Intro to Bikram Yoga

Yoga is said to be a good way to stay fit both mentally and physically. And, there are many yoga styles to choose from, depending on your abilities and fitness level. One such yoga style which is suitable for people of all ages and abilities is Bikram Yoga.

It is a 90-minute yoga workout in which the practitioner needs to perform 26 beginner postures and 2 breathing exercises in a heated room. All the postures need to be performed in the prescribed sequence for the maximum effect. Each of these postures help in strengthening and preparing your body muscles and organs and also stimulates the circulation of 100% oxygen through your blood.

Short History

Bikram Yoga was created by Bikram Choudhary in 1970s. He was a 4-time Yoga champion and created a series of postures for amateur yogis to practice. After he created this yoga style, several Bikram yogi centers were established all around the world and follow the same sequence of postures everywhere.

According to Bikram, the heat helped in stretching the muscles and removing the toxins from the body which made these yoga postures easier to implement.

Practice

In Bikram yoga, you squeeze, stretch, and massage your internal organs, flush the lymphatic system, and release any defective enzyme or hormone via the stimulation of endocrine system. Also, in order to perform Bikram Yoga correctly, you need to combine your patience, concentration, self-control, and determination skills. This helps you in both health benefits and mental fitness.

To perform Bikram yoga, you need a room which is heated to 40 degrees Celsius. This will help you in warming up and cleansing your body of the toxins and will also allow you to stretch deeper without injuring yourself. When you perform this yoga, it is important that you perform all the 26 postures in the correct sequence otherwise it won’t work. So, it is important that you either learn it in a yoga school or take some tutorials before you proceed to try it yourself.

Here are a few steps to keep in mind when practicing Bikram Yoga:

• Make sure that you keep your body hydrated before the class, at least 24 hours prior to it. Also, don’t eat anything before 2-3 hours of the class.
• Wear fit clothes during the practice. Avoid sagging or tight clothes as this can hinder the practice.
• Keep a bottle of water near you and take small sips when you feel slightly dehydrated.
• Let your teacher know if you are facing issue with a posture. This way you will know if you are doing something wrong.
• Don’t overdo it. Take it slow and relax if you start feeling dizzy.

Course & Difficulty Level

Bikram Yoga is essentially an easy technique which can be learned by anyone, regardless of age or size. However, one needs to learn the proper sequencing and the posturing so as to not accidentally injure themselves. Also, the heat can be a little overwhelming in the start and could make you feel nauseous or dizzy. In such situations, it is important to take a break and progress slowly instead of forcing yourself to go on.

While it is not hard to learn Bikram yoga in a school, it is important that you attend the classes regularly and practice it daily for the best results. Also, a good Yoga teacher is crucial to make sure that you learn the right techniques while performing this yoga practice.

Aasanas

Bikram yoga consists of 26 yoga asanas in the following sequence:

1. Pranayama
2. Ardha Chandrasana with Pada Hastasana
3. Utkatasana
4. Garurasana
5. Dandayamana Janushirasana
6. Dandayamana Dhanurasana
7. Tuladanasana
8. Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimottasana
9. Trikanasana
10. Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana
11. Tadasana
12. Padangustasana
13. Savasana
14. Pavanamuktasana
15. Bikram Yoga Sit-Up Pose
16. Bhujangasana
17. Salabhasana
18. Poorna Salabhasana
19. Dhanurasana
20. Supta Vajrasana
21. Ardha Kurmasana
22. Ustrasana
23. Sasangasana
24. & 25 Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana

• Ardha Matsyendrasana

Final Breathing Exercise: Kapalbhati-in-Vajrasana

Difference to other yoga styles

Bikram Yoga, in comparison to other yoga styles, is more intense and difficult. Often it is also known as the Torture yoga because you have to perform the postures in a closed, heated room. Usually, other yoga styles focus on the flowing and the breathing techniques and can be done in any environment. Some might require a set of postures to be performed in a sequence and some might not, but there is usually no limit on where you can perform them.

The same cannot be said for Bikram yoga. This type of yoga practice needs to be executed in a 40 degrees Celsius heated room and all the postures are to be performed in the exact sequence. If any one of these elements is missed, you won’t see any effect on your body.

Bikram Yoga impact on health

As we mentioned earlier, Bikram Yoga is really great for both your bodily and mental health.

Bikram Yoga was scientifically designed to help in protecting against illnesses, stop the aging signs, and help in losing weight as well. Apart from these uses, it is also greatly used in building body stamina and flexibility and is quite easy to introduce in the regular workouts.

But, like every other exercise, there are some pros and cons associated with this yoga practice as well.

Pros

• Due to the sweating, your skin pores open up which can help in clearing your complexion and makes your skin look great.
• It helps in warming up your body and improves your flexibility which is why you won’t feel too sore afterward.
• It is a great way to reduce stress because it massages your endocrine system during the 90-minute workout.
• Since the heat makes it harder to breathe, you are forced to focus on your breathing pattern and concentrate on it. This can help you in concentrating and focusing otherwise as well.

Cons

• Due to the 90-minute session in a heated room, you could end up becoming dehydrated.
• It can make you feel dizzy and nauseous due to the excessive heat.
• Since it takes exact 90-minutes for this yoga practice to complete, it can take a great chunk out of your schedule.
• If you aren’t careful then you could end up injuring yourself due to the heat exhaustion.

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