What is Bikram Yoga?
Bikram yoga is a series made up of 26 poses and 2 breathing exercises. Every posture, except the final posture — the spinal twist, is done twice, so there is always a second chance to improve your alignment and to go deeper. The class is conducted in a heated room in order to warm you up from the inside out, bones to skin. This makes it easier to stretch tendons and muscles and helps to prevent injury or over-strain. Bikram yoga’s twenty-six posture exercises systematically move fresh, oxygenated blood to one hundred percent of your body, to each organ and fiber, restoring all systems to healthy working order while promoting proper weight, muscle tone, vibrant good health, and a sense of well-being.
This yoga is designed for you–whether you are a beginner or experienced yogi; whether you wish to reduce symptoms of chronic illnesses or wish to do yoga as preventative medicine. Not only does the body improve, but you can begin to focus more, breath more deeply, and ultimately learn how to find calm in not-so-calm situations!
Physical Benefits
- Stretches muscles, connective tissues and tendons
- Helps prevent injuries
- Increases circulation to tissues and organs
- De-toxifies all the systems of the body
Mental Benefits
- Your determination to get to class and on your mat
- Your discipline to listen to instructions and be coach-able
- Your desire to improve your body and your life!
Spiritual Benefits
Hatha yoga is like saying your prayers with your body. Furthermore, Bikram states that the mirrors we use in class are like a cosmic mirror in which we begin to see into our souls: how we react to situations, how we perceive ourselves, and how we deal with struggle.