Who thought, practicing yoga one could lose fat? Of course it does depend on the intensity and duration of the yoga class and practice.

To sufficiently lose fat, one must keep their heart rate at approximately 55% to 65% of their max heart rate (MHR) . By keeping the heart rate in the range of 120 beats per minute for a duration of at least 20 minutes. This is known as the “fat burning zone”. The practice of Hot Yoga specifically targets the burning of fat storage, because the heart rate is maintanied at about 120 bpm for the duration of the yoga practice. The bodies primary way of maintaining energy for the yoga class is to utilize fat storage for energy, along with some carbohydrates and very little protein.

During the practice of Hot Yoga or a Vinyasa Flow class, there is continuous smooth movements, in a rhythmic style. You practice breathing deeply, which uses more lung capacity, and you never hold your breath. These are all key components to a good yoga practice, which is the reason why a person uses more of their fat storage for energy while practicing yoga compared to some other types of exercise’s.

Last week Gabriel Johnson, owner of Organiq Fitness(organiqfitness@gmail.com), tested out this theory. He wore a heart rate monitor for the duration of the 50min Hot Yoga class I taught at Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga studio. The room temperature was set at 95 degrees F. The class consist of Sun Salutations, standing poses, balancing poses, backbends and arm balances. Connecting your breath with your movements in a moderate rhythmic flowing pace.

The results: Total Calories Burned 515 calories

Max Heart Rate 156bpm

Average HR 122bpm

As the results indicate, a great amount of calories were burned during the 50 minute class and his average heart rate was in the “fat burning zone” for the majority of the Hot Yoga class. By practicing a vigorous yoga class that elevates ones heart rate in the range of 120bpm, an individual will utilize there energy from there fat storage, which indicates Hot Yoga burns fat!

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Namaste

As a person first starts to practice yoga, everything is brand new to them. FIguring out all of the different styles of yoga, what works best and is the most enjoyable for that individual. As a person progress in their yoga practice, you begin to experiment with more challenging asanas (poses) such as arm balances and inversions. This is a wonderful progression with lots of amazing benefits both physical and mental, though one always needs to honor their body by finding their comfort edge and continuing to go within themselves.

Going Within: Listening to your body is one of the most important parts of a yoga practice. By going within, a person really beings to feel the benefits of a yoga practice. I love to start my yoga practice first by taking inventory of my body, I ask myself “How am I feeling right now?” Then your yoga practice may revolve around those certain aspect that you are now aware of. The practice will be either a relaxing restorative practice or a more challenging practice or somewhere in-between. When a person begins to find calmness and they are able to settle into a pose, that is the time to bring your awareness inward continuing the journey within.


Finding Your Comfort Edge: When you enter an asana, you build a foundation for yourself. After about two to three deep breaths, you being to feel a sensation in your legs, shoulders or arms. As you stay in the posture for a longer period of time the sensation or the energy begins to flow more intensely. This is where a person finds there comfort edge and you either deepen yourself, stay right there or ease out a little bit. Its always fun to tiptoe over the edge and explore this new world of sensations within an asana you have been practicing for the past week, month or years.

GIving yourself a challenge and always listening to your body is the best way to honor your amazing and very unique body throughout a yoga practice.

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Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III) is the third asana (pose) that is named after the mythical warrior, Virabhadra. This pose is the most challenging Warrior asana, taking into account strength, flexibility and predominately balance. The body now is balancing on one leg and you are reaching the arms and leg in opposite directions parallel to the floor.
With all balancing asanas you must find your drishti (focus point) about two to three feet in front of you. This keeps your mind clear and aware throughout the balance. As well, with all standing postures you must work from the ground up, create stability in your ankles, knees, legs, and hips. By taking your time and setting up for poses, especially challenging balancing poses which help the body stay clam and focused.
To begin, I prefer to start in a high lunge with the ams extended overhead. From the high lunge posture, sink a little bit deeper in the hips or as i like to say, “take a dip in the hips”, on the exhalation kick off your back foot and balance on your front leg. Continuing to gaze at your drishti, begin to hinge at the hips, reaching your arms forward and reaching your heal back behind you. Continue to breath, as the body begins to create a capital “T”. Spread the toes of the balancing foot to firmly ground it to the earth. Keep the abdominal’s engaged to protect the lower back. Continue to reach and lengthen the spine. Keep length in the back of the neck, relax the shoulders and breath full deep expansive inhalations and exhalation. Feel the strength in the arms and back extended leg and breath into this wonderful strengthening asana.
To exit the posture, slowly bring the left foot back to the ground, as you are now in the high lunge again. Step the right foot back onto plank pose and go through a chaturanga and prepare for the other side of the body. Always continue to breath and listen to your body. Feel the great strength of Warrior III.
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After you make your way in from the surf, enjoy a nice post surf yoga stretch on the sand. Throughout the surf session your muscles were working hard to paddle for waves and make it back out to the line up. This causes a build up of lactic acid (why your muscles get sore). One of the best ways to decrease muscle soreness is to stretch and release muscle tension. The post stretch postures are held for a longer amount of time (about 1-2 minutes), releasing deep muscle tension in the muscle facia and joints.
The first yoga stretch is Child’s Pose, which creates length in the back muscles, specifically the Latissimus Dorsi, relaxes the neck and shoulders and restores your energy. Keep reaching your arms forward and relaxing the tailbone towards the earth.
Next is a Seated Forward-Bend, stretching out your hamstrings as well as the entire back. Continue lengthening the spine from the very base, as well as creating length in the back of the neck. It can be a passive stretch which can alleviate fatigue.
To create a deep stretch in the hips, i recommend Pigeon Pose, which stretches the hip flexors. Allow your hips to melt into the sand. This posture is a great restorative posture to stay in for 1-2 minutes.
The final yoga stretch is Knees-to-Chest, this posture releasing any left tension in the entire back and neck. You can also rock side to side, which creates a nice gentle massage for the lower back and Kidneys.
By practicing a post yoga stretch after your surf session, this will aid in preventing soreness, knots and tightness in the body. Making the body later on in the day feel rejuvenated,preparing yourself for your next surf session. Feeling energized, strong and flexible to tuck into the barrels and make your way back into the lineup are all great reasons to take a little time after your surf session and practice a post surf yoga stretch.

