HYer DYnamic Health Discoveries
03.09.08 | Dr. Naima Lewis Blogtalk radio live call-in
Date / Time: EVERY OTHER SATURDAY @ 3:30 PM EST
B.L.O.G. blogging = (Black Loving Overweight Grownfolks blogging)
This blog talk show is for African American men and women who are obese (i.e.,>30% of their body weight is fat, or 30+ lbs over their recommended weight). The show will give you an opportunity to vent, share your personal perspectives, pain and pleasures with others experiencing similar health challenges. Discussion regarding the role that black culture plays in weight management is encouraged. The objective is to create without condemnation,loving support & suggestions concerning this issue.
12.01.07 | Featured Interview: Dr. Lewis of HyDy on BlogTalk Radio
on this radio show Dr. Naima Lewis will share the secret to discovering the sacred journey to total health and wellness. Learn how to connect and remain committed with a wellness and weight loss program that meets your needs, for a lifetime.
11.01.07 | Featured Article (revised): Obesity - Crippling the Cornerstones of the African American Communities
Dr. Naima Lewis' feature article in Oracle 20/20 magazine on solutions to the growing problem of obesity in African American communities.
10.29.07 | Feature Article: YOGA FOR WEIGHT LOSS
YOGA FOR WEIGHT LOSS:
SPIRIT, BODY, AND MIND DIMENSIONS
Many overweight persons admire the strong, stretched anatomy that comes from the practice of Yoga, a body with little to no bulk or chunkiness. Yet, most full-figured folks do not generally turn to Yoga in their attempts at weight loss or weight management. When they do include it as part of a regular exercise program, they are often delighted at the profound changes and new possibilities it brings to their mental, physical and spiritual health.
One overweight student reported that she often leaves Yoga classes feeling like a feather that has been released from the confines of an ostrich whose head has been buried in toxic adipose tissue. Others have remarked about their growth in control over the compulsive feelings that used to demand immediate gratification through food. Overweight Yoga practitioners contemplate thoughts such as, “Maybe I can improve my health;” “Perhaps I will begin losing and/or controlling my weight;” or “I actually enjoy this exercise.” There are many benefits to each system in the body through Yoga and overweight persons are not exempt from these attributes.
SPIRITUAL DIMENSION
The spiritual dimension of Yoga creates positive feelings that are particularly appreciated in those who are dealing with over-weight issues. Breathing is often the source from which these feelings emanate. In some cultures, the word “prana”, which means breath, has a meaning similar to the word “divine”, which suggests God-like, perfect or supremely pleasing. Prana or the divine becomes actualized in the practice of Yoga.
While rhythmically and intentionally inhaling oxygen, Yoga enables the practitioner to be tangent with a sense of centeredness, wholeness, or a near “angelic” state. Yoga breathing pulls in air, a formless source of matter that cannot be seen, tasted or touched used to assist in cleansing the body. This cleansing process promotes good feelings, and connects to a greater goodness. As the nose draws in a perfect source of vital energy, it produces greater purity in the body and feelings of absolute wholesomeness.
With exhalation, carbon dioxide and newly acquired or old residues of toxins are pushed out of the body, deepening the purification process. Exhalation rids the body of contaminants, which clog cells and resist the potential for peace, harmony and balance from within. With each deep breath or cleansing process, the practitioner aligns her/himself with good feelings and a positive self-assessment. In time, the wholesome feelings acquired during Yoga practice mean more than good health; they produce a sense of euphoria, perfection, total balance or “holiness” and suggest a sacred experience.
The greater the frequency of euphoric Yoga feelings, the less ephemeral they become and the more they attract similar positive characteristics in the universe. The flow of “spirit” in, around, and through the body fosters an alignment of the human body with healthy, harmonious, and holy elements in the environment. When the flow is deepened, the experience of creating inner perfection becomes a reflection of that which is in the process of becoming. This process can be transformational regardless of body size.
BODY DIMENSION
Through deliberate, conscious breathing, the Yoga practitioner focuses attention on the power of prana inside the body. With each deep inhalation of oxygen, each cell becomes enlivened; all body systems are awakened a bit more; and the entire physiology feels revitalized. The process of breathing helps the practitioner to trust the healing power within, each person’s own cellular intelligence. Regardless of illnesses or diagnosed health challenges, the simple exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide performed over a period of time elicits sensations of rejuvenation, centeredness, and confidence. With each breath, there is an innocent embrace of spirit, newness, freshness, and new beginnings.
