What is Bikram Yoga? Is it different from simple yoga & how?

What is Bikram Yoga?

One of the first questions that arise in home “researchers” of this method is as follows: “What distinguishes Bikram yoga from hatha yoga?” First of all, the second practice became the basis for the creation of the first. Bikram Choudhury expanded and supplemented the Hatha complex with breathing exercises, and later with several authorial asanas. And also ordered to heat the room before classes to 37-41 ° C.

The sequence of asanas never changes. Thus, the famous yogi makes the bodies of his students “remember” the load and repeatedly work through each muscle.

Heated air is not a senseless invention, but a really significant discovery. Lessons in this mode have at least three advantages.

1. Stretching. Hot flows qualitatively and quickly warm up the practitioners, make their muscles more flexible, and the stretch is more qualitative.
2. Atraumatism. Thanks to a good warm-up of the muscles, the risk of injury is minimized.
3. Cleansing. Hot moist air stimulates the release of sweat, cleaning the pupil’s body of toxins and other harmful excesses.

7 pluses

Despite the fact that hundreds of research works of scientists and practitioners are devoted to this issue, the advantages of bikram hot yoga can be generalized and fit into seven points.

1. Calories “on the fire.” The first and main benefit of hot yoga is that training quickly burns calories. The hot room intensifies this effect, due to what it turns out to be prolonged: the occupation ended a couple of hours ago, and the excess in the body continues to be burned with the same intensity. Therefore, hot-yoga is chosen by those who want to get rid of extra pounds in a short time.
2. Down with cellulite. When asked whether bikram yoga helps with cellulite, you can confidently answer: “Yes.” Hot air opens the pores and penetrates deep layers of the skin. Fatty layers are heated from exercise and heat. Exchange processes in them are accelerated, and the relief surface of the thighs and buttocks begins to intensively smooth out.
3. Beat on toxins . Abundant sweating, provoked by heat, promotes active removal of toxins from the body.
4. Faster, more flexible, stronger . The warming up of the muscles leads to increased flexibility, and therefore – and the quality of the stretching.
5. Cases of the heart . Hot yogic practice is compared with cardio loads. The heat in the room strengthens the heart and the whole cardiovascular system.
6. Hot resuscitation . Bikram yoga is often recommended to people who have been seriously injured due to sports training or traffic accidents. The recovery period in this case is reduced, and rehabilitation itself becomes not only pleasant, but also more effective.
7. Expulsion of stress . This practice is often called Western. And all because it is designed for people with Western mentality – Americans and Europeans who spend a lot of time in offices, are prone to depression and unstable to stress. Bikram yoga is the answer to seven troubles: overwork, stress, depression, inactivity, incorrect posture, overeating and total fatigue.

A few disadvantages

The main drawback of hot workouts is that they can be practiced exclusively by healthy people. Contraindications bikram yoga – this is a long list of painful conditions, in which many will find first-hand the familiar items.

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• With VSD. Bikram yoga is forbidden in vegetovascular dystonia – even though this ailment does not belong to the category of serious.
• Varicose veins. Refuse to have hot yoga and those who are personally familiar with varicose veins.
• Problem vessels. Damage classes will bring and people with weak blood vessels: training in hot conditions can provoke serious dizziness, and in some – even a fainting condition.
• Neoplasms. Absolute contraindications are tumors of any nature – including, and benign. Myoma of the uterus, couperose, rheumatoid arthritis, hernia – all these conditions are incompatible with the author’s technique of Bikram Chowdhury.
• Pregnancy. Contraindication to training is pregnancy – at any time. But in the lactation period it is possible to be engaged, but only after the permission of the obstetrician-gynecologist.
• Critical days. It is not necessary to attend classes with menstruation. High temperatures and intense physical stress provoke increased blood flow and can cause abundant secretion and dizziness.

Basic rules

The basic rules of “hot” training are intuitive and easy to remember. Use the next six when you are going to the class for the first time. And soon they will become your habit.

1. Minimum of clothes . Clothes should not be much, because you will sweat profusely because of the heat. Ideal fit lycra leggings and sports T-shirt, fitting body. From shorts and short pants it is better to refuse: the wet body extremely unpleasantly slides on karematu (the name is called a sports mat).
2. Rear view . If you came to class the first time, do not get up in the first row. Take a comfortable place somewhere from behind to have a broad view and a good view of the teacher and the rest, more experienced students.
3. Maximum concentration . Crossing the threshold of the gym, throw all the thoughts aside. Do not forget that yoga – regardless of the kind – is, above all, meditation. Let nothing stop you from concentrating on your own feelings.
4. Silence. This is another obligatory condition of bikram yoga. Try to refrain from sighing, panting and groaning. “Disconnect” the vocal cords. This will allow you to hear more clearly what your body is saying.
5. Nasal breathing. Breathing with the mouth is strictly prohibited. And for that there is a good reason. The mouth of nature is meant for eating, not for breathing. Only with nasal breathing oxygen penetrates into the lower parts of the lungs, fuller and more qualitatively thereby saturating the body with oxygen.
6. Five minutes be a “corpse”. Thirteenth asanas called Shavasana professionals are advised to devote at least five minutes. This is the minimum amount of time a person needs to fully relax in a corpse pose. The middle asana will help to straighten your breathing, free your thoughts and calm your muscle tone.

Additional conditions

Reviews of bikram yoga indicate that this sport is absolutely not suitable for morning exercises. The fact is that a “hot” session requires the body to get the most out of it. And the sensations after are similar to the well-being of a squeezed lemon. Half an hour or an hour the body for recovery will not be enough. Therefore, it is better to postpone training for after-work time. Below are suggested three more tips that will help improve your yoga practice.

1. A lot of water . A bottle of clean drinking water is your main companion after the coach. Drinking is necessary not only before the beginning of the lesson, but also during and after it. And at the end of training, the drinking regime should be particularly active. Your primary task is to stabilize the water balance in the body after a profuse sweating.
2. A full stomach . Well-fed, not full. Heaviness in the abdomen is not the best feeling during a grueling workout. But the rumbling of an empty stomach is a hundred times worse. Your body will need a lot of energy to do all that the trainer shows. Therefore, take care of replenishing the energy in advance. Feed your body three to four hours before going to the gym.
3. Gradual improvement . Beginners need to remember that not everything and not always comes from the first time. The body must get used to the load. Especially when it’s so complicated. Therefore, it is recommended for beginner yogis and yoginists to perform postures without tearing. If something does not work, postpone the next time. Gradually you will reach perfection. And your patience and work will necessarily peretrut. Do not doubt.

Complex poses and breathing exercises

Once more about the basic rules of bikram yoga: the minimum of thoughts, the maximum concentration on sensations and the observance of a clear sequence of exercises. Most of the asanas you can master and yourself – using text and video tips. The table alternately describes all 26 positions for “hot” training at home.

Table – Sequence of asanas and respiratory practices of bikram yoga

The creator of Bikram yoga suffered a serious knee injury in 17 years. Doctors assured us that the guy could not walk fully again. But Chowdhury refused to believe in pessimistic forecasts and, thanks to “hot” training, after a few years, completely recovered and cured his leg.

Exercises of Bikram yoga for beginners are absolutely identical to the complex for professionals. At first, you may be sick. Dizziness and sensation of weakness are possible. If you are tired – sit down. This is absolutely normal. Certainly, it is not necessary to get accustomed to such pieces of training. Bikram yoga is available to everyone. This should be remembered, first coming to class and observing with envy those who ideally perform asanas. One day you will also become one of them – those who are fascinated by newcomers. Regular training is the only guarantee of success.