Bikram Yoga is the 26 postures Sequence selected and developed by Bikram Choudhury from Hatha Yoga.
It has been proved and experienced by millions that these 26 postures systematically work every part of the body, to give all the internal organs, all the veins, all the ligaments, and all the muscles everything they need to maintain optimum health and maximum function. Each component takes care of something different in the body, and yet they all work together synergistically, contributing to the success of every other one, and extending its benefits.
Why 105 degrees?
Yoga changes the construction of the body from the inside out, from bones to skin and from fingertips to toes. So before you change it, you have to heat it up to soften it, because a warm body is a flexible body. Then you can reshape the body any way you want.
Hatha Yoga flushes away the waste products, the toxins of all the glands and organs of your body. It provides a natural irrigation of the body through the circulatory system, with the help of the respiratory system. It brings nourishments to every cell of your body so that each one can perform its function and keep your body healthy. Bikram Yoga also employs heat to further that cleaning process: When you sweat, impurities are flushed out of the body through the skin.
Practicing yoga not only increases our supplies of oxygen, but it also teaches us how to use that oxygen properly – we learn to control the breath through pranayama.
Your Progress
How quickly you progress will depend entirely on you -- upon your natural ability to a small extent, but mostly upon the time and effort you give to Yoga. It will have little to do with how "perfectly" you can do the poses.
Few of us ever do the poses "perfectly". Instead, it will have to do with how well you understand what you are trying to accomplish in each pose, how you try to accomplish your goal, and how supple your muscles and joints have become in comparison to the point at which you began. In Yoga there is no standard of comparison except yourself. To be 'Perfect' in Yoga is to do the best you can do.
Bikram teaches you not only the ideal pose - how you will eventually be able to do it - but also the reality - telling you what problems you will have as you try to do the pose, what clues will help you make rapid progress, and where you might be tempted to "cheat," thus depriving yourself of the benefit of doing the pose properly. Bikram explains to you, in his inimitable humorous and informative way, how his scientifically designed series of twenty-six poses will enhance mind and body, relax, strengthen, reshape, and heal all of you in 90 minutes.
Preperation for Your First Class
Since the studio is heated to 105 º you need to have a large towel, a yoga mat, and a water bottle for class.
We sell mats and water as well as rent mats and towels.
Dress as light as possible. Men wear shorts or bathing suit. Women wear exercise top and shorts or a swimsuit.
T-shirts are bulky; tank tops are better.
Come on an empty stomach. No food 1 to 3 hours before class. A small quantity of simple, easily digestible food is recommended for the meal prior to class.
Drink lots of water for several days before your first class if you're not in the habit of drinking water. Doctors estimate you need at least 2 liters per day for normal body maintenance. Double that for doing Bikram yoga. If you drink large quantities of caffeinated drinks or eat mostly processed foods it can effect your body's ability to tolerate the heat, so please cut down on these items in preparation for class.
What to Expect After Your First Class
You might feel very tired after class. This is absolutely normal and a good sign that your body is cleansing. Your energy levels should be restored to normal within several classes.
You might find yourself feeling extremely energetic and experience difficulty sleeping. Don't worry--this is a good sign that the yoga is truly filling you up with energy. You don't have insomnia. You just have more time to do the things you enjoy.
You might feel sore or stiff the day after your first class. Come back to class as soon as possible! Your body is waking up and coming alive and you want to keep the process going!
You might feel nauseous, dizzy or have a headache after class. This could be a sign that you are dehydrated. Please drink lots of water before returning to class. Or it could be a sign that you were trying so hard that you weren't breathing normally. Please breathe normally during every posture.
You might experience some skin irritation. This too is normal, it means that the skin is releasing toxins. Showering directly after class will wash the toxins away. It will also help normalize the body temperature.
You might feel very hungry after class for a while, or you might lose your appetite completely. Both reactions are normal. If you are concerned about your weight, don't worry too much either way. Once you get into a regular practice pattern, your appetite and your weight will normalize. You'll find yourself feeling and looking leaner and younger.
26 Postures
Standing Deep Breathing - Parayma
Benefits: SDB helps prevent respiratory problems such as bronchitis, emphysema and shortness of breath.
Half Moon Pose - Ardha-Chandrasana
Benefits: Half Moon Pose strengthens every muscle in the body's core, especially in the abdomen, and flexes and strengthens the latissimus dorsi, oblique, deltoid and trapezious muscles.
It increases the flexibility of the spine comprehensively, from coccyx to neck; promotes proper kidney function; and helps to cure enlargement of the liver and spleen.