Yoga Cue’s

Child’s Pose: Begin on your hands and knees . Sink back into your hips and extend your arms. Relax your head and neck. Option: Hands along side of body or knees wide apart.

Seated Forward Bend: Inhale and raise your arms over head, hinge at the hips, placing your hand were ever they fall, to the shins or rap them around your feet. Feel the chin melting to your heart.

Pigeon Pose: Starting in Down Dog, bring one foot forward and bring your shin to the sand. Keeping the knee pointing forward and the heal close to your body. Hinge at the hips and bring your forehead to the sand with arms extended.

Knees-To-Chest: Lying on your back, hung your knee’s to your chest and rap your arms just below the knee’s. Allow your entire spine and back of the head to completely rest into the sand.

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Before you jump into the water, take a few minutes and warm up your muscles with five really great stretches, it will only take five minutes, plus you can look for the best spot to paddle out and the best peak to shred.
The first three stretches i like to incorporate into a flow. It begins with Cow Pose, Cat Pose and Downward Facing-Dog. By linking all three poses together, gives the body a great overall warm-up for the spine, back, neck, shoulders, hamstrings and calf muscles.
The next stretch is a standing forward-bend with the knees slightly bent. This releases any tightness from the lower back and continues to stretch the backs of your legs.
The final stretch is a wide-legged forward-bend with your hands clasp behind your back. This creates openness not only in the hips but the shoulders as well.
By including a pre stretch before you surf, awakens the body, prepares the muscles for paddling, popping up and laying down fluid carves.

Yoga Cue’s

Cow Pose: begin on all fours, arch your back and gaze to the sky

Cat Pose: still on all fours, round the back, hollow out the belly, bring your gaze to the sand and drop your tailbone to the earth.

Down-Dog: lift the hips to the sky, gaze back at your bellybutton and press your hands into the sand

Standing Forward-bend: keep the knees slightly bent, hinge at the hips, let the hands touch the sand or grab your elbows with your hands

Wide legged forward-bend: take a wide stride, hands claps behind your back, hinge forward at the hips, crown of the head towards the sand and your knuckles to the sky.

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Virabhadrasana 1 or (Warrior 1) has not only great physical benefits, it as well has symbolic meaning attached within this asana. This posture is named after Virabhadra who was a powerful mythological warrior that showed great virility and courage. This posture physically increases the strength within the muscle of the legs specifically in the quadriceps muscles and tones the shoulders. It creates stability in the hips and the knees joints. The asana increases flexibility in the spine and deep in the hips. Bringing together both physical strength and mental focus.
The most common way to enter Warrior 1 is from Downward-Facing Dog. On the in breath take a big step forward to the top of your mat stacking the ankle right over the knee joint. Back foot is anchored 45 degrees and you have a heal to heal alignment. The hips begin to square to the front of your mat. Arms rise to the sky at shoulder width apart or together with palms pressed together. Continue lunging into the front bent knee, bring it as parallel to the earth as possible, making sure the knee joint dose not go over the ankle. Breathing deeply into the hips and legs. Pressing through the outer edge of your back foot, keeping the energy balanced, feeling a firm connection to the mat with your feet by spreading the toes wide. On each inhalation lift your chest, feeling light and grounded. On the exhalation the shoulders continue to melt away from your ears, as the arms, finger tips stay active and extend to the sky and lunging a little bit deep into your front leg. Hold for 3-5 breaths. On the final exhale, hinge at the hips and bring your palms to the earth, step or lightly jump back into plank and flow into another posture (a vinyasa). Repeat on the other side of the body.

Modifications: if there is restrictions in the hips, step your back foot more to the edge of the mat.

