Bikram Hot Yoga

Bikram yoga is a popular type of yoga practice that gained a lot of awareness during the 1970s. It is also known as “hot” yoga, and the classes are usually held in heated rooms and last around 90 minutes. Hot yoga series provide plenty of health benefits such as stress relief, muscle toning, body stretching, joint pain relief, and more. In this post, we will take a closer look at what Bikram yoga is and whether you should try it or not.

What Is Bikram Yoga?
As previously mentioned, Bikram yoga is not as old as other types of yoga. It is done in rooms heated up to 35-42 degrees Celsius. This is why you should have a body that resists to both heat and a 40-percent humidity level. One class lasts longer than a regular yoga session. On the other hand, the movements are more on the sedentary side. It is something focused on meditation rather than intense physical activity.

There are 26 different asanas that all Bikram yoga sessions contain, as follows:

1. Standing deep breathing pose – it prevents respiratory problems
2. A mix of hands-to-feet pose and half-moon asana – increases your spine’s flexibility and strengthens your core muscles
3. Awkward pose – tones your legs and relieves arthritis symptoms
4. Eagle asana – opens up your joints and improves blood circulation
5. Standing head-to-knee pose – boosts your sciatic nerve flexibility and makes your hamstrings a lot stronger
6. Standing bow asana – helps you gain balance while firming both core and thighs areas
7. Balancing stick pose – pumps blood towards the heart and cleanse your veins and arteries
8. Standing separate leg stretching asana – stretches your legs’ tendons
9. Triangle pose – alleviates lower back pain and strengthens internal organs and major muscles
10. Standing separate leg head-to-knee asana – improves metabolism and boosts immunity
11. Tree pose – helps you gain flexibility and balance while improving posture
12. Toe stand pose – makes your ankles and feet a lot stronger
13. Corpse asana – creates a natural internal cleansing
14. Wind removing pose – strengthens your arms and thighs and increases hips flexibility
15. Situp – increases spine flexibility and improved blood circulation
16. Cobra pose – relieves spine pain and arthritis symptoms
17. Locust asana – you achieve stronger legs and upper spine
18. Full locust pose – increased elasticity all over your body
19. Bow asana – stronger spinal nerves and better circulation
20. Reclining thunderbolt pose – increases both strength and flexibility
21. Half tortoise asana – pumps blood to the brain and relieves neck and shoulder tension
22. Camel pose – stimulates the entire nervous system
23. Rabbit asana – increases your spine’s elasticity
24. A combination of head-to-knee and back stretching poses – improves your digestion and boosts immunity
25. Spine twisting asana – relieves lower back pain
26. Skull Illuminating pose – strengthens your core area and improves circulation

Benefits of Bikram Yoga
1. Detoxification – it flushes toxins from your body.
2. It is a great cardiovascular workout – it tones your heart muscle.
3. Weight loss – hot yoga helps you shed several pounds by boosting your metabolism.
4. Improves your balance and flexibility
5. Improves your blood circulation
6. Promotes healing, strength, and focus

Is Bikram Yoga Safe?
Bikram yoga or “hot” yoga is totally safe. Not only is it safe to practice it, but it also provides plenty of health benefits. As long as you can handle the heat, hydrate yourself properly by drinking plenty of water, and keep an open mind; it will all be a pleasant and remarkable experience.
Caution: Sometimes, some people, especially beginners, can feel dizzy, weak or even nauseated during a hot yoga session. If this is the case, stop what you’re doing, and go out of the heated room in a cooler environment.