Bikram Yoga
Some like it hot!
Bikram Yoga is…steamy.
Bikram Yoga is a style of yoga founded by Bikram Choudhury that includes an unchanging
series of 26 postures performed in a room heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity.
Bikram’s theory is that the heated room allows for deeper stretching, injury prevention,
stress relief, and detoxification. Bikram yoga emphasizes asana and pranayama, like
many types of yoga, but incorporates heat. It focuses on expanding lung capacity
and causing the heart to pump extra, reoxygenated blood to the muscles and organs.
The influx of this freshly charged blood is thought to eliminate bacteria, virus
and toxins in the blood.
Hatha yoga itself, and the process of using asana, causes a natural detoxification
of the organs and cells, and Bikram added the principle of heat to encourage sweating,
thus flushing the impurities out through the skin.
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There are no inverted postures in Bikram yoga, unless you are in a master class.
Bikram felt that most beginners could not safely do inversions, and that other poses
provided the same benefits as inversions.
Unlike many types of yoga, which have more spiritual goals, Bikram Yoga does host
competitions, which Bikram feels are healthy and natural
Bikram is a great yoga for those in shape, but also for those who desire a challenging
yoga practice that will detoxify the body quickly. It is normal to feel uncomfortable
during your first few Bikram yoga classes. Find a qualified teacher at a Bikram
studio near you and commit to practicing Bikram daily until you can practice without
side effects. It is very important to hydrate before performing Bikram yoga, and
is the perfect type of yoga for those people who love to sweat!
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