A class with people practicing yoga, sweating “on the seas” since they are more than 40 degrees , as if they were doing yoga on the beach in August. Have you seen it in your gym ?

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It is Bikram Yoga and was born 40 years ago, but it has been implanted in Spain in the last decade. It is a variant of physical yoga, based on the realization of postures to reach meditation . The novelty is that it is done in rooms at 42 degrees and very high humidity , with which heat and sweat are a fundamental element.

WHAT IS BIKRAM YOGA

“The yoga postures are thought for the temperature in India and the benefits that the vasodilatación causes by the heat. What we are trying to do is reproduce those conditions. ” Explains Jonathan Martin, one of the professors and promoter of this modality .

Bikram Yoga retrieves 26 of the 84 classic postures of Hatha Yoga . The heat, “which is no more than a torrid day in Valencia” , clarifies Martín, helps to make some of the postures. They are performed in a 90-minute session , where two breathing exercises are also done.

THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING BIKRAM YOGA

The main ones are the same as those obtained in other variants of physical yoga, to which are added those that provide greater vasodilatation by heat. It would be something like adding a bit of sauna to training, which is why it is also called Hot Yoga.

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  • Improves flexibility , since the heat allows you to complete some exercises more easily and shortens the time you get it.
  • Strengthens the musculature
  • It improves cardiovascular conditions in general.
  • Clean toxins from the body, since one liter of water is usually sweat per session.
  • You get a full relaxation , in this case similar to other yoga practices.

HAVE RISKS IS MODALITY?

It is a type of yoga that is not very aggressive in terms of postures. There is none in inverted position, for example. Almost all can be done almost from the first day with a little practice.

Therefore, it is open to practically anyone, from the neophyte to the one who takes time to practice yoga. But it is demanding and there are some limits.

IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO …

  • Pregnant women during the first months, because there are postures in which you press the abdomen.
  • People with cardiovascular problems , since with the heat increases heart rate.
  • Older people , since they are more likely to have a heat stroke . Although Martín points out that people older than seventy years go to classes.
  • Children under 14 , since they have not fully developed their thermal system.

In addition, there are some logical factors that make it better that day do not practice Bikram Yoga. For example, if you come from a night when you have drunk a lot of alcohol. You will be dehydrated and not fit to practice it. Most likely, you will end up dizzy or nauseated.

TIPS FOR A FIRST CLASS

The fundamental thing is to be well advised in the class . Starting on your own is like running a marathon with heels.

A bad practice can lead you to have bad feelings at the end of the hour and a half and, logically, that you do not want to repeat. Do not hesitate to consult and explain in what conditions you come. A good coach will know how to indicate the most appropriate rhythm to your profile.

  • Do not try to force yourself and follow the rest from the first day. It is convenient that you stand near the door and rest for a while.
  • Wear light clothes. They recommend short pants or swimsuits for them. Preferably sleeveless shirt. For them leggings or shorts. Never too loose clothes
  • It is important not to eat anything 2-3 hours before class and of course hydrate very often.
  • Insistence. If you are not a flexible person it is normal that you feel some pain at the end of the first session. The best thing to alleviate the inconvenience is to return the next day .

IS BIKRAM YOGA BETTER?

Bad is not , as no yoga practice is bad. But neither is scientifically proven to be more beneficial than the classic one.

In fact, the last serious study, prepared by professors at the University of Texas, concluded that it provides the same benefits as yoga at lower temperatures .

The study has compared several people before and after a few months of practice in several different yoga centers. It concludes that the cardiovascular and flexibility benefits were comparable in some and others.

SO MUCH SWEAT AND EXERCISE RELAX?

The subject of physical yoga has always been surrounded by controversy. The purists say that meditation is only achieved immobile . Coach Jonathan Martin admits that physical yoga is a Westernization.

But he defends it since our way of life makes it very difficult to complete daily work and be able to meditate. Through exercise, it is possible to reduce stress. You pass to an active meditation .