What is Bikram yoga?

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By Trina Remedios, Health Me Up: Bikram yoga has garnered a reputation for effective weight loss and overall health and flexibility.Yoga, an ancient traditional form of exercise from India, has gained popularity right from the 20th century. From yoga, emerges Bikram yoga - a product of Bikram Choudhury, but more on him later. First, let's find out the what, why, when and how of Bikram yoga.

What is Bikram yoga?

Bikram yoga can simply be explained as:

- A branch of Hatha yoga
- Bikram yoga is conducted in a heated room at 40 degree C
- The humidity should be at 40 percent
- The duration for Bikram yoga is 90 minutes
- Bikram yoga consist of 26 postures and two breathing exercises

What is Hatha Yoga

Bikram yoga is a branch of Hatha Yoga; how does Bikram yoga take inspiration from it? Here's the answer:

A Hindu sage, Yogi Swatmarama described hatha yoga as forced yoga. 'Swatmarama introduces his system as preparatory stage of physical purification that the body practices for higher meditation or Yoga. It is based on asanas and pranayama - breathing techniques.' As mentioned in Wikipedia, Hatha yoga

Essentially, Hatha Yoga is an intense or advanced form of yoga that pushes your limits.

Why the heated room?

It is claimed that:

- The heat enhances your flexibility.
- The heat also pumps out toxins and waste from the body through the glands.
- It purifies the circulatory system.

Who is Bikram Choudhury?

Bikram Choudhury spearheaded Bikram yoga and this form of yoga gained popularity in 1970. He won the National India Yoga Championship at the age of 13. But his tryst with yoga began much earlier, when he was just four years old.

Postures in Bikram yoga

There are 26 postures in Bikram yoga that draw reference from animals. For example, Sasangasana translates to rabbit pose. Bikram yoga involves stretching, breathing, twisting, standing and balancing, and each pose isn't simply about comfortable postures - they put you to the test.

Claims of Bikram yoga

Bikram yoga claims to restore health in every muscle and organ of your body. It also claims to improve blood circulation and increases lung capacity. Bikram yoga is promoted as a solution to sports injuries as well. It can also reconstruct or reshape the body - is what the Bikram Yoga pundits say.

Bikram yoga is also known as hot yoga thanks to the heat room that enhances the process.

( Courtesy: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ )

More about Bikram yoga

Why the heat?

The temperature of the yoga room is similar to your body’s own temperature and this accelerates many of the benefits of your yoga practice.

• Heat is used in Bikram and Hot Yoga in order to allow you to go deeper and safer into a yoga pose. As a result, the benefits come faster.
• It also eliminates the risk of injuries, promotes sweating, and helps you release the toxins in your body; detoxification through perspiration.
• The Bikram yoga postures not only work on your muscles but also on your internal organs; each posture stretches and strengthens your muscles, joints and ligaments and, at the same time, releases the toxins and work on your internal organs like the glands and the nervous system.

Why do we need to sweat?

The moisture in the air is the reason you will probably sweat quite a lot. Many confuse the humidity with the actual temperature. The more people in the room, the more moisture from our breath, the more we sweat. Our room is thermostatically controlled so the temperature never gets too high. Regular profuse sweating generated by heat will:

• Flush toxins out of the body
• Promote relaxation and well-being
• Accelerate cardiovascular action
• Facilitate calorie burning

Is Bikram yoga for beginners?

This is a very common question. Bikram yoga is a beginner’s series with 26 postures with 2 breathing exercises open to beginners and advanced students alike. Anybody can do it; any age, size, shape, condition, background or problem.  

How quickly you progress will depend entirely on you; upon the honest time and effort you give to your practice. It will have little to do with how “perfectly” you can do the poses. Instead, it’s how well you understand what you are trying to accomplish in each pose, how honestly you try to accomplish your goal and how supple your muscles and joints have become in comparison to the point at which you began. Do as much as your body allows on that day, always respecting and listening to your body’s needs. In yoga there is no standard of comparison except yourself. Yoga is beyond goals. Just continue to show up, practice in the present moment and you will be delighted by the feeling of well-being, vitality and unexpected benefits that emerge.

Can I do yoga if I am not flexible?

Absolutely! This is the most common misconception about yoga, one that prevents many people from ever starting. The question is not about how flexible you are but rather about how you can strengthen your spine, your body and your mind.  With regular practice you will see great improvements in your flexibility. The important thing is to try 100% the right way with the body you have that day.

Will I lose weight?

In Bikram yoga, be prepared to elevate your heart rate! Each posture combines flexibility, strength and balance to work your whole body.  With persistence, patience and dedication, one breath at a time, you can lose inches, develop muscle tone and strength that you may not have found through other forms of exercise. Whatever your fitness level, anyone can benefit from Bikram yoga.

How often should I take a class?

To derive maximum benefit and enjoy prolonged health, the Bikram series should be practiced on a regular basis. We recommend 10 classes in one month as a minimum commitment to see and feel the sustained revitalization in your body. The more frequently you practice, the more rapidly you’ll retrain all of your systems (circulatory, respiratory, digestive, muscular, nervous, metabolic, lymphatic, skeletal).

If you’re experiencing health or emotional issues, yoga will support you, so come as often as you can. Progress is a slow, sure, but an enjoyable process! Your improvement will depend entirely on the time and effort you put in. Just do your best. The harder this yoga is for you the more you need it and the more you will get out of it. There is no need to show off, nor is there a need to be embarrassed about your level of practice. The secret in the success is in the FREQUENCY of your practice. All hard work pays off.

What if I feel dizzy, lightheaded or nauseous during class?