Half Moon also firms and trims the waistline, hips, abdomen, buttocks and thighs.
Hands to Feet - Pada-Hasthasana
Benefits: Hands to Feet Pose stretches the spine and increases flexibility, as does Half Moon.
Both poses firm and trim the lower body, where many problem areas, especially for women, reside.
Hands to Feet Pose works the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the legs and improves circulation there as well.
Awkward Pose - Utkatasana
Benefits: Awkward Pose will tone and shape your legs.
It heals chronically cold feet.
It also helps relieve rheumatism and arthritis in the legs, and helps to cure slipped discs and other problems in the lower spine.
Eagle Pose - Garurasana
Benefits: Eagle is the only posture that opens up the 14 largest joints in the skeletal system.
Beyond improving flexibilities in the hips, knees, ankles and the rest, Eagle Pose also supplies fresh blood to the reproductive system and sex organs, plus the kidneys, which increases sexual vitality and helps clear up reproductive problems.
Standing Head to Knee - Dandayamana-Janushirasana
Benefits: This posture improves the flexibility of the sciatic nerves and strengthens the hamstrings and leg muscles.
It also works the muscles of the back, the biceps and the triceps.
It helps to squeeze and flush out the internal abdominal organs, such as the gall bladder, pancreas and spleen, as well as the uterus and overies.
Standing Bow Pose - Dandayamana-Dhanurasana
Benefits: Standing Bow moves all the blood from one side of the body to the other, then back again.
It develops balance, increases the size and elasticity of the rib cage, firms the abdominal wall and upper thighs.
It improves the flexibility and strength of the lower spine.
Standing Bow builds patience, determination and concentration.
Balancing Stick - Tuladandasana
Benefits: The forward tilt of your torso sends high-speed blood pouring into the heart, especially the neglected region, cleaning out the veins and all the arteries, strengthening the heart muscle.
The same rejuvenating flood rushes into the brain as well.
It strengthens your powers of concentration.
Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose - Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Paschimotthanasana
Benefits: This posture is like kryptonite for sciatica! That's because it stretches and strengthens those poor crushed and shriveled sciatic nerves, as well as all the tendons in the legs.
It also messages the internal abdominal organs and the small and large intestines, and gives you added flexibility in the pelvis, ankles, hip joints and especially in the last five vertebrae of the spine.
Triangle Pose - Trikanasana
Benefits: It improves every single bone, muscle, joint, tendon and internal organ, and it revitalizes nerves, veins and tissues.
Flexing and strengthening the last five vertebrae in this posture can alleviate crooked spines, as well as rheumatism and lower back pain.
Triangle Pose also benefits the heart and lungs, forcing them to work together.
Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Pose - Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Janushirasana
Benefits: Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Pose trims the abdomen, waistline, hips, buttocks and thighs.
It messages and compresses the thyroid gland, which helps to regulate the metabolism and the immune system.
Tree Pose - Tadasana
Benefits: The Tree Pose improves posture and balance and increses the flexibility of the ankles and knees as well as the hip joints.
By strengthening the internal oblique muscles, it prevents hernia.
Toe Stand - Padangustasana
Benefits: Toe Stand strengthens the knees and is therapeutic for rheumatism of the knees, ankles, and feet.
It also opens up the knee and hip joints, and helps cure hemorrhoid problems.
It also develops mental strength.
Dead Body Pose - Savasana
Benefits: Dead Body Pose facilitates powerful blood flow, then lets circulation return to normal, creating internal cleansing and greatly magnifying the benefits of the postures that precede it.
We begin to learn relaxation.
Wind-Removing Pose - Pavanamuktasana
Benefits: Wind-Removing Pose compresses and messages the ascending colon and descending colon.
It also messages the transverse colon and compresses the entire digestive system.
It strengthens the arms, prevents flatulence, improves hip flexibility, and firms the abdomen and thighs.
Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana
Benefits: Cobra Pose strengthens the lumber spine, relieving pain and combating slipped or herniated discs, scoliosis and arthritis in that region.
Other important benefits include improved digestion, relief from menstrual disorders, improved appetite, and raising low blood pressure.
Cobra Pose also improves the functioning of the liver and spleen.
Locust Pose - Salabhasana
Benefits: Locust Pose has many of the same benefits as Cobra, but it is even better for slipped discs and sciatica.
It strengthens the upper spine, and the uncomfortable stretching of the arms can actually relieve tennis elbow.
Locust can also help with varicose veins in the legs.
Full Locust Pose - Poorna-Salabhasana
Benefits: Full Locust increases strength in the middle spine; it is good for scoliosis, kyphosis, spondylosis and slipped discs.
