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Bikram Yoga, the Hot Yoga Form |
Bikram Yoga is a form of yoga that is developed by Bikram Chaudhary, an Indian yoga instructor based in Los Angeles. He has a copyright over the name Bikram Yoga. It comprises a series of 26 asanas (poses).
The chief feature of Bikram Yoga is that it is performed in a hot room and so Bikram Yoga is popularly known as Hot Yoga. The temperature ranges from 95 to 100 degree Fahrenheit and the relative humidity is maintained at approximately 60% in the hot room. These conditions invoke profuse sweating in participants and therein lie the important health advantages associated with the radically different yoga environment used for this form of yoga practice.
A typical Bikram Yoga session lasts for 90 minutes. In it two pranayama breathing exercises are performed twice together with the 26 poses. The pranayama exercises are performed while standing and deep breathing practice is the reason for the exercises.
Some of the Bikram Yoga asanas that are performed in the room include the toe stand pose, which is termed padangustasana. They also include the dandayamana-janushirsasana (knee pose) and the eagle pose (garudasana). Some of the other poses include the utkatasana (awkward pose), the tree pose (tadasana), the bhujangasana (cobra pose) and the dead body pose (savasana).
Before attending a Bikram Yoga class, you need to remember some important things. First you need to ensure that you must not have eaten anything in the 2 hours before a session begins. Second, you need to sign in at the reception at least 15 minutes before a session begins. Third, you also need to bring a mat and a towel into the yoga classroom. If you forget you can get these two items on rent at the reception.
You need to remember that Hot Yoga drains all the water in your body so you need to drink water from time to time during the session. The only other requirement is that you must practice Bikram Yoga with devotion and dedication. Age is no bar to practice Hot Yoga.
The various asanas that you perform in a Bikram Yoga class are all performed in a specific sequence. This is because, being so connected, it is easy to transpose from one to the next one in the specific sequence. The asanas are designed to produce a tourniquet effect.
Performing the various asanas creates pressure on the different parts of the body, stretches it, and helps in achieving balance. Performing the poses stretches the organs, the nerves, the muscles, the tendons, and the glands. As a result of the various body movements, blood supply to the various different body areas is promoted. This occurs partly because of an increase in the heart rate. So, bikram yoga is not recommended to the pregnant women.
Bikram Yoga participants can increase their physical and mental strength and their flexibility by regularly attending Hot Yoga sessions. The curing of chronic ailments and tissue repair are the two foremost benefits they can obtain through Bikram Yoga practice. |
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