Bikram Yoga, or Hot Yoga
Bikram yoga is often called “hot yoga.”Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Why?Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ The recommended minimum temperature for the yoga studio in which classes are conducted is 105 degrees Fahrenheit.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Think steamy, not scorching, as the class is designed to make you sweat out toxins and help your muscles stretch further.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Heat, after all, does increase your ability to stretch muscles – making it perfect for the less flexible among us.
For those who like a rhythm to their yoga practice, Bikram may be just the thing.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Each class consists of the same series of 26 asanas, or poses, held twice.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Usually the first pose is held for a minute, then the second for 30 seconds.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Classes run around 90 minutes.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ You do sweat; and your muscles do ache.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ It’s an excellent workout, both aerobic and anaerobic.
Beginners need not be intimidated; although those from elementary to advanced are thrown into a class together, instructors go out of their way to make sure beginners are comfortable, and everyone is encouraged to move at their own pace.
However, those who have never done Bikram before need to throw out all of their expectations before stepping through the door.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ My previous yoga classes had been conducted in quiet, moderately warm rooms, with music and soft-voiced instructors.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Bikram is far less delicate: for one thing, in a 105-degree room, people sweat.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ A lot.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ As in sweat dripping on mats, people glistening until they wipe themselves down.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ For another thing, Bikram yoga instructors bellow out instructions.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ They don’t stop, either; until the end of the class, when you lie in savasana and the heaters are turned off, there is no peace.
That’s not to say that Bikram is not for the meditative; after a few classes, you’re comfortable enough with the series of poses and your body that you can lose yourself in it.
Many Bikram studios offer a one-week introductory package.�¯�¿�½ Students get a mat and towels each time they come, and unlimited classes within a week.�¯�¿�½ Since each class is the same, scheduling is relatively easy.�¯�¿�½
Studios sell bottled water, and this is no time to pinch pennies: you need water, and a lot.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Mats and towels can be rented, although some studios also rent cubbies for you to store your mat in.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ However, it adds up: classes are not cheap, and when you throw in luxuries such as mat storage and fresh towels, it’s an expensive exercise program.
Some are skeptical of the benefits of Bikram, while others find it enjoyable.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ As a writer for TIME who attempted Bikram found, it’s all about how far you push yourself.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Writes Lacy Langley, ” In an interview, Dr. Robert Gotlin, director
of orthopedic and sports rehabilitation at the Beth Israel Medical
Center in Manhattan said, “Heat increases one’s metabolic rate, and by
warming you up, it allows you to stretch more, but once you stretch a
muscle beyond 20 or 25 percent of its resting length, you begin to
damage a muscle.” Postures that require extreme bending of the knees —
squats and sitting backward on folded legs, for example — are the most
likely to cause tears in knee cartilage.”
Another tip is to make sure your instructor is certified by Bikram himself – that being Bikram Choudhury, the eccentric yogi who started the craze.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ And it is a craze: countless articles have been written on the trend that is hot yoga.
The only way to know if hot yoga is for you is to give it a whirl: Bikram’s Yoga College of India has a website where you can search for a studio near you.
