Know More About Bikram Yoga

Share This

Living yoga master Bikram Choudhury is a hot yoga innovator. His method is a set series of 26 postures, including two pranayama exercises, each of which is performed twice in a single 90-minute class. Choudhury, who was born in Calcutta, India in 1946, was a yoga champion in his youth, as was his wife Rajashree. In 1974, the Choudhurys founded the Yoga College of India in Beverly Hills, California, to teach his method, which soon became one of the most popular styles of yoga asana practiced in the west.

Bikram Yoga is a series of twenty-six Hatha Yoga postures and two Pranayama breathing techniques designed to provide a challenging, invigorating, rejuvenating and effective yoga experience. During this 90-minute class, you will work every muscle, tendon, ligament, joint and internal organ in the entire body, giving you an overall sense of well being.

All classes are performed in a room warmed to approximately 105 degrees and an average of 40% humidity. The heat and humidity warms our bodies allowing us better flexibility. Additionally, when we sweat, toxins are flushed from the body. While it may feel uncomfortable initially, the heat only furthers the benefits of the postures and breathing techniques.

Of all the kinds of yoga being practiced out there today, Bikram Yoga is deemed to be one of the most challenging forms, if not the most challenging of all. What makes it difficult isn’t the full 26 twisty and bendy poses, but rather the fact that it is practiced in a heated room of 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. While that may sound like torture, this heated room is the key to getting all the benefits that Bikram yoga has to offer.

Physiological Benefits Of Bikram

Practitioners are quick to vouch for the improvement in their health and strength with regular practice of Bikram. One of the primary reasons is that the heated room aids blood circulation throughout the body. The controlled breathing method also supplements this process, as the flow of air into the lungs help spread fresh oxygen throughout the system. There are certain postures (asanas) are also specifically designed to block blood flow in certain regions for a full minute. Upon releasing from the asana, the blood surges forward with fresh new blood cells built up in that one-minute lockup. Other poses are designed to build and establish solid balance, combining varying degrees of flexibility with strength, and more importantly, the incredible concentration needed to hold the pose. Among the many physiological ailments known to have been alleviated by Bikram are alignment issues in the spine, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular diseases, blood pressure, diabetes, rheumatism, and many more.

Psychological Benefits Of Bikram Yoga

The most rewarding aspect of Bikram is not the weight loss or the improved health, but rather the fact that you have overcome a full hour and a half of practice in a heated room. Yoga instructors will be quick to point out that this exercise is not only a physical challenge, but also a mental feat in and of itself. It makes you dig deep into your reserves of strength to just hang in there for one more minute, and then another, until you’re finally lying in Corpse Pose (Savasana). It may start out as a matter of pride, a desire to not be the first one to faint or leave the room, but soon you’ll find that you’re doing this for yourself and no one else, and there’s incredible strength in knowing that. Bikram practitioners find this type of yoga to be specially good at developing one’s focus, as the whole exercise teaches you to stay focused despite the heavy discomfort of heat.

While some people are quick to pass up on Bikram because of the heat and near-unbearable humidity, it remains popular because of its attested benefits – not only for the body but also for the mind, and for many, for the spirit. It should go without saying that all types of yoga are beneficial. But whichever type of yoga you choose to practice, you need the the right kind of commitment to experience the full benefits of yoga.

If your want to start Bikram Yoga, here are a few reminders:

1. What to wear – Next to nothing…or anything that feels like nothing, that is. Clothing that breathes and is moisture wicking is ideal, and anything with mesh and extra venting will also be your best friend in the heat. Do yourself a favour and steer clear of cotton and other fabrics that will hold sweat and weigh you down; there is no reason to create more heat for yourself. Form-fitting clothing will help avoid restriction in postures and keep you from feeling sticky

2. What to bring

Water! Drink plenty of water before practice, during practice, and yup, you guessed it: tons of water after practice. Hydration is very important in Bikram yoga to avoid dizziness and to give you a break from the heat. Most studios will provide a mat and a towel (usually for a small cost) but you can also bring your own.

3. What to expect

Expect to sweat from all angles – even places you didn’t know existed. Expect a full class, and every kind of yogi under the sun, from curious beginners to advanced students who practice daily. Don’t feel pressure to do all 26 poses; rest when you need to and listen to your body.