There's more nuance to how best to go about it, as well as myriad other benefits well beyond body composition and body fat percentage. So, we've called upon the experts to dish the details on how to hit your health goals in the most zen way possible and answer your most frequently asked questions.

Note: Many yogis would argue that if you're using yoga purely for weight loss you're not connecting with the true purpose of the movement - a spiritual practice founded on ancient Indian wisdom. Short answer, yes. Regular movement and being in a nutrient-focused calorie deficit is the key to healthy weight loss and yoga can absolutely play a part in that.

However, it's a much more holistic process than just calories in calories out : 'It creates a deeper awareness of your physical and mental state, linking the breath to the movement of the poses asanas ,' explains yoga teacher Alexandra Baldi, founder of Compass Chelsea.

And the science backs Baldi up: The stress hormone cortisol can be a major inhibitor to weight loss, as shown by a study of overweight women, published in the American Journal of Managed Care. The research showed that restorative sessions, or Yin yoga , can produce the same weight loss results over weeks as other forms of yoga.

But how? Well, by lowering cortisol levels by regularly unwinding through a consistent yoga practice, the women were able to successfully lose body fat. Keen to calm down?

This 9-move relaxing yoga flow oughta do the trick. Read what happened when WH Health Editor Claudia Canavan took on her own yoga challenge. When it comes to how frequently you need to be getting down to your yoga mat , we're taking our lead from Fi Clarke, head of yoga at FLY LDN , whose approach takes into account actual real life.

Your yoga practice should be considered as a way to switch off, connect with yourself and give you time to gain headspace and perspective. Once your nervous system is soothed and cortisol levels are low, your body is in a much better position to organically lose weight.

That cortisol word again, hey. Seems our nervous systems have a huge role to play in healthy and sustainable weight loss. But, if you're already in a place where you feel ready to incorporate regular movement into your life, what's a good benchmark to aim for? However, and this is good to remember — depending on what type of yoga you're practising, your body's ability to endure it regularly will be different.

For example, if power or rocket yoga is your jam, you might only be able to hack two or three classes a week due to the intense nature of the sessions.

Yin yoga , on the other hand, depending on time restraints, you could probably do every single day without feeling strung out, sore or knackered. According to Baldi, focusing on dynamic practices such as Ashtanga and Power Vinyasa will help you burn calories efficiently as you work towards your healthy body composition goals.

The continuous aerobic flow and pace of the practice are what creates more calorie burn. According to Nike Master Trainer and yoga-extraordinaire, Leah Kim , sun salutations are the best place to begin as they're novice-friendly and stimulate the entire cardiovascular system.

As there are so many different types of yoga, there isn't anyone specifically who shouldn't practice yoga. However, there might be some mitigating factors that help you decide what's best for you and your body.

Power Yoga helps promote weight loss and maintain a healthy body and a stress-free life. It also enhances stamina, flexibility, and mental focus.

Power yoga is a modern form of yoga where the asanas increase your stamina, making you strong, flexible, and free of stress.

It is a strength-building exercise that provides a workout for your whole body. The most reliable form of Power Yoga begins with Surya Namaskara or Sun Salutation. You can perform the Surya Namaskara as a warm-up before you start your Power Yoga workout session.

There are several other Power Yoga asanas that are very important for weight loss such as the Uttanpadasana or the Raised feet pose, Veerbhadrasana, the warrior pose, Ardha Chandrasana or the Half-moon pose, Paschimottasana or the Seated forward bend among others.

Power Yoga is considered an appropriate intervention for weight loss and to prevent obesity. When looking to lose weight, yoga is generally not the first workout that one opts for.

The reason being that many forms of yoga are practised solely for flexibility and relaxation. The important thing is to choose the right type of yoga such as power yoga to match your weight loss goal.

This along with a healthy diet can help in weight loss. Work with an expert to choose the right yoga regimen and help get your posture right so you can get maximum benefits from your yoga practice.

Yoga, an Indian practice of mind and body rejuvenation, has significant benefits for all, from people who are overweight and want to shed weight to those who want to relax. Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is just to disperse knowledge and spread awareness. It does not intend to replace medical advice by professionals.

