Since Adam Levine was named People's 'Sexiest Man Alive' last week, there have been countless articles detailing how yoga gave him that body, how it improved his sex life, and helped him remain more focused. We've heard Gisele say that yoga was what got her figure back after giving birth (sure that isn't just genes), and Kathryn Budig makes me wish I was that flexible and able to look that good in any yoga position. The truth is, I didn't necessarily believe that yoga alone could ever tone me up enough or help me drop pounds like some of my other more intense workouts. And though my once (sometimes two) a week class helped me relax, a long run or a serious sweat session always relieved stress in that moment.
That was before I started the Ultimate Yogi program. I've been diligently following the program for three weeks (heading into my fourth), and aside from adding a spin class to my Saturday practice I have kept it strictly yoga. I've lost four pounds, and have started getting back into my 2 petites...something that I haven't been able to do in at least three years.
I am shocked. Yoga has always been my "active recovery" or option for when I am just slightly worn. I think there is a lot involved here, and not just the physical benefits. As I noted previously, I am sleeping better...something that we all know impacts your metabolism. Since I've been doing my practice before work, I have also seen benefits in my focus, which is a positive since we are so busy right now.
More importantly though, I've been managing my chronic stress a lot more efficiently. I recently read an article about a Harvard study tracking people with high levels of stress, which will potentially detail how regular yoga can actually switch on and off some genes linked to stress and immune function. It is really quite impressive.
