Yoga and Weight Control

So, yay! Today's Science Times (in the New York Times) has an article that says that practicing yoga helps people to stave off that middle-aged spread and even promote weight LOSS.

I knew this was true!!! Now the scientists are agreeing! In an Intro to Yoga FAQ that I wrote for my Intro to Yoga workshops, I mentioned that yoga helps us to control our weight, perhaps through the lowering of the stress-hormone, cortisol. The Science Times article doesn't mention that, but it does set forth the possibility that yoga makes us more "connected" to our bodies, thus helping us to know when we have eaten enough (so that we don't keep eating until we've stuffed ourselves). I don't believe that it mentions the concept that yoga encourages us to eat less meat or that eating lower-residue foods and not eating after dinner help us to have a better yoga practice the next day - all contributing to weight control. In any event, it's great to see this article in print and to know that people will be reading it. Much as I oftentimes malign the Science Times for being sketchy, superficial and, at times, unnecessarily inflammatory, I have to say that it is widely read.

Practice yoga, and all will be coming, including a smaller waistline... :)

YC