Himani Nandwana
Over time, the unwholesome and unnatural body images promoted generally and longed for by many has led to many problematic issues including low self-esteem and body shaming by others; and social media has compounded this crisis with many people suffering from mental issues owing to their body shape.
Obesity affects the person not only from the outside but also harms the inner-self as no matter how we hide our emotions outside, the pain from those silent, judgemental looks kills us inside. To some extent, we convince ourselves that we are okay but we’re on shaky ground and it doesn’t take much to tip us over to seek solutions for our weighty predicament. When exploring weight loss methods, it is worth bearing in mind that these are not just restricted to cardio workouts, running sessions, and rigid diet plans. As well as exercise and watching what we eat, there’s another very useful element to boost your efforts.
Suggested Read: meditate to keep depression at bay
At my previous workplace, I had a colleague cum friend who was slightly on the obese side. Our office was on the 3rd floor and he would often climb up the stairs and tell me that this gave him the motivation to walk more. He would discuss how much of his life was centred around weight which brought about fear and anxiety in him. So, you can imagine my surprise to see the transformation in him when we met recently after a year. He had lost almost 30 kg in 12 months, it was unbelievable. But what intrigued me even more was when he said his saving grace was meditation!
Methods v/s Meditation
With its many benefits, meditation is a natural and simple way of accelerating one’s journey to weight loss and a healthier body. Surfing for tips on weight loss brings up a swarm of websites educating you on designing your diet, being an early bird and exercising, ensuring a daily disciple, etc. Unfortunately, these methods are all temporary and very soon it leads to frustration, leading to heightened stress, anxiety, and lower self-esteem. It also possibly results in adopting an unnatural lifestyle which you can’t maintain, and the problem becomes worse.
Popular methods of weight loss do not offer long-term sustainable benefits and rarely give the insight of directing the mind to find the solution. Our minds need to be focused on the right things and that is achieved through meditation. Ancient wisdom says, ‘a healthy mind is a healthy body’, so, how can meditation help you lose weight?
Meditation – your key to a fit and healthy body:
- Meditation lets us sift through our thoughts: We work on our inner state when we meditate and this lets us see how we perceive ourselves. It helps us face the challenges of pushing ourselves – why don’t we want to do a morning workout or what’s the urge for fast food for dinner every day? There is a big chance that this introspection will lead to our aspirations for weight loss.
- Meditation diminishes stress: One of the major reasons for all problems makes its way here too. It’s not always felt, but stress reserves a seat deep inside us all. And this results in overindulgence at times – we often eat a big bar of chocolate or get a pizza delivery because these are harmless stress busters. A daily dose of Heartfulness relaxation can potentially release stress from our system and prepare us for a relaxed meditation session. Getting rid of stress also minimises unwholesome urges and keeps your mind centred on positive matters.
- Meditation beats loneliness: We are emotionally disconnected when we are lonely and this makes us more likely to binge on the wrong type of food. Meditation induces connectedness and shows how being together, despite the differences, can build our happy selves. It gives a sense of community and belonging.
- Builds commitment: Initiating any new regime is tough and maintaining it also requires an effort until it feels natural. What makes your day 10 of a weight loss plan as effective as day 1 is commitment. There may be many hazards along the way, like lack of sleep or the urge to eat fast food. It’s only your conviction that makes each day count. Meditation brings that faith, solidifies your intention, and boosts your willpower.
Having said all that, learning to love who we are, as we are is extremely important. Once meditation becomes a daily practice, our consciousness realigns to a greater purpose and losing weight stops being an obsession. We are more balanced and accepting, with a new-found resolve to embrace a healthy lifestyle.
