I've been approached by students concerned about the amount of yoga calories burned during a class. As a teacher focused on providing an environment in which my students may flower, this question annoys me a little. I put aside my ego and simply say, "Work hard and rest when you need to. The calories will take care of themselves." The student works hard in class, making sure not to rest too often, and sometimes doing a couple of extra poses along the way. When class is finished they look satisfied, which is what I hope for as a teacher. I know that the satisfied look on their face really comes from burning karma and not burning calories.
What is the goal of yoga? Union - bringing the body and mind into the present moment, and connecting them to the breath or spirit.
Does the mind care about a calorie? NO.
Does the spirit care about a calorie? NO.
Does the body care about a burned calorie? YES, but a properly functioning body can efficiently burn calories naturally.
I totally understand the need to loose weight or burn unwanted calories, but that should be secondary to the benefit of burning away new and old karmas.
Karma is darkness. It is frozen energy holding on to us, and standing in the way of ultimate freedom. We latch on to karma, hiding it in the recesses of our bodies. We plan to deal with it later when we feel we are strong enough, but we usually forget to go back to it. Storing karma is normally an unconscious process, but getting rid of it must be a conscious effort.
Asana practice reconnects the nadis, or energy channels in the body. These pathways have become clogged with unresolved karma, like plaque clogs arteries. Just as a blocked artery eventually leads to a heart attack, karma clogged nadis will lead to disease in the area of the body that is blocked. Asana and pranayama clean these channels. The newly opened nadi is then able to receive more prana, the energy of life force.
When karmas have been released, the body feels fresher. The mind feels sharper. The spirit sings.
The satisfied look on my student's face was not a result of burned calories. It was the presence of surging life force.
If you drop a few calories in the process, then great, but remember that yoga practice should help to balance the body physically, mentally and energetically. When you go to your next class, trust that opening your energy pathways will assist in generating more yoga calories burned.
Alan has a keen interest in many sports and healthy exercises. He recommends athletic exercise programs [http://www.athletictrainingprograms.net/] for muscle buildup and toning, and the practice of yoga [http://www.yogacaloriesburned.com/] to bring the spirit and body together as one.
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