It is widely known that practicing yoga can help you lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. While yoga is an all purpose body workout, perhaps no area receives more benefit than your core and abdominal section. Here are three popular and simple yoga exercises you can use to strengthen your abs and trim your waist line. They are the same ones used by yoga instructors all around the world. At the end of the day, who would not want to look like a yoga instructor?

Bhujangasan is the "cobra pose" great for the abdominal, back, shoulder, and arm muscles.
In order to do the Bhujangasan, you must first lie on the floor on your stomach. With your forehead touching the floor, place your hands underneath your shoulders. Next, try to use your back muscles to lift your chest. Hold this for thirty seconds. The result should look like sort of like a long "j" with your legs as the tail, your belly as the curve and your head high. Try to avoid using your arms lift your chest up. As you get stronger, you can try placing them around your waist instead of on the ground.

Dhanurasan is also known as the bow pose.
In order to do the Dhanurasan, you must first lie on your stomach. Next bend your knees and hold your ankles. As best you can, pull with your arms and lift with your legs. Try to keep your knees together. The result should look like a bow with your belly as the curve. Hold this for at least thirty seconds. At first try to gauge how many reps you can handle. As the practice days go by you will naturally get stronger and feel more comfortable to add repetitions.

"Pavan-Muktasan" is a stomach exercising asana.
In order to do the Pavan-Muktasan, you must first lie on the floor on your back. Once you lie down, take a deep breath in and hold. With your right leg remaining still, bring your left knee towards your chest and hold with your fingers interlaced. After that, bring your head to your nose; try to touch your knee. It is okay if you cannot do it all the way, but try to get as far as you can. After thirty seconds, slowly release your leg to its original position then exhale. Rinse and repeat for the right leg. As a variation, you can do this with both legs at the same time.