Bikram Yoga, commonly known as hot yoga, is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional yoga techniques and popularized beginning in the early 1970s. Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class runs approximately 90 minutes, incorporates a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, and is practiced in a room heated to 105°F with 40% humidity.
Bikram Yoga aims toward general wellness.
The heated studio facilitates deeper stretching, injury prevention, and stress and tension relief. Bikram yoga systematically stimulates and restores health to every muscle, joint, and organ of the body. Using unique extension and compression processes, blood circulation is affected immensely during Bikram Yoga. These two dynamics work together to deliver fresh oxygen to every joint, muscle, and organ within the human body.
How does Bikram Yoga heal the body and the mind?
While performing a specific asana (pose), the body is stretching or compressing a certain part of the body, thus cutting off circulation temporarily. This restriction of circulation causes the heart to pump more blood. The pumping of excess, fresh blood is called extension. Once the asana is complete and the individual comes out of the posture, the new oxygenated blood is able to rejuvenate the arteries that were being compressed. Because of the volume change and influx of fresh blood, infection, bacteria, and toxins are released through this process, promoting overall health.
Prerequisite Notes: Appropriate for beginning-intermediate level yogis