In his introduction, Payne explains that weight loss results from sustainable lifestyle changes including exercise. He states, “You wouldn’t think doing yoga would help you from opening the refrigerator, but it does.” He goes on to provide a brief list of benefits of practicing yoga which include developing discipline and reducing stress, which I think is the really big benefit since stress so often leads to emotional and compulsive eating.
The Weight Management for People with Curves DVD, filmed on the grounds of the Rancho La Puerta Spa in Mexico, includes 2 fifteen-minute routines - the first a series of positions on a chair or with a chair for support and the second series done on the floor. Yoga teacher, Larry Payne, provides expert instructions while a 43-year-old woman who is actually larger than a size 10 demonstrates.
The DVD moves at a slow steady pace, with expert instruction delivered over background music (designed to be soothing, but that some may find distracting). Poses are performed in a flowing manner encouraging you to coordinate your movement and your breath into a relaxing rhythm, which is very calming for your body and mind.
The first routine begins with gentle seated poses that include arm raises, chest openers, shoulder rolls and seated twists. This is followed by standing forward folds with the support of a chair, and cat stretches and torso circles done on hands and knees. The session ends lying on the back with a flowing knees-to-chest sequence and a few minutes of final relaxation in corpse pose.
The second routine includes 15 minutes of gentle floor work that includes pelvic tilts, a flowing bridge sequence, alternate leg lifts, hamstring stretches, reclining twists. The program concludes with a brief relaxation followed by alternate nostril breathing designed to balance your nervous system and a brief (3-4 minute) seated meditation in which you are guided to observe the natural rhythm of your breath.
There is nothing very physically challenging about the exercises performed on this DVD making it suitable for beginners of all levels. This DVD is all about learning to slow down and connect your breath and your movement, something that can be very challenging for those of us use to moving through life at breakneck speed. Therein lies its healing, restorative, stress-reducing power.
If you are overweight or plus sized and looking for accessible, user-friendly yoga exercises to help you slow down, connect with your body, and relieve stress, that may very well lead to weight loss you may want to take a closer look at Weight Management for People with Curves.
Highly Recommended
Yoga Rx: Weight Management for People with Curves
