Obesity or excessive fat in the body is becoming one of
the major problems of this century. There are three stages of obesity
enviable, laughable and pitiable. If you are a little over weight then your face will
look round and smooth and beautiful (although concept of beauty changes from time
to time). This is the enviable stage. If you put on some more fat and you
look ugly, people will laugh at you. But there are people who cannot move their
body because it is so bulky and they need help even to get in and out of the
body. This is the pitiable stage.
Excessive fat that accumulates and makes you obese could
be due to several causes. A small percentage of these cases could be due to
some organic cause like lack of thyroid hormone, too much of adrenal cortisone
or female sex hormones. Rarely it can be due to damage to a part of the lower
brain which controls hunger and satisfaction. But the majority of cases do not
belong to this category. The major cause of obesity is clearly recognized to be due
to the modern life style. What are the factors in the modern life style that
contribute to obesity? Our body is like an elastic bag. What you put inside the bag
(high calorie food) and what you take out of the bag (exercises) decides the size
of the bag. In the present day lifestyle with advanced technology and busy
schedules life has become sedentary; hence there is no time or the need to
do any physical work. Most of us are involved in brain work which consumes
much less calories than muscular activity as in walking, running, playing etc. BHUJANGASANA
Sthiti: Prone Posture
Practice -
Bend the arms at the elbows and place the palms beside the lower chest at the level of the last rib exerting least pressure on the palms. -
Keep the elbows close to each other and let them not spread out. -
Inhale and come up until the elbows are straight. -
Arch the dorsal spine and neck backwards as far as you can. -
Maintain the final position with normal breathing for half-minute with least pressure on the palms. -
While exhaling come back to sthiti position. -
Repeat 5 times.
Relax in Makarasana. Benefits
Reduces the fat on the buttocks and back. Strengthens the spinal muscles. Limitations
Those who have undergone the abdominal surgery may avoid this Asana for
2 months. |