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| Bikram Yoga | Yoga Mat | Yoga Video |
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A fairly new form of yoga, Bikram yoga focuses specifically on a series of 26 asana poses, designed to promote overall health, muscle strength and flexibility.
The word ‘asana’ was originally intended to refer to seated yoga positions, those that aid in meditation and breathing, but has since come to incorporate any position that helps to better prepare the body and mind for yoga meditation practices. |
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What is Bikram Yoga?The 26 poses incorporate two pranayama exercises, or breathing and meditation, within a heated room, over a 90-minute session. Bikram Choudhury, a native of Calcutta, India, invented this style of yoga. He founded the Yoga College of India in Beverly Hills, CA in 1974 and has since honed his style of yoga to a very specific regime.
He believes this regime will result in moving 100% fresh oxygenated blood through the body, thus helping to create a harmony among all of the organs in the body. Once success in the class is achieved, yoga practicers will notice a balance of weight, muscle tone and overall well-being.
One of the goals of the Bikram yoga practice is to help followers see that there is no perfect pose but instead understand the purpose of each pose. This includes taking the time to understand problems you may encounter with each pose, as well as figuring out ways to achieve better results from a pose. A Bikram yoga instructor will also make it clear that you should not try to “cheat” or make a pose easier, as this will take away from the desired results of a harmonious mind and body.
Two essentials to this type of yoga are the room temperature, along with a specific type of breathing, often referred to as pranayama breathing. Bikram teaches that 105 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal room temperature. This is necessary to keep the body from overheating, to protect the muscles from deep stretches, to detoxify the body and unclog pores and to help thin the blood to clear the circulatory system.
This temperature also helps make deep breathing easier, which is one of the main goals of the Bikram yoga study. A pranayama breathing method requires that your deep breathing moves along with your postures, ensuring that the abdominal muscles stay stretched in order to help the breath move freely and evenly. Because of the hot temperature, it is always suggested that individuals bring their own yoga mat, as they will be plenty sweaty by the end of class.
Bikram yoga has become synonymous with a type of yoga called “Hot yoga,” as this is also yoga practiced in a classroom with a high temperature setting. It is important to note, though, that while the two may have a great deal of similarities, a class or session is not actually considered an official “Bikram” class unless it is taught by someone certified by the Yoga College of India.
Recently, Bikram Choudhury actually settled a lawsuit with a group of yoga instructors in Southern California that were using the Bikram name without association. With this, the term “Hot Yoga” was coined and is now being used in distinction from the Bikram name, although many yoga practicers are not aware of the difference.
Since Bikram yoga is a specialized yoga only taught by certified Bikram instructors, it may be difficult to find a class near you. With this in mind, Bikram has a website, www.bikramyoga.com where you can order a Bikram yoga video to do right at home.
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