|
History of Bikram yoga:
Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury is the founder of the worldwide Yoga College of India(TM). Born in Calcutta in 1946, Bikram began yoga at the age of four with India's most-renowned physical culturist at that time, Bishnu Ghosh, the younger brother of Paramahansa.
At seventeen, an injury to his knee during a weight-lifting accident brought the prediction from leading European doctors that he would never walk again. Not accepting their pronouncement, he had himself carried back to Bishnu Ghosh's school, for he knew that if anyone could help to heal his knee, it was his teacher. Six months later, his knee had totally recovered. Ghosh was first to scientifically document yoga's ability to cure chronic physical ailments and heal the body.
Bikram was asked by Ghosh to start several yoga schools in India. He has since brought his curative methods of yoga therapy around the world.
The Bikram Style:
Bikram yoga is a series of yoga poses done in a very heated room, which is usually maintained at a temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 40 degrees Celsius). Yoga at this temperature promotes profuse sweating, which is believed to help rid the body of toxins. It also keeps the body very warm and, therefore, more flexible.
The heated classroom facilitates deeper stretching, prevents injury, and relieves stress and tension. Hot yoga was designed to systematically stimulate and restore health to every muscle, joint and organ of the body.
Class Format:
Students are guided through a series of 26 postures during which the heart, lungs, circulation, muscles, brain activity and mental capacity are all affected. There are two descriptions of the 26 exercises and they are asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises). Both of these rely on each other to deliver positive results.
Preparing for your Bikram yoga Class:
Bring a change of clothes to the yoga studio. You will most certainly drench your clothes with sweat.
Wear a headband or sweatband. Sweat tends to make long hair fall into your eyes, which can be distracting.
Bring bottled water. Some teachers do not like water bottles in the room during the 90-minute classes, but you can always insist. You'll need water before and after to prevent dehydration.
Bring several towels. You can use one large towel on your mat under your face and other smaller ones to dry sweat from your eyes and face.
Dress in thin cotton or other breathable fabrics. Snug-fitting clothes are always easier for movement than loose-fitting outfits.
Contraindications of Bikram yoga:
There are a number of possible risks associated with performing Bikram and other forms of hot yoga classes. Dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and injuries resulting from fainting are also among the possible risks.
Practitioners of Bikram yoga are at an increased risk of muscle, ligament, and lower back injuries. Heating of muscles, ligaments, and tendons allows them to be more flexible than when they are cold. This increases the risk of these parts being stretched past a safe limit and can result in tissue damage. Injuries of this type occur frequently amongst yoga practitioners.
LINKS:
Back to the top of the "Bikram Yoga" page
Return to Homepage
Go to Table of Content
|