For further information please contact our certified nutritions Here. The amount of weight one loses by doing Yoga varies from person-to-person and depends on their a number of factors including their flexibility. Yes, you can lose belly fat with the help of yoga.

Basic stretches and different asanas like Surya Namaskar can help you lose belly fat. That said, it is not recommended that you aim for spot reduction in any case.

Both yoga and fitness have their own advantages. Yoga involves more stretching and relaxation, whereas fitness deals with the contraction of muscles.

There is no way of saying one works better than the other for weight loss. Yes, it is effective for weight loss. However, Hatha yoga is recommended since it is better in the long term. People with medical conditions should not prefer doing power yoga, unless under supervision.

Yes, there are several intense asanas that will help you lose weight. Plank Pose, Warrior Pose and Downward dog pose are some that are very effective. Yes, a minute yoga session will help you lose weight. For best results, include a calorie deficit diet in your daily routine. Yoga is a workout that can be practised any time of the day.

Usually, it is suggested not to focus on calorie burn in yoga as it works in a more holistic way. However, if tracked, a power yoga session of 30 mins can burn approx. Yes, a day yoga session is great for improving and energizing your body and mind.

An intense 25 min yoga session can also help you lose weight. Though both are equally effective, Yoga and Gym are quite different in nature. Yoga is strengthening your body and mind simultaneously.

The gym is more about including physical exercise in your lifestyle. Also, it is about preference. Weight loss is a gradual process. Though it differs from person to person, one can possibly see inch loss within 10 days.

Surya Namaskar, Pranayama, Bridge asanas can help to tone the body and help you shed some weight if performed regularly. The entire review process entails levels of screening and evaluation by efficient groups of writers, editors and accredited medical experts.

With the aim to establish long-lasting healthy lifestyle habits, we are committed to writing concurrent, medically backed and evidence-based articles. Read more. Poonam Sharma Last Updated by: Sumita Thomas Date: April 10, Shamlee seemed destined to take up a career in Yoga, having started practicing the discipline at the tender age of 3.

She completed her Master's and her Bachelor's degrees in Yoga Therapy from the S-VYASA University. A specialist in Diabetes and Stress Management, Shamlee has conducted research on how Yoga aids individuals with common ailments at AIIMS, New Delhi.

A former member of the Indian Yoga team, she is presently a Yoga Team Lead at HealthifyMe. Shamlee believes Yoga is the answer to any individual's health issues, whether they are physical or mental. I began my Yoga journey two years ago and lost about 40 pounds doing two classes per day. It has also healed my sciatica, an issue my surgeon wanted to fix with surgery.

Hello, Very nice content. It is very beneficial for me. Easy to understand. Thank you for sharing some worthy information. Hi, I read all your blogs this one is really good about weight loss yoga, this information really helps me. Your blogs are really helpful. Hi, I read all your blogs this one is really good about yoga, this information really helps me.

Thanks for sharing this informative yoga step with us which helps in weight loss at home. I enjoyed reading this informative blog. Thanks for mentioning these amazing asanas which help in weight loss at home.

I have gone through the blog post and I must admit it is very informative. I liked the writing style too. Keep up the good work and share more contents. Nice article, the way you described each and every steps to perform a particular pose is awesome.

I have written an article as well. Do checkout. The benefit of Yoga to Reduce Weight Loss in 1 Month Tired of all the pain, sweating, starving, and rigorous training for burning off your calories and reducing your weight.

Sounds interesting. It is fascinating to know that yoga with the blend of activity and calmness, soothes out your mind and your dream to be the fit and firm you. I read the HealthifyMe practically every day. I am very happy to have found such an interesting article on yoga for my state of mind.

This program has helped me in combination with exercise and meditation to get an impeccable figure and improve my mood. I hope it will help other people as well. Just like it helped me to sculpt my figure to feel better about myself. Excellent post about yoga for weight loss.

Yoga ensures a person to sustain the weight along with better health and no dieting is recommended. I am really fascinated by the blog post on this website.

Many thanks to Shamlee Pathare for gifting us a beautiful blog post. I have visited your blog and you will give us more beautiful blog posts like this. Are we required to hold these poses or just quickly move on to another pose.

Can I do these asanas in endometriosis? please tell me. if these asanas are safe in endometriosis… please answer quickly.