It is not unusual to feel nauseous or dizzy during your first few classes. This is common since the body is detoxifying and adjusting to the heat. Usually the problem is that we do not drink enough water for daily living, let alone for exercising in a heated room and we do not know how to breathe in a relaxed meditative way.

Make sure you are well hydrated before class but most importantly, listen to your body and take breaks whenever you need to. Also make sure you are getting enough natural electrolytes when you hydrate. A pinch of sea salt with honey and lemon in your water bottle should suffice. And most importantly, breathe.

If you feel disoriented or like you need a good nap after your first few classes, this is likely because your body has begun to cleanse itself as a result of the yoga practice. As your body acclimates and detoxifies, these sensations will disappear and you’ll start feeling more energized.

What are the benefits of Bikram yoga?

There is much evidence both scientific and anecdotal to support the benefits of practicing this powerful healing yoga on a regular basis. Some include:

• Breathing better
• Reduced stress
• Weight loss & body toning effects
• Improved posture
• Increased flexibility & strength
• Increased energy
• Better sleep
• Injury prevention and may prevent or improve chronic illness
• Improved metabolism / digestion
• Improved heart and lung function
• Improved back conditions such as pain and misalignment
• Improved lymphatic system
• Improved flexibility of the spine in its range of motion improving the functioning of the central nervous system
• Strengthening of immune system
• Massaged and stimulated endocrine and exocrine glands
• Works every organ, gland, nerve, cell, tendon, ligament and muscle in the body
• Improved memory, mental clarity, learning, body coordination and balance
• Builds mental strength to better hold your mind in a focused and meditative state
• A sense of well-being and a more peaceful mind

Should I drink water during class?

It is best to drink plenty of water during the day (from the moment you get up) and after your yoga class rather than during. According to Mary Jarvis, Bikram yoga owner at Global Yoga San Fransisco and practicing/teaching for over 30 years, people drink water for 3 reasons:

• Boredom; no concentration, discipline or focus.
• It is emotional;
• Most important, we do not know how to breathe correctly and in great relaxation.

When you drink and drink and drink, you get weaker and weaker and loopier in class. You put yourself in digestion the moment the water hits your stomach and it takes a LOT of energy! Oxygen carries Prana, Chi, Life Force… it is all we need. If you feel dizzy, just sit down for a moment on your knees and slow your breathing down through your nose focusing on one spot. Hold still in and out of the postures always breathing normal. That is your yoga. That is all we need to do in class. Hand towels, water breaks, etc. have nothing to do with the yoga. It is about you and your breath.Read more.

What should I eat?

Find out more on nutritional advice.
 

Will yoga help improve my sporting performance?

Yoga benefits all people who play any sports at any level. Yoga helps to prevent and build resilience to injury by increasing flexibility and agility and in particular, increases the range of mobility in the joints. Learning how to breathe gives greater control over the respiratory system therefore boosting strength, stamina and endurance making sport more enjoyable and rewarding. Mastering and learning to relax the mind can help cure the nervousness often experienced before competition.

Is it carpet in the hot room at Bikram Yoga TMR?

NO! Contrary to other Bikram yoga studios in Montreal and the Montreal area, we use Flotex. Flotex fibres are impervious, waterproof and rot proof allowing the textile floor image of ‘carpet’ to be washed and scrubbed just like a standard vinyl floor. Thanks to an effective, active antimicrobial treatment, Flotex offers consistent protection against bacteria – including MRSA and E.coli, moulds such as athlete’s foot fungi and the development of stale odours.

How qualified are the Instructors?

Instructors spend nine weeks immersed in an in-depth study of Bikram yoga with yoga Masters Bikram and Rajashree Choudhury and their staff of senior teachers. Candidates who successfully pass Bikram’s stringent qualifications receive a certificate of completion. Only certified teachers personally trained by Bikram are licensed to teach in Bikram yoga schools.

Can I do Bikram yoga if I am pregnant?

To answer your question, talk to the Bikram Yoga owner of your studio.

What is the difference between Moksha yoga and Bikram yoga?

Find out about the difference between Moksha Yoga vs Bikram Yoga.

About Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury

Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury is the founder of the worldwide ‘Yoga College of India’. Born in Calcutta in 1946, Bikram began studying yoga at the young age of four with India’s most-renowned physical culturists at that time, Bishnu Ghosh, the younger brother of Paramahansa Yogananda (author of ‘Autobiography of a Yogi‘ and founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles).

Bikram practiced yoga rigorously; at least four to six hours every day at his teacher’s ‘College of Physical Education’ in Calcutta. At twelve, he was the youngest ever National Champion of India, holding the title three consecutive years until Bishnu Ghosh, his guru, asked him to stop competing for the sake of the other participants. Bikram went on to pursue an athletic career as a marathon runner and a champion weightlifter setting world record lifts and competing in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

At twenty, an injury to his knee during a weight-lifting accident brought the prediction from leading European doctors that he would never walk again. Not accepting their pronouncement, he had himself carried back to Bishnu Ghosh’s school, for he knew that if anyone could help heal his knee, it was his teacher. With the guidance of his guru, Bikram created his 26 pose series which restored his health in six months. Quickly he established himself as a world expert teacher. Working with scientists at the Tokyo University Hospital, Bikram scientifically formulated and demonstrated yoga’s ability to regenerate tissue and cure chronic ailments.

Bikram was asked by Ghosh to start several yoga schools in India. The schools were so successful that, at Bishnu’s request, Bikram traveled to Japan and opened two more. He has since brought his curative methods of yoga therapy around the world.

Living yoga master Bikram Choudhury is the ‘Hot Yoga’ innovator. He is recognized as one of the world’s leading Hatha Yoga authorities and today has over 900 yoga schools worldwide.

Find out more on www.bikramyoga.com