Try these six simple yoga asanas for weight loss

1. Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)

Lie flat on your stomach. Make sure that your toes touch each other. Place your palms below your shoulders. Now taking the body weight on your palms, inhale and raise your head and your shoulders upwards. Now arch your back to replicate the cobra with the raised head. Hold your shoulders firmly and away from your ears. Try to squeeze your hips and you must feel a stretch on your stomach. Hold this pose for 20-30 seconds.

Benefits

Strengthens and gives good stretch to the abdomen, chest, shoulders and your back. Helps regulating respiratory, digestive, reproductive and urinary systems.

2. Dhanurasana (Bow pose)

Lie on your stomach with your feel slightly apart. Place your arms by the side of your body. Bend your knees and using your hands, hold your ankles. Now lift your chest upward and pull your legs up as far as possible. Your body is now curved and looks like a bow. Take long dep breaths and bend only as far as you can. Hold this pose for 20-30 seconds and slowly release your legs and chest to the ground and relax.

Benefits

Strengthens back, shoulders and abdominal muscles. Tones and stretches your thighs, arms and shoulders. Relieves stress and fatigue. Clears any discomfort in chest, shoulders, stomach and respiratory systems.

3. Halasana (Plow pose)

Lie comfortably on your back and bring your toes together. Place your arms beside your hips and your palms facing the floor. Now exhale and hold your breath for a while. Then slowly lift your legs together. Raise your waist and curve your back by resting your toes on the floor above the head. Balance the body weight on your shoulder and try to hold this pose up to 60 seconds. Bend only as far as your body permits. Now slowly rest your hip on the floor and bring your legs down by pressing your palms on the floor.

Benefits

This pose helps in relieving back pain. Reduces fatigue. Clears constipation and stomach disorders. Normalises blood pressure and cures menstrual disorders in women. Gives your body a good tall posture.

4. Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand pose)

Lie flat on your back by getting your toes together. Lift both your legs and your hips together. Now bend your elbows and use your palms to support the back. The chin must be touching the chest. Your spine and your legs should be in a straight line. Keep your hands for support only and balance the entire weight on your shoulders. After four to five minutes slowly bring the hips and the legs on to the ground by resting your palms on the floor.

Benefits

Removes facial fat and double chin. Gives you glowing and radiant skin. Benefits the thyroid gland. Relieves stress, hypertension and calms the nervous system. Strengthens shoulders, neck and the spinal cord.

5. Ardha matsyendrasana (Half lord of the fishes pose)

Sit in a comfortable cross leg position. Rest your body weight on your hips. Bend your left leg and bring your left ankle near the right hip. Now bring your right ankle near the left hip over the left thigh. Try to grab your right ankle by your right hand from your back. Now rest your left arm on the right thigh and try to hold the left kneecap from your left arm. Turn your neck completely to the right side. Try to hold this position for 20-30 seconds.

This procedure is for the right side. That is, this completes the half of the Matsyendrasana. The other half must be done by repeating the procedure for the left side.

Benefits

Increases elasticity of the spine. Stretches muscles on the side of the body and reduces the fat around the waist. Relieves back pain and stiffness by loosening the hip joints. Frees the muscles in the arms, shoulders, back and neck. Improves health of the reproductive organs and the urinary system. Regulates menstrual cycle in women.

6. Shavasana (Corpse pose)

Lie flat on your back and extend your arms and legs. Maintain some distance between your toes. Place your arms slightly away from your thighs and keep your palms facing upwards. Relax all your body parts from head to toe. Close your eyes and breathe slowly by keeping all the mental stress and tensions away. Stay in this pose for five to ten minutes to relax all your body parts. But don’t get into sleep. Do not forget to this asana after your practice sessions to relax and rejuvenate your body.