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Loading...Why Yoga Isn’t Just for Weight Loss
- Sarah Cooke
- July 25, 2012
- 6:00 am
- 36 comments
I recently read this article in Elephant Journal about the downfalls of promoting yoga as a weight loss tool and I have to say, I completely agree. Yes, yoga can contribute to a healthy lifestyle that can help practitioners lose weight. And yes, we are a country riddled with obesity, so encouraging healthy practices is a good idea. However, there are two important downfalls associated with using yoga as a weight loss tool: it promotes a negative body image and it contributes to the commercialization of yoga.
As someone who struggled with body image for years, I know all about using exercise as punishment. Though I have always felt spiritually nourished by running, I used to use other forms of exercise – weight lifting, spin, step aerobics, cardio kickboxing and boot camp – as little more than tools to enable my fear of gaining an ounce. If I ate a few extra calories, I punished myself with exercise. And when I worked out, the anxiety over my weight would be quieted, but only temporarily. It was like a drug. I never had enough – and on the rare occasion when I missed a workout, I’d go into emotional withdrawal. In this way, exercise took me farther away from accepting myself and my body – the opposite of what yoga is supposed to do.
In addition, promoting yoga as a weight loss tool commercializes the practice. It puts it on par with jazzercize and zumba. Yoga, in this scenario, becomes something to market. And of course, it is intended to be something much more profound than a moneymaking gimmick.
What do you think? Is it a good idea to promote yoga as a method of losing weight?
Related:
Why Yoga Is So Misunderstood
Yoga Teacher Barbie: Empowering or Ludicrous?
5 Reasons You Should Start a Yoga Practice
Read more: Body Image, Fitness, Health, Spirit, Yoga, commercialism, exercise, weight loss
Sarah Cooke
Sarah Cooke is a writer living in California. She is interested in organic food and green living. Sarah holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Naropa University, an M.A. in Humanities from NYU, and a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University. She has written for a number of publications, and she studied Pastry Arts at the Institute for Culinary Education. Her interests include running, yoga, baking, and poetry. Read more on her blog.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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All very good tips, thanks much.
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36 comments
+ add your ownUnbelievable work man!! Keep your heads high you probably did it.
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I was attend yoga classes for two years. I liked it, but it doesn't help to lose weight at all. I ws forced to buy diet pills http://1loseweightfast.com/proactol.html
yoga is spiritual, but an awesome work out too. like the article
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I've been doing asanas for years and it did nothing for my weight. Only after starting meditation practice to my surprise I started losing weight. Now I'm more body aware in my asana practice too and I progress rapidly buiding up strength and keeping healthy weight.
Why not promote a healthy practice to lose weight? Just because its benefits far outweigh weight loss doesn't mean it's not better than pills or dieting. Promoto yoga, promote fruits, vegies and other healthy things wherever possible! I'd like to see more people practicing yoga, becoming kinder, calmer and more spiritual. Just as I wished to see healthy meal outlets instead of fast food corners.
Yoga sorts out all parts of my life, health and mentality
I fully agree. While yoga can certainly help people manage weight but weight loss isn't the primary or not even the only thing it is meant for. Yoga is a way of life, it is a holistic practice for mind, body & soul. A lot of the people have already commercialized yoga simply because there are plenty of obese people every where who are looking for solutions.
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