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By Swami Kriyananda
Overweight persons are not always heavy eaters. Weight problems are not affected only by the amount of food one eats. In medical science the focus is on water retention in the body, rate of metabolism, etc. Yoga science stresses the deeper fact that the body tends to gradually reflect the inner consciousness of the individual.
This relationship goes far beyond the simple and obvious explanation that the mind influences the amount of food one eats, and consequently, one’s weight. Rather, it is that the mind acts directly upon the body through the agency of the energy. By directing this energy wisely, one can actually think himself into putting on or losing weight.
We already have information on fats and other foods that affect the weight in a purely chemical way. Obviously, the less one eats of heavy, starchy foods and other carbohydrates, the less likely he is to gain weight.
Here are some more suggestions for losing weight:
1. One of the teachings of yoga says, "Stokum stokum anekoda" ("Eat a little bit, frequently"). The people on the island of Bali follow this custom. It is an interesting fact, that no native of that island is overweight.
2. Another is, fasting one day a week on fruit juice. (Orange juice is excellent.) The stomach needs rest from time to time, if it is to function efficiently.
3. One’s weight is also partly determined by the karma that one has brought over from past lives. One can mitigate this karma, however, by right action and right thinking in this life.
4. A yoga posture that is good for regulating the metabolism of the body, by stimulating the thyroid gland, is Sarvangasana - the Shoulder Stand-literally, the "Whole Body Pose" (as shown in the picture). It should be practiced on an empty stomach for a duration of 1 - 4 minutes (as long as it is comfortably possible).
5. It has often been said that one should not drink with his meals; not for at least half an hour before or after a meal. One reason for not doing so, is that this practice tends one to put on weight.
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