Research has also linked yoga to keeping the weight off after you lose it. But how effective it is for weight loss really depends on the type of yoga , says yoga instructor Alli Bradley of Private Yoga Soho , adding that there are a lot of different types.

Meet the experts: Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in obesity medicine.

She has received many awards for her work, including from the American Medical Association and American College of Physicians. She holds a teaching position at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Alli Bradley provides private yoga lessons that combine several styles, including Vinyasa and restorative yoga. She completed hours of yoga training at a studio in New York City, and is also trained in dance, somatics, and energy healing.

Yoga has a lot going for it, but there are a few particular aspects of the practice that make it good for weight loss. It burns calories.

But Dr. Stanford says you can maybe expect about calories for a minute session. It busts stress. Stress causes your body to store fat, particularly in the midsection , Dr. Stanford says. Exercises that promote mindfulness like yoga can help lower levels of stress and can help you maintain or lower your body fat, according to a study in the Journal of Obesity.

It can help with your sleep. Being mindful and less stressed can improve your sleep, Dr. Yoga, on the other hand, tends to be understood as a less intense, more meditative practice—and understandably so.

In fact, when Indian gurus and monks first introduced yoga philosophy to the West in the late s, their intent was to teach people how to achieve mental fortitude and inner peace. But this doesn't mean that yoga can't benefit someone who is trying to be more toned.

Yes, the effects of a consistent yoga practice could mean you shed some pounds. Yoga has a number of benefits that can have a significant effect on your overall physical and emotional health, including weight loss.

Pediatric and Young Adult Gastroenterologist in Kailua, Hawaii. Research shows that a consistent yoga practice paired with an Ayurvedic diet, AKA an ancient Indian holistic nutrition approach based on your body type, can result in weight loss. A small study published in Global Advances in Health and Medicine had overweight or obese adults follow an Ayurvedic diet paired with yoga therapy, and after nine months, participants lost an average of nine pounds.

This is because yoga boasts a wealth of benefits that are linked to weight loss, beyond doing chatarunga after chatarunga:. Yoga reduces stress, which has been linked to weight can.

Cortisol stimulates your fat and carbohydrate metabolism, while increasing your cravings for salty, sweet, or fatty foods. Yoga, in particular restorative yoga, can lower cortisol levels to encourage weight loss.

A study published in the American Journal of Managed Care found that Yin yoga helped lower cortisol levels of women after 12 weeks, resulting in a reduction of body fat.

Yoga can help reduce cravings. One of the greatest benefits of yoga is becoming more mindful, says international yoga instructor Adriene Mishler. Studies show that people who practice mindfulness are less stressed, less likely to reach for comfort foods , and less likely to binge eat.

Yoga may even improve your sleep. Poor sleep can sabotage weight loss efforts, according to researchers. You know how it goes: When you're tired, you may be too tapped to workout effectively and more likely to give into unhealthy cravings.

Your metabolism may even be affected. Exercise in general is known to improve sleep, so try doing a few yoga poses before bed to tire yourself out and get to sleep faster. Your yoga practice should be considered as a way to switch off, connect with yourself and give you time to gain headspace and perspective.

Once your nervous system is soothed and cortisol levels are low, your body is in a much better position to organically lose weight. That cortisol word again, hey. Seems our nervous systems have a huge role to play in healthy and sustainable weight loss.

But, if you're already in a place where you feel ready to incorporate regular movement into your life, what's a good benchmark to aim for? However, and this is good to remember — depending on what type of yoga you're practising, your body's ability to endure it regularly will be different.

For example, if power or rocket yoga is your jam, you might only be able to hack two or three classes a week due to the intense nature of the sessions. Yin yoga , on the other hand, depending on time restraints, you could probably do every single day without feeling strung out, sore or knackered.

According to Baldi, focusing on dynamic practices such as Ashtanga and Power Vinyasa will help you burn calories efficiently as you work towards your healthy body composition goals.

The continuous aerobic flow and pace of the practice are what creates more calorie burn. According to Nike Master Trainer and yoga-extraordinaire, Leah Kim , sun salutations are the best place to begin as they're novice-friendly and stimulate the entire cardiovascular system.

