After I randomly ate a billion cupcakes in lockdown I needed to get back into weight loss, and I wanted to do it the spiritual way. I’ve never been the type of person to get into fad diets like the Atkins diet. And I don’t really like the gym. That’s just not my style.
Instead of that, I wanted to lose weight the spiritual way. And thankfully, as a meditation teacher, I know quite a few ways to do that.
So let me jump right into it. I’ll show you my favorite spiritual weight loss techniques. I hope they help you as much as they helped me. And if youre wondering if these methods work, research shows the spirituality does indeed help with weight management.
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My Favorite spiritual Ways To Lose Weight
1: Use Meditation To Control Food Cravings
If you want to lose weight, you need to control your addiction cravings.
Food cravings occur as sensations in the body and thoughts in the mind that tell you that you need to eat.
To lose weight, you need to be less reactive to those triggers. And the best way to do that is to use meditation.
I’ve written a guide showing you the best meditations for weight loss. Take a look.
2: Ask the divine for help
Different people have different beliefs, so I don’t want to discuss any specific god(s) here. However, whichever form of divinity you believe in, ask them for help losing weight.
One way to do this is to pray for a healthy body. An alternative is to visualise a higher power guiding you on your weight loss journey.
When you feel the support of a higher power, you will feel stronger at your low times and more inspired to get in shape.
3: Have gratitude for your body
We should always have gratitude for the body because the human body is a miracle. Even if you happen to have a little fat around your belly and your muscles aren’t toned, your body is still a miracle.
When you appreciate the miracle of your own body, you will be more inclined to make healthy choices to support your body.
One way to develop gratitude for your body is to visualize internal processes such as food assimilation. This is a traditional technique used in Buddhism, Taoism and many other religions.
You want to be aware of the complexity of your body. You want to realise how amazing your body is. Because then you will be more motivated to support it.
3: Practice Mindful Eating
To gain more control of your diet, you want to be more aware of the eating process and more aware of what you’re putting in your body.
One way to do this is to practice mindful eating exercises.
Mindful eating is a program of exercises in which we cultivate awareness of food and of eating. There are many ways we can do this, such as by eating slowly and consciously and meditating on food.
Harvard states that Mindful Eating can reduce food cravings, make us more appreciative of food, and ultimately help us to get in shape. Hence why it is one of the best spiritual ways of losing weight.
4: Mudras
Mudras are hand positions used in yoga, Buddhism, and several other spiritualities. One such mudra is “Anjali mudra”, which is the same hand position as prayer hands.
Mudras can be used to alter our states of mind. They use acupressure points in the hands that stimulate certain regions of the brain to create various psychological benefits.
According to traditional Eastern medicine, mudras stimulate the five elements to enhance the flow of chi, which can lead to numerous benefits.
Take a look at the best mudras for weight loss.
5: Lose Weight By Accepting Yourself
Throughout my life, whenever I have needed to lose weight I have had to start by accepting myself as I am.
I’ll give you an example. Years ago I went from being extremely fit to being chubby. At first, I didn’t want to exercise because I knew I wouldn’t be as good at my exercise as I used to be. I would refuse to accept that I couldn’t do the things I used to do, and so I refused to workout.
At these times, I needed to accept the way I was, tubby and unfit, before I could start training again.
You need to accept yourself as you currently are. That’s the first step. You need to be able to look in the mirror and say, “Yes I am out of shape right now. I accept that. And I am going to change it”.
6: Mantras
Mantras are one of the most universal tools across different spiritualities. They’re used in Hinduism, yoga, Buddhism, and yes, there are also Christian mantras.
Mantras are spiritual words or phrases that we meditate on. They range from simple mantras like “Om”, to lengthy spiritual mantras like the Gayatri mantra of Hinduism, to modern mantras used in self help and the New Thought movement.
You can use mantras to connect to the divine, for meditation, or as affirmations. And you can use them for all different purposes, ranging from confidence to self discipline. Their versatility makes them one of the best spiritual ways of losing weight.
7: Yoga & Tai Chi
Yoga and tai chi are definitely two of the best spirirual ways of losing weight. Both are physical exercises, and both also help you to restore your mind-body connection.
When you’re out of shape you might feel disconnected from your body. This is an issue because the less connection you have with your body, the less likely you are to make healthy choices.
Because yoga and tai chi are both forms of Intrgrated Body Mind Training, not only will they help you to lose weight, but they will also strengthen your mind body connection.
Paul Harrison BSc is a qualified meditation teacher who believes in genuine, authentic meditation. He has more than 15 years experience in teaching meditation and mindfulness both to individuals and to corporations and is the author of four books on meditation. He has been featured in Psychology Today, Breathe Magazine, Healthline, Psych Central and Lion’s Roar.
Paul studied meditation in beautiful Oxford, UK, and Hamilton Ontario Canada, and earned his degree at Staffordshire University.
Paul’s biggest inspirations include Thich Nhat Hanh, Jon Kabat Zinn, and Jack Kornfield.
“My goal is to provide the most authentic meditation sessions so you can harness the power of your own mind for personal transformation” – Paul Harrison