One of the things I love about Bikram Yoga is that each class consists of the same sequence of 26 postures and two breathing exercises, performed in the same order for a full 90 minutes. I never have to worry about what’s coming next during class. I don’t even have to look up to see how the teacher gets into the posture because the teacher doesn’t perform the postures during class. They only call out the dialogue of the series from the front of the studio to guide everyone in class into the postures. Eliminating the worry about “What comes next?” literally means I get to shut my brain off as soon as I walk into the studio. Those 90 minutes of class truly belong to me and tend to be worry-free.
This series of postures was selected and developed by Bikram Choudhury and is part of the Hatha Yoga family. According to the Bikram Yoga College of India’s website, all 26 postures along with the two breathing exercises are designed to work every part of the body, giving all of the internal organs, veins, ligaments and muscles everything they need in order to maintain optimum health and maximum function.
Each Bikram Yoga studio is heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity. Bikram says yoga can change the construction of the body from the inside out, from bones to skin and from fingertips to toes. Before you can change the body, he insists that you must heat it up and soften it because a warm body is a flexible body. Once the body is heated, it can be reshaped any way you want. Hatha Yoga is known to naturally flush the body free of toxins. Bikram Yoga uses the heat to further this type of cleaning process. When your body sweats, all of the impurities come out of the body through the skin. So THIS explains why I was having some minor breakouts during the first week of my 30 day challenge!
A true Bikram Yoga class is practiced under the guidance of a certified Bikram Yoga teacher at one of the affiliated Bikram Yoga studios. This way you can ensure that you’re getting the proper heated environment, which will help you perform the postures optimally.
Click here to find a certified Bikram Yoga studio near you.
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