In most Yoga classes, there is an opportunity to balance the typical bouncing movements and concentric muscular contractions (i.e., ballistic movements and isotonic contractions) found in many exercise programs, with static (holding) and isometric contractions. The physical result of these muscular applications is an anatomical look that is leaner, lighter and longer than with other body training methods. When there is consistency, determination, and patience, this appearance can also be achieved in overweight bodies.
Additionally, Yoga trains the body to be still. For example, during stillness within a pose or in a total relaxation mode, practitioners can release stress, find comfort and build confidence. They are able to move into a position, hold it, claim control, and pay attention to each body part. Stillness and its strengthening attributes bring clarity, commitment and resolve to over-weight practitioners. In most Yoga classes, meditation and concentration (dharana or “holding” in Sanskrit) ground the body first. While sitting silently with closed eyes, Yoga students concentrate on releasing tension in all parts of the body or they give attention to “letting go”. As practice continues, poses (or asanas) are held for 30 seconds to 1½ minutes with intentional, conscious breathing.
Throughout Yoga sessions, a particular pose (called namaste) punctuates movement sequences; it involves the palms pressed together in front of the heart, allowing the inertia of the position to transmit unity, harmony and recognition of the divinity within. At the conclusion of the practice, the body core is motionless on its back with closed eyes (savasana). This pose soothes the nerves, relaxes the body and the mind, and provides for a tranquil, integrated transition into normal, daily activity.
With the use of breath and intermittent episodes of stillness, practitioners’ bodies are able to resonate with the inherent benefits of Yoga, i.e., unity, balance, and peaceful empowerment. Obese students can also apply these beneficial qualities of serenity, inner strength and self-control toward their process of weight loss.
MIND DIMENSION
As the Yoga student repeatedly engages in inhalation and exhalation, drawing spiritual energy into the body and pushing toxins and negative tensions out, a positive consciousness permeates the mind. The elasticity that unfolds in the spine and the joints with Yoga practice penetrates the mind, creating a mind-set that is also more flexible. Relaxed and stretched poses of the body invoke the inner voice. The mind registers a shift in attitude, a rearrangement in thinking. It expands and conceives new perceptions and entertains new possibilities. Performing asanas with closed eyes encourages a personal connection to the hidden recesses of the mind. This inward travel of the mind facilitates an immediate appreciation of the postures and their values. Once deeply engaged in the inner activity of the mind, overweight practitioners, as well as others, become oblivious as to how they look while performing the postures. Negative thinking that has typically accompanied the mirrored reflection of overweight students no longer exists. The feelings emanating from within take precedence over all thoughts.
The biomechanics of the brain slow down its electromagnetic waves with this “breath-body dance” that transpires during Yoga practice. The brain moves from its normal, highly-charged, Beta state-of-consciousness, where a multitude of thoughts are squeezed into one moment, to an Alpha state, where thinking is slower, potentially more creative, and less anxious. During the Yoga practice, and often for some time afterward, the Alpha state-of- consciousness accompanies the body’s relaxed muscular movements. Regular activity is resumed with less effort and more efficiency. As a result, full figured practitioners report an experience of ease, satisfaction, optimism, and an enhanced sense of openness. The usual condemnation of their weight loss progress and the former berating of the self are replaced by a new force that is committed to greater wellness.
YOGA’S SACRED JOURNEY TOWARD WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
The efficacy of Yoga transcends body shape and weight. By relaxing into each dimension of the self-- the body, mind, and spirit--and by applying the consciousness of Yoga, practitioners assist the inner wisdom of the body to heal, and when necessary, to loose weight. With consistent application, Yoga can transform the human body. Each time the student returns to the body/mind and especially, the spiritual experience of Yoga, the idea of weight-loss through Yoga becomes more viable, comfortable, and most importantly, more credible. For those who are over-weight, by consciously focusing on and applying the benefits of Yoga onto weight-loss issues, you embark upon a sacred journey that has unlimited potential for self-healing. The sustained practice keeps you traveling on that journey, which leads to life-long health and wellness.
Naima Lewis Ph.D.
Founder/CEO, HY-DY Inc.
Program Manager, A Sacred Journey to Wellness
(Weight Loss Program for Women)
Author “Yoga for Weight Loss” DVD and “Cultivating Spirituality through Yoga” DVD
(Not for reproduction or citation without permission of Naima G. Lewis)
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