As there are so many different types of yoga, there isn't anyone specifically who shouldn't practice yoga. However, there might be some mitigating factors that help you decide what's best for you and your body.

From the outside, it may seem to be mindful breathing and pigeon pose but you can make some serious yogi-strength gains too. Chaturanga — a key sequence in Vinyasa builds upper body and core strength with frequent planks and press-up movements, while downward dog puts your shoulders to the test and chair pose sets your glutes on fire.

Maintain mind to muscle connection and move with intention to really ramp up the muscle strength. Making some time for yourself amongst everything going on in your life could be just the break you and your mental health need.

From being a space to release suppressed emotions, let go of the day or calm your nervous system and stress response down, the mental clarity found on your yoga mat could be the thing to keep you feeling stable amidst stormy seas.

Can it help with weight loss, too? And it can help you manage stress, which can also help with weight maintenance, she says. And her research says so, too. Bar is coauthor of a study review in which she and her team reviewed dozens of studies evaluating the effects of yoga on weight loss.

The data showed that yoga is tied to weight loss and weight maintenance because of a handful of factors, including energy expenditure during yoga sessions, encouraging more exercise by reducing back pain and joint pain, heightening mindfulness, improving mood and reducing stress, and helping yogis feel more connected to their bodies, their satiety, and eating habits.

RELATED: Can Practicing Yoga Help You Not Get Sick? Another study analyzed data collected from interviews with 20 adults who reported losing weight through a yoga practice. Khalsa says.

Your instructor may be asking you to monitor your breath and pay attention to what your mind and body are telling you, which is a way of learning and practicing mindfulness.

And practicing mindfulness on your yoga mat can help when it comes to practicing mindful eating habits, too. Mindful eating is recognizing hunger cues and limiting binge eating. Over time and with practice you may even zero in on which foods make you feel fueled and energized, and which ones have more negative effects like making you feel lethargic or bloated , Khalsa says.

And all of these behaviors can help you stick with a diet or weight loss eating plan — or in making healthier food choices overall.

Khalsa cites research that found that yoga has been linked to changes in eating behavior, specifically cutting back on dietary fat and adding more fresh vegetables, whole grains, and soy-based products.

Another study analyzed survey data from women who either regularly practiced yoga or cardio-based exercise. The yogis were significantly less likely to have disordered eating patterns than the cardio-based exercisers. RELATED: A 5-Minute Yoga Basics Flow for Beginners.

There are many ways stress can contribute to weight gain — and particularly unmanaged, chronic stress. Yoga can help lower chronic stress levels. Breathwork and meditation are the cornerstones to yoga practice. And both contribute to boosting energy, improving mood, and lowering stress levels, says Sundar Balasubramanian, PhD , assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, whose research focuses on how yogic breathing can promote well-being in people with chronic health problems and other diseases.

Balasubramanian is also founder of the PranaScience Institute, which offers courses in yogic breathing and an International Association of Yoga Therapists—certified yoga therapist. Deep breathing helps undo stress and reverse some of these negative effects that can make weight loss more difficult or contribute to weight gain.

There are physiological changes that happen in the body in response to breathing exercises, Balasubramanian says.

One study review that analyzed data from 42 studies suggested that yoga was associated with lower levels of evening cortisol, waking cortisol, resting heart rate, and cholesterol levels. RELATED: Top Heart-Health Benefits of Yoga. Think of holding your body in place in a plank pose.

After coming out of a plank, you may flow into a Downward-Facing Dog pose, activating another set of muscles in your forearms, shoulders, and back.

This muscle building burns calories, Krucoff says. One study review that looked at 30 trials with more than 2, participants concluded that yoga can reduce waist-hip ratio in healthy adults, as well as body mass index BMI in people who are overweight or obese.

Other research has found that even slower, restorative yoga classes improved fasting glucose levels in people who were overweight or obese — a sign of improved metabolic health. RELATED: Motivational Yogis to Follow on Instagram. Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy.

We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

The practice of yoga supports physical, mental, and spiritual development that allows you to create the best version of yourself. Yoga may also be an effective tool to help you lose weight, especially the more active forms of yoga.

And you may find that the awareness gained through a gentle, relaxing yoga practice helps you to lose weight as well. Many experts agree that yoga works in different ways to bring about a healthy weight.

