This article appeared in the November 2009 “Your Healthy Life” section of REDBOOK Magazine.

Worried you’re growing a Buddha belly? Just say “om.”  Two new studies suggest that doing yoga could help you shed pounds, make you less likely to gain weight, and give you a healthier body image. And that’s not because of the calories burned on the mat: Yoga enhances the connection between mind and body, making practitioners less likely to overeat.  “When you’re more in touch with your body, you’re less likely to abuse it,” says Deborah Patz Clarke, Psy.D., whose research found that people with binge-eating disorder were less likely to binge after doing 10 weeks of yoga.  And you don’t have to become a devotee to reap yoga’s healthy-body benefits: In a study published in the <em>Journal of the American Dietetic Association</em>, those who practiced only once a week ate more mindfully – meaning they were more aware of what they were eating, and how much – and were more likely to maintain a healthy weight.  While yoga videos can do the trick, study coauthor Celia Framson, R.D., recommends group classes for beginners.  “Find an instructor you resonate with,” Framson says.  “A good teacher can strengthen the mind-body connection.”