I joined Sunstone a few months ago and love it. I mostly do fire classes but add in wood whenever possible.

I want to lose about 40 lbs. - I've had 3 kids, I work full-time, etc. so I have to be efficient. I used to run marathons but I'm too heavy for that now. Are there particular poses that accelerate the metabolism? I've also read about the cleanse. Will that help? I'm coming to about 4 classes per week.

Thanks.

Hi Kathryn! In addition to your regular yoga practice, diet has a huge impact on your ability to lose weight. I would highly suggest removing as many processed foods as possible (even dairy) from your diet and replace them with lots of fresh fruits/vegetables and legumes. Doing this, in addition to increased water intake, will have a gentle cleansing effect on your body and aid in your weight loss...and you will feel" lighter" in your practice as well. For starters, you might try incoroprating at least one large salad or smoothie (consisting of water and fruits...even greens) into your daily diet...see how that feels. Most importatntly, be patient with yourself and your practice. The results WILL come!

Hi Kathryn - yoga is a Synergistic practice. What I mean is there are specific postures that can specifically bump the metabolism but really the practice as a whole helps the body find a natural balance. There is a GREAT article on our website called Why Yoga Works written by Brandon Hartsell. You'll want to check that out as well.
http://www.sunstoneyoga.com/About/W...Works.aspx

Off the top of my head:
The heat forces your body to work harder to maintain body tempurature
Holding postures and flowing postures accelerates the heart rate and stimulates the cardio vascular system
The additional intake of water supports weight loss
Building muscle increases the resting metabolic rate
You can't do yoga after eating cardiac fries from Scotty P's (ask me how I know!) so you will naturally choose lighter more vibrant foods over time.
As you develop love and respect for your amazing body you will be less likely to put 'garbage' into it.

Enjoy

Kathryn,

I just want to send you some supportive energy and welcome you to Sunstone. Congratulations on this wonderful journey and please post any breakthroughs you have on your way so we can all share in the accomplishment

I concur with both and and Jilliana and would only add that you permit time for the weight to come off. Our media has people brainwashed into thinking large amounts of weight should come off in months. In truth, healthy weight loss is slow and should be more like 4-8 pounds a month, maximum. Give yourself a year and enjoy the journey!

A change in diet is one of the most important things you can do. I agree that as you practice more you will notice that you crave healthy fresh foods. I teach yoga (sunstone certified but I moved out of state), pilates, personal training & advise on nutrition so if you have any specific questions please feel free to ask me and I will try to help

Hi Kathryn and welcome to Sunstone Yoga.

In our Sunstone 2-1/2 Program, we often say a regular practice of yoga leads to "natural weight management", which is the process to which many of the responses allude. There is no need to do anything extraordinary; simply keep practicing and one day sooner than you probably expect, you're going to look at yourself and say, "I look like I am meant to look" and you'll feel comfortable with that.

To accelerate your "benefit", I'd suggest focusing on developing regular, controlled breathing throughout your class. Ask any of our teachers for tips on how to accomplish this. They are all trained in this area.

Fried Elliott
Executive Director
Sunstone Yoga

Hi Kathryn,

We have an awesome program called Jump Start (love how it works with the topic you posted. It's essentially the first week of the teacher training intensive program and in that week you will review Nutrition from many standpoints but particualarly how it relates to your body and your yoga practice.

Jump Start also includes:
* 15 challenging yoga classes taught by our senior staff at our 8000-sq ft training facility in Addison, Texas
* Daily lectures in nutrition, meditation concepts, yogic concepts, yoga methodology and technique
* An ideal preview of our Teacher Training Program

Please contact me if you would like more information on the program the start dates are listed below:
SESSION START FINISH
Fall 9/20/09 -9/25/09 Next Week!!!!
Winter 1/10/10- 1/15/10
Summer 6/13/10- 6/18/10

Look forward to speaking with you and hopefully practicing together soon!

Allie Buck-Strickler
214-764-2119 ext. 1900

You guys have all been so great and supportive. Thanks. I feel like part of the family. Allie, I will call you later in the fall. I would love to look into the winter session of Jump Start. Can't think of a better way to get going in the new year.

I have been practicing at Sunstone for about a year now. I absolutely love what yoga does for my mind and body. One of my friends who is new to Sunstone stated that her instructor told her if she was interested in losing weight that she needs to attend the 90 min classes. I was under the impression that the 60 min classes were more intense? Would you advise attending the 90 min classes vs 60 min to increase weight loss?

Hi Kelly,

Based on my experience as a student and as a teacher I recommend a good mix of both. The best analogy I can come up with is the difference between a sprint and a cross country run.

Fire 90 and Fire 60 are each challenging in their own way. In a Fire 60 you are working a little bit harder for a shorter period of time. In Fire 90 your holding times are quite as long but there are more postures and 2 sets so you are working longer.

Taking a good mix of Fires, Earth or Metal and Wood each week will give you the maximum benefits across the board. These classes have different postures that work different muscles and enhance different areas of our practice and our life outside of the Yoga Room.

Drink plenty of water, commit to a consistent practice and your whole world can change. Or at least your perspective of it =) Check out our 60 day challenge - you can start any time and you will amaze yourself.