It opens up the rib cage and increases elasticity there.
It also firms the abdominal muscles, upper arms, hips and thighs.
Bow Pose - Dhanurasana
Benefits: Bow Pose opens up the rib cage, which allows the lungs to expand more fully.
This 360-degree flexion of the spine revitalizes all the spinal nerves by increasing circulation, and strengthens the spine along its entire length.
Besides helping with all manner of back problems, Bow Pose aids digestion, fights constipation, and combats bronchitis and diabetes while improving the functioning of the large and small intestines, the liver, kidneys and spleen.
Fixed Firm Pose - Supta-Vajrasana
Benefits: Fixed Firm Pose strengthens and improves the flexibility of the lower spine, hips, knees and ankle joints.
It increases circulation to the lower limbs, and is therapeutic for lower back pain, sciatica, rheumatism and varicose veins.
It helps prevent hernias.
Half Tortoise Pose - Ardha-Kurmasana
Benefits: Half Tortoise Pose can actually help us to live longer.
Tortoise is great for tense necks and shoulders.
It also increases blood flow to the brain, which enhances memory and mental clarity.
This posture also stretches the lower part of the lungs, which is therapeutic for asthma, and counter indigestion, flatulence, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.
Camel Pose - Ustrasana
Benefits: Camel Pose creates maximum compression of the spine, which stimulates the nervous system.
It also improves flexibility of the neck and spine, relieves backache, and helps degenerative spinal problems such as kyphoscoliotic deformities and cervical spondylosis.
By stretching the abdominal organs, Camel helps constipation, and it also stretches the throat and thyroid and parathyroid glands.
Rabbit Pose - Sasangasana
Benefits: Maximum extension of the spine increases its mobility and elasticity, and does the same for the back muscles.
Spines stretching also expedites the feeding of the nervous system with fresh blood and oxygen.
Rabbit Pose relieves tension in the neck, shoulders and back.
It helps alleviate colds, sinus problems, and chronic tonsillitis and, through compression of thyroid and parathyroid, rejuvenates those glands as well.
Rabbit Pose can also be therapeutic for insomnia, diabetes and depression.
Head to Knee Pose & Stretching Pose - Janushirasana & Paschimotthanasana
Benefits: It is excellent for the immune and lymphatic systems, increases circulation to the liver, pancreas, thyroid, thymus and intestines.
It improves digestion and is good for allergies and arthritis.
It also relieves chronic diarrhea by improving the circulation in the bowels.
Spine-Twisting Pose - Ardha-Matsyendrasana
Benefits: This is the only posture that twists the spine from top to bottom, which increases circulation to all the spinal nerves, veins, and tissues, and improves the elasticity of the spine.
Spine Twisting relieves lower back pain and helps prevent slipped discs, rheumatism of the spine, kyphosis, scoliosis, cervical spondylosis and arthritis.
It also calms the nervous system.
Blowing in Firm Pose - Kapalbhati in Vajrasana
Benefits: It improves digestion and circulation, and increases the elasticity of the lungs with every forceful exhale.
You generate prana, and push out every ounce of carbon dioxide, replacing it with life-giving oxygen.
It also strengthens the abdominal organs and increases circulation to them.
Blowing in Firm stimulates the digestive system as well.
More About Yoga
The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj", i.e. "to yoke" [to the spirit] meaning "union of the Individual Soul (Atman) with the Universal Soul (Brahman). "Atman" and "Brahman" are Hindu idealogical terms, and are used as a reference for the mind, whereas there truly is only Oneness.
Yoga embraces a wide range of disciplines whose ultimate goal is the joining of body,mind and spirit, a conscious unification into Oneness.
Yoga is one of six classic systems of Hindu philosophy whose roots date back 5,000 years. There are four classic Yogas, and they are progressive in nature; i.e., Karma Yoga (right acts and actions), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), Raja Yoga (meditation) and Jnana Yoga (inner wisdom or enlightenment). The classic four yogas have expanded into several other forms of Yoga.
Hatha Yoga (worshipful poses), for example, is part of Raja Yoga training. Some of the other forms of Yoga are Nada Yoga (music), Mantra and Japa Yoga (chanting and on beads)and Kundalini Yoga (study of the psychic centers or chakras).
In the Western world, the most popular form is Hatha Yoga, (Sanskrit for “Union of Force”), a form of Yoga that stresses mastery of the physical body as a gateway to attaining spiritual perfection. Hatha Yoga traces its origins to Gorakhnath, the legendary 12th-century founder of the Kanphata Yogis.