The mental and spiritual aspects of yoga focus on developing mindfulness. This increases your awareness on many levels. It can make you more conscious of how different foods affect your mind, body, and spirit.

A study suggested that people who develop mindfulness through a yoga practice may be better able to resist unhealthy foods and comfort eating. Yoga is thought to be especially beneficial for people who are struggling to lose weight in other ways as well. A study from reported that mindfulness training has positive short-term benefits regarding impulsive or binge eating and physical activity.

Further studies are needed to expand on these findings. After a yoga session, you may be more likely to crave fresh, unprocessed foods. You may also learn to chew each bite more thoroughly and eat more slowly , which can lead to less consumption.

Practicing yoga can help improve the quality of your sleep. Ideally, you should sleep between 6 and 9 hours each night. Quality sleep is often associated with weight loss. A study found that people who had restricted sleep 5 times per week lost less fat than the group that followed their normal sleeping patterns.

Both groups were limiting the number of calories they consumed, suggesting that sleep loss has an adverse effect on body composition, including fat loss. Yoga nidra is a form of guided relaxation that may help you to sleep more deeply and increase mindfulness. You can also set intentions during yoga nidra, which may help you develop weight loss goals.

A small study found that healthcare workers who did yoga nidra for 8 weeks increased their levels of mindfulness. This mindfulness included acting with awareness and not judging inner experiences. However, this score improved the longer people did the practice. Larger, more in-depth studies are needed to expand on these findings.

Active, intense styles of yoga help you burn the most calories. This may help prevent weight gain. Ashtanga, vinyasa, and power yoga are examples of more physical types of yoga. Vinyasa and power yoga are usually offered at hot yoga studios.

These types of yoga keep you moving almost constantly, which helps you to burn calories. Practicing yoga may also help you develop muscle tone and improve your metabolism.

One study found that restorative yoga was effective in helping overweight women to lose weight, including abdominal fat.

These findings are especially promising for people whose body weight may make more vigorous forms of yoga difficult. As a NASM-certified personal trainer, she uses her expertise and exercise science knowledge to create informed fitness content for Good Housekeeping.

Stefani fell in love with yoga when she was pregnant with her first child and she continues to incorporate it into her exercise regimen. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living.

She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family. How to Cycle Sync Your Workout Routine.

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The gym is more about including physical exercise in your lifestyle. Also, it is about preference. Weight loss is a gradual process. Though it differs from person to person, one can possibly see inch loss within 10 days. Surya Namaskar, Pranayama, Bridge asanas can help to tone the body and help you shed some weight if performed regularly.

The entire review process entails levels of screening and evaluation by efficient groups of writers, editors and accredited medical experts.

With the aim to establish long-lasting healthy lifestyle habits, we are committed to writing concurrent, medically backed and evidence-based articles. Read more. Poonam Sharma Last Updated by: Sumita Thomas Date: April 10, Shamlee seemed destined to take up a career in Yoga, having started practicing the discipline at the tender age of 3.

She completed her Master's and her Bachelor's degrees in Yoga Therapy from the S-VYASA University. A specialist in Diabetes and Stress Management, Shamlee has conducted research on how Yoga aids individuals with common ailments at AIIMS, New Delhi.

A former member of the Indian Yoga team, she is presently a Yoga Team Lead at HealthifyMe. Shamlee believes Yoga is the answer to any individual's health issues, whether they are physical or mental. I began my Yoga journey two years ago and lost about 40 pounds doing two classes per day.

It has also healed my sciatica, an issue my surgeon wanted to fix with surgery. Hello, Very nice content. It is very beneficial for me. Easy to understand. Thank you for sharing some worthy information. Hi, I read all your blogs this one is really good about weight loss yoga, this information really helps me.

Your blogs are really helpful. Hi, I read all your blogs this one is really good about yoga, this information really helps me. Thanks for sharing this informative yoga step with us which helps in weight loss at home.

I enjoyed reading this informative blog. Thanks for mentioning these amazing asanas which help in weight loss at home. I have gone through the blog post and I must admit it is very informative. I liked the writing style too. Keep up the good work and share more contents.

Nice article, the way you described each and every steps to perform a particular pose is awesome. I have written an article as well. Do checkout.

