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Yoga Cures

Yoga Cures: No More Cellulite

Besides whipping your leg muscles into sexy shape, yoga can help smooth spongy thighs. “Cellulite is a symptom of reduced lymph circulation,” says Atma JoAnn Levitt, M.A., R.N., head of the integrative weight loss program at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts. For those of you who skipped biology class, lymph is the somewhat yucky bodily fluid that contains white blood cells.

The Fix: “Yoga [causes] lymph to flow more freely through fatty areas, flushing toxins and reducing cellulite,” Levitt says. Inversions or upside-down positions like these two are especially good for moving lymph along.

Half Shoulderstand: Lie on your back with arms by your side. Bend your knees and rock your legs up, bringing your knees to your forehead and placing your hands under your hips to support them, keeping your elbows on the floor. Hold for 8 to 10 breaths, then slowly release your knees and roll gently back onto the floor. Learn this pose from a teacher before attempting on your own, then practice once every other day.

Plow: Begin in half shoulder stand (above). Now straighten your legs,
extending them back out over your head, and rest your toes on the
floor. Straighten your arms on the floor, palms down. Hold for 8 to 10
breaths, bend your knees back to your forehead, then lower your body
gently down onto the floor.

Comments

Nina
30 Sep 2008, 12:50

How can this author say lymph is "yucky"! Does this author know that every human would DIE within at most 24hrs if their lymphatic system failed.!
Lymph is the beautiful waters of our body. Our bodies internal maid service. I am a manual bodywork practitioner and do alot of manual lymphatic drainage. It is benefical at helping the body improve on all levels. I think this author needs to think twice before saying negative comments about the human body it is not conducive to positive overall body image or health.
Namaste'

Yoga fanatic
12 Nov 2008, 09:59

Nina, the author called it "somewhat yucky" because I'm sure the liquid looks that way. Plus, if it doesn't move correctly, we end up with the nasty dimples called cellulite. I think we can all agree that we do need lymph. Please don't read too much into things, you end up upset over silly things and adding stress to yourself (which is never good!).
Namaste

Nina Frederick
17 Nov 2008, 12:53

Wow, Nina, I think you may have read too much into this and for whatever reason you took it the wrong way. I have stated this many times before on this website that I use to be over 450 ponds, now I am 258lbs. I had the hardest time before the weightloss and even now slowly but surely the cellulite is dissapearing, but I still have times when I wish they were totally gone. I understand why we have the Lymph and it is part of our body's make-up, but the author was just making an "analogy" for the readers to understand what Lymph is. I as well as I am sure that other appreciate the information that is given on this site. I've doing Yoga for 3yrs. now and b/c of it, I no longer have to go to the gym as much, no longer on the many of respiratory medications, and totally feel at peace and confidence within. Now if it is mainly b.c of the articles that I have read on this site that has help me to achive a healthier life hten i will welcome all and every article. Nina Frederick (I am not the person who wrote the first comment)