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Surfing and yoga are both physically demanding activities. After a long surf session, a person feels fatigued and their muscles are sore, but one still has a feeling of overall relaxation and calmness. This experience is similar to a rigorous yoga session when a person feels their muscles have been lengthened, and stress has been released from their body. These are two very similar physical effects after practicing yoga, and after a great surf session.
Some of the physical training modalities to improve ones surfing abilities are flexibility, strength, endurance, balance and mental focus. It just happens to be the physical benefits of yoga are to increase overall flexibility (ROM), muscular strength, endurance, balance, and mental focus.
Increased Flexibility & Muscular Strength: During a well-rounded yoga practice, a person creates length and openness in their shoulders, neck, back, and hips. These are all primary body parts which need to be flexible for surfing. Flexibility not only improves ones surfing, it also decreases the risk of injury to keep you in the water for the next great swell. Along with flexibility, strength is important and many yoga poses increase ones strength within the shoulders and legs. A good example is in Warrior 1, 2 and 3 since it increases your leg and shoulder strength which improves your paddling and wave carving abilities.
Increased Endurance: A person needs to have endurance to be able to surf for an extended period of time without getting tired. By practicing yoga and pranayama (breathing exercise), a person can increase their V02 max (maximum amount of oxygen utilized for energy). By allowing the body to sufficiently use more oxygen, the intake increase turns into more energy and increases one’s endurance. When a person stays in a yoga pose for an extended amount of time, it increases their muscular endurance as well. While practicing Warrior 2, try sinking a little bit lower into the hips, and hold for 2-3 more breaths than usual. This creates an increase in a person’s overall endurance level. As a result, you will be able to surf longer and with more energy.
Increased Balance & Mental Focus: Balance plays a key role in a person’s surfing ability: being able to glide across the water and not fall, is mainly influenced by the ability to balance. In yoga, there are many balancing postures to increase a person’s overall stability. Along with balance, mental focus is an important part of surfing. Being able to pull into a barrel and make it out, takes mental focus and timing. Just as one practices yoga, you have mental focus from the point you enter the pose, while in the pose, and then as you make your way out the pose, a person is mentally focused and are in the present moment. While in a balanced yoga pose, a person concentrates on their drishti (gaze or focus point) which helps to improve both mental focus and balance both in and out of the water.
By incorporating yoga into a person’s workout routine, it will greatly improve the five most important physical aspects that are associated with improving a persons surfing abilities. Flexibility, Strength, Balance, Mental Focus, and Endurance.

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Adho Mukha Svanasana or (Downward Facing Dog) is a wonderful asana (posture) to increase the flexibility of your hamstrings, calf muscles and shoulders and to release tension from the neck. As well as, improving circulation in the legs, rejuvenating the entire body, relaxes the heart and a great upper body strengthener for inversions.
To begin, start on your hands and knees. Tuck your toes under and lift your hips up to the sky. Keep your fingers spread wide, like star fish suction cupping to the reef. Feel each finger pad pressing into the earth. Shoulders are externally rotating out to the side, as the inner creases of your elbows becoming facing one another. The neck is relaxed as you gaze back to your bellybutton. The tailbone is lifting towards the sky, creating an inverted “V” with your body. The bellybutton continues to drawl up towards your spine. The feet are hip width distance apart, toes in line with your heals. Continue to take deep long inhalations and exhalations. Hold for 3-5 breaths.

Modification: keep your knees bent. If you have wrist issues, bring your forearms to the floor.
More Challenge: extend one leg into the air, reaching out through your heal, switch multiple times back and forth.
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The essence of surfing is deeply rooted to nature as similarly, yoga has a strong connection to Mother Earth. Nature and Mother Earth are one in the same, releasing a vibrant energy which touches the soul.

Patience and practice are very important aspects to yoga and to surfing.  The ability to calmly sit on your surfboard and wait for the right wave to arrive, one has to come into a state of meditation, with the reward being a gift from nature: a great ride! It is the manner in which the word “practice” is associated with yoga since it takes a great deal of time and patience for the body to be able to achieve some of the postures – eventually, it will happen.  Surfing and yoga may look easy to the outsider, but in reality they both require great practice and patience 

Yoga has connections to nature in every asana (posture). For example, Tadasana (Mountain Pose), Vrkshasana(Tree Pose), Matsyasana( Fish Pose) or Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) are all expressed by shapes and animals, which allows a person to find a deep connection to nature. As a person practices yoga their breath becomes like the ocean: constantly flowing back and forth like waves on the shifting sand. This is what gives yoga a strong connection to our Mother Earth. 

Being in the ocean while surfing, surrounded by a vast body of water, we are in the hands of our Mother Earth.  As you’re sitting or riding a wave you become connected with it, as if you were one with nature itself, just as when in an asana on your mat you become that natural organic shape or animal.   

Surfing and Yoga both can be your own expression of art, one that can never be perfected.  There is always room for improvement as you learn and experience new aspects about yourself and your body, external and internal. This is what makes surfing and yoga so spirituality connected. This is part 1, stay tuned for part 2, when I will discuses the physical connection of yoga that benefits surfers.