and give you an enviable arms and hamstrings, this yoga stretch has countless other benefits too. How To do: 1. Stand on your yoga mat straight, your feet resting firm and flat on the yoga mat. 2. Keep your spine erect. 3. Allow your hands rest alongside the body with your palms resting on your thighs. 4. Indulging in a deep inhalation and then exhaling slowly, bend frontward in such a way that your palms could rest on the yoga mat spread out at the width of the shoulders. 5. Make sure that your fingers are spread out. 6. Let the face down, the gaze fixed on the floor. 7. Stretch out your legs, one each, towards the back, spreading out at shoulder width. 8. Let the hands and feet be aligned. 9. Keep the knees and elbows straight. 10. Taking a deep inhalation, suck your abdomen completely in such a way that your navel and spine are close to each other. 11. Hold the pose, indulging in deep breathing for about a count of 60. 12. Exhaling gently, release your body from the pose and relax. 13. This makes one repetition. Repeat7 times, taking a pause of 10 seconds in between repetitions. [ Read: Yoga Breathing Techniques For Weight Loss ]
Pranayama: These yoga postures for weight loss can undeniably help in losing extra pounds and make you look slimmer. But it is more effective when done along with pranayama. Pranayama is a
breathing exercise which involves controlling your breath. While practicing pranayama, follow the below mentioned steps: Take a deep breath. Now close your right nostril with the thumb of the right hand. Inhale with the left nostril & exhale with the same. Try breathing with both the nostrils one by one. Always inhale slowly. This helps in clearing the nasal passage. Those having breathing problems have to consult a doctor before practicing this. You can also practice anulom-vilom which means alternate breathing exercise. Yoga is considered as an effective weight loss option as it is a mixture of warm-up exercises, asanas & breathing techniques. Pranayama increases metabolic rate and hence, burns your calories at a much faster rate. It generates heat in your body & also increases blood circulation. Dietary Habits: Diet is an important component while practicing asanas & pranayam for weight loss. One of the best aspects of yoga is that diet is a main part of it. After you have lunch, you can practice yoga after a gap of 4 hours. You have to control your food intake. You also have to follow a specific diet plan which will help in reducing unnecessary calories. Yoga and breathing exercises should always be performed on empty stomach. After you finish with the weight loss yoga session, always chant ‘Aum’ or ‘OM’ 11 times loudly. The vibration that it creates gives you a pleasant feeling & keeps your body rejuvenated throughout the day. Also, this chanting can be done in the beginning of a yoga class along with prayers & mantras. Are you planning to include yoga to lose weight in your workout? Then do try these above mentioned tips, asanas & breathing exercises for weight loss. Happy practicing! Do leave us a comment below.