Hi everyone
My weight is optimum for my height and age, however i still have a little fat on my abs and thighs. I have recently started pranayaama and yoga…
Can you please suggest some good yoga posture for reducing thighs and achieveing flat abs ?
Thanks
sitting forward bend, and standing backward bend. The first to help the internal organ to stay in, and the later to strenghten muscle to the lower back and stomach area.
One exercise I find really helpfull for making nice belly, is to try to write a line as far up as possible with one hand and then the other hand on the wall. It will stretch the whole body really gently, and also correct the posture.
I say that because a lot of time it’s not so much the fat of the belly that we see but simply the posture that make the internal organ come out a little. If you do this exercise everyday, you will draw line on the wall a little higher everytime and you will gain few inches of height and it will probably help you position (and belly)
light
Hey
By “Sitting forward bend” you mean the CHild pose or Balasana ? and the standing backward, you mean the Half Moon pose or ardha chandra asana ?
I liked your idea of writing a line on wall, that wud be good, so if i have understood you, you mean with my right hand i write on the right side and with my left hand i write on the left side, while standing at one point ?
After doing Kapalbhati pranayaama, i feel really good, light and the stomach muscles feel tightened, However i have difficulty doing the Anulom Vilom pranayaama, i know it is very important do this as well, but i have Sinus which disrupts the whole activity…
I completely agree with you, that the belly fat shows up cos of the the wrong pose, cos when i stand up the fat doesnt come out…
Paschimothasana, the standard sitting forward bend. For the back bend, simply standing up and bending your body backward (like in the sun salutation) or use the Ustrasana.
I like kapalabhati as well, if you have problem with the alternat nostril breathing you can use a neti pot to clean your sinus. Also if you gently press slingtly over the cheek bone you can help the breathing. One thing I find really to work on the energetic body level is to breath trought both nostril (or whatever you can) and do the alternate in your head. Breath in fell the right side of your body, hold, breath out feel the left side of your body, breath in keep feeling the right side, hold, breath out feel the left side.
This will help balance your prana, even if you can’t breath trough one nostril or the other.
Make sure to always be aware of what you are practincing and the effect it haas on your life. If you start a new practice, make sure you take note and observe the effect it has on you, on your mood and energy. I don’t know what is your level of practice, nor if a teacher is helping you, but in any case, for me it’s really important to keep a journal of any practice, and make sure all we do is to explore and enjoy ourselves 
light
I totally agree with you, one should notice which thing has what effect on you…
I, like many Indians watch Swami Ramdev Ji maharaj On TV or Internet and have learnt things from him only…
According to others i’m thin but i myself dont feel so, i do other work out as well… but everybody told me that i was getting obsessed with the being in shape thing… so I thought i’ll start Pranayaama and yoga… i’ve been doing i from 2-3 months and find it really good and i feel good too…
I like Bahya pranayaama too and unlike other people… i find it quite easy and feel great afterwards… but still practicing on anulom vilom…
ash from my personal experience
I am 5,9
I have weighed 175 lbs and a few years back I was what many people would consider ripped, not hugely muscular but very well defined. At that time I still had some “extra” on the mid section. I surfed everyday for seven weeks straight that summer, ate fairly healthy but still had "extra"
I weigh 150 lbs today, not as muscular as I used to be yet I can still do 15 pull ups. I would consider myself fit, I eat much more healthy then I used to, but guess what I still have, “extra” in that section
my point is, at this stage in my life I feel that I understand myself enough to know that for me to try and loose that “extra” would be a waste of my time, I would spin my wheels and spend too much time trying to change something I dont think my body was meant to change
take care
seeker
Dear Ash,
I say this with great love, but be careful not to be too body conscious, it will achieve just the opposite of what yoga is intended for. Yes, we have to keep our vehicle in good order in order for us to perform our duties, but remember you not just your body.
Some clarification points for this thread, if I may.
-Belly fat is often associated with increase in adipose tissue in the omentum. One may google it rather than take my word for it. Rarely is belly fat a condition of internal organs showing, hanging, or protruding. Of course appearance, generally speaking, can be related to posture or structural integrity.
-While nearly any fertile female can conceive, it is exponentially difficult for those who maintain very low percentages of body fat. Additionally that maintenance also comes with an irregular menstrual cycle. Conception and bringing a fetus to term absolutely mandates a need for body fat to be available in the mother.
Losing fat and inches is typically accomplished with a Tortoise rather than Hare mentality. In addition, it is almost always combinative action. That is to say the external behaviors are several and they are preceded by an internal shift - assuming the human in question wants to transformation to be more than brief (temporary).
I am not aware of any statistical research relative to pranayama and burned calories. If there is such a study and it is published in a journal (perferably peer-reviewed) than I’d like to be directed to it. I am certain pranayama DOES burn calories just as wiping down the kitchen does or raking the leaves, though I would not advocate pranayama for a calorie-burning purpose.
Generally speaking, here are some common exercises with their documented caloric expenditure: (all based on one hour of activity for a #130 human)
Low Impact Aerobics - 295
Cycling (12mph) - 472
Circuit Training - 472
Handball - 708
Mowing Lawn - 325
Running (10min/mi.) 590
Walking (3 mi/hr) 207
According to this study, 50 minutes of Power Yoga burns 237 calories. Project that to 60 minutes and you have ~284 calories burned.
Thre is also the matter of individuality. What works well for one person may be completely inneffective for another. What is the determining factor is how a person feels. If you do not feel good at your weight (and that is not determined by a visual look in the mirror or the fit of your jeans), if you lack energy and the quality of your life is not joyous then it might be time for a change regardless of the scales.
Likewise if you are happy as a pig in mud then your current “situation” obviously suits you. Better to be round and blissful than to be rail thin and obsessive.