The benefit of Yoga to Reduce Weight Loss in 1 Month Tired of all the pain, sweating, starving, and rigorous training for burning off your calories and reducing your weight. Sounds interesting. It is fascinating to know that yoga with the blend of activity and calmness, soothes out your mind and your dream to be the fit and firm you.

I read the HealthifyMe practically every day. I am very happy to have found such an interesting article on yoga for my state of mind. This program has helped me in combination with exercise and meditation to get an impeccable figure and improve my mood.

I hope it will help other people as well. Just like it helped me to sculpt my figure to feel better about myself. Excellent post about yoga for weight loss. Yoga ensures a person to sustain the weight along with better health and no dieting is recommended. I am really fascinated by the blog post on this website.

Many thanks to Shamlee Pathare for gifting us a beautiful blog post. I have visited your blog and you will give us more beautiful blog posts like this. Are we required to hold these poses or just quickly move on to another pose.

Can I do these asanas in endometriosis? please tell me. if these asanas are safe in endometriosis… please answer quickly. Excellent post. Thanks for sharing this info. During this quarantine situation this blog is really helpful for me.. Please update more info. Keep it up.. We are so grateful for your kind words.

Thanks for sharing your feedback with us. Keep following our blogs. Please try to post. Researchers agree: A study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that a regular yoga practice supported healthy eating, management of emotional eating and even increased capacity to be active.

Less stress and more activity also helps you snooze better, and studies show that well-rested folks are more likely to stick to a healthy eating plan and succeed at losing weight than sleep-deprived people.

While yoga isn't traditionally considered a top form of aerobic exercise it generally burns less calories than other forms of cardio , certain types of yoga that are more intense can help you burn a significant amount of calories.

If weight loss is one of your goals, regularly practicing a more active and rigorous flow style, like Vinyasa, can elevate your cardiovascular health, which can in turn result in weight loss when paired with a balanced diet.

Even if you take just one yoga class a week, you'll likely see benefits. But if you want to see long-term progress, it's important to stay consistent and practice yoga as often as possible for weight loss. Incorporating other types of exercise into your regimen, like running or high-intensity interval training , can be beneficial, too.

This way you can still get your breath work and mindfulness practice in, but also allow your physical body some time to relax and recover. When it comes to the amount of weight loss to expect when beginning a yoga practice, it can vary greatly based on a variety of factors, including the style of yoga you participate in, your dietary choices, stress levels and more.

There is no single yoga pose that will result in weight loss, but there are several poses that can help you build strength and muscle mass.

Here, a few that Teragawa recommends adding to your home yoga practice when you don't have time for a full class — roll out your favorite yoga mat and get moving! While practicing yoga can result in weight loss, the benefits of a consistent practice go far beyond the numbers on the scale.

You'll develop strength and flexibility, while also cultivating a deeper connection to and awareness of your own body. Whether you start incorporating yoga into your fitness routine one or five days a week, you'll soon begin to see and feel its powerful benefits. Stefani Sassos, M. Its benefits extend beyond the calories-in-versus-calories-out equation.

Most of us who crave ice cream after 9 pm or can't stop eating potato chips know that these behaviors hurt our chances of losing weight. We all know that eating vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, etc. is good for our health and weight.

While this knowledge is necessary, it seems insufficient to help us stick to our healthy eating plans. One of yoga's benefits is that it improves mindfulness of the body and awareness of body sensations. This is why yoga is called " moving meditation. By improving mindfulness, yoga decreases emotional eating, stress eating, and binge eating.

These habits sabotage our weight loss efforts and can cause a negative spiral of guilt and shame, which often leads to giving up. A study published in showed that practicing yoga led to healthier eating, including lower fat intake and an increase in vegetables and whole grains.

The bottom line: the best diet plan is the one that you can stick with over the long term, and by improving mindfulness, yoga can help you make healthier food choices. Going to a gym can be intimidating, and may provoke feelings of not belonging for some people with larger bodies.

By contrast, yoga culture embodies kindness, support, and self-acceptance. Yoga teachers and advanced practitioners can serve as role models and inspire newer students to live a healthier lifestyle. Research shows that social networks influence behaviors that affect weight.