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Bikram yoga is a type of yoga suitable for beginners who have never had contact with this form of activity before. Bikram yoga is based on the simplest postures known from hatha yoga, which everyone is able to perform. However, what distinguishes bicram yoga from other varieties of this discipline are the specific conditions in which it is practiced. See what the uniqueness of yoga bikram is!

The main factor that distinguishesbikram yogafrom other types of yoga is the specific space in which the exercises are performed. High temperature (around 40 degrees Celsius) and high air humidity (40-50%) are necessary. Therefore, this type of yoga can be practiced only in specially adapted studios.

What is bikram yoga, i.e. exercising in the sauna …

Bikram yogais a 90-minute class consisting of 26 asanas and two breathing exercises. It is distinguished by the fact that the individual positions are held a little longer than traditionally and are performed in a strictly defined order, focusing on each part of the body in turn. The effectiveness of exercises, however, is mainly related to the specific conditions in which they should be performed. High temperature and high air humidity relax muscles and joints, further increasing the intensity of exercise.

It is the increase in flexibility of the body and cleansing the body of toxins that are the main reasons why bicram yoga is practiced in "tropical" conditions. Intensive sweating during bicram yoga classes is a natural reaction of the body to increased body temperature, which is the result of physical exertion and the conditions in the room - sweating cools the body and, most importantly, cleans it of toxins.

Who is bikram yoga recommended for?

Bikram yoga, although practiced at high temperatures, is one of the simplest types of yoga. Therefore, it is recommended for beginners who have never had to deal with this form of exercise, and even for people who have not practiced any sports so far. During the classes, participants perform simple asanas from classical hatha yoga that everyone is able to master. In the event that there are any difficulties with the full transition to the pose, you can limit yourself to the easier variant and perform the asana only partially. The teacher who teaches bicram yoga gives you preciseinstructions that are the same in every class, making it easy to remember how you performed a given position. If we only train carefully and regularly, after 10 classes we will completely master the basics of bikram yoga, and the body will get used to the increased temperature and the classes will become less challenging than at the beginning.

Bikram yoga for weight loss

Bikram yoga is also recommended for people who want to lose weight. During 1.5 hours of exercise, you can burn up to 1000 kcal. In addition, systematic participation in classes means that the body begins to cleanse, and we have more energy and are more resistant to stress. As explained by Marta Hodgdon, the founder of the first bikram yoga school in Poland, regular practice of this form of activity leads to a decrease in appetite and less tendency to snack, because the body no longer needs to draw energy from unhe althy sources, such as sweets, or eat stress. Instead, he begins to show a need for more nutritious products, e.g. groats, vegetables, legumes.

Bikram yoga - contraindications

Bicram yoga classes are generally safe and most people can come to them successfully even if they have previously avoided physical activity. However, there are some situations in which caution is advised.

  1. Pregnancy - Do not do bikram yoga during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, you can return to the classes at the beginning of the second trimester and continue them until the birth.
  2. Heart defects - undetected heart defects are especially dangerous, then too much effort put into exercise may cause complications. In the case of detected and controlled defects, it is recommended to consult a doctor before participating in bicram yoga.
  3. Eating disorders - bicram yoga is not recommended for people suffering from anorexia. For such people, exercise at high temperature may weaken the exhausted body and lead to even greater weight loss.
  4. Chemotherapy - bikram yoga cleans the body of toxins, so it can weaken the effects of chemotherapy. During the treatment of cancer, it should be completely abandoned, but it is worth returning to classes after the disease. Thanks to bikram yoga, the body will remove the toxic substances from drugs faster.
  5. Vascular skin - high temperature causes the expansion of blood vessels, so training may result in strong reddening of the skin in people who are prone to redness and bursting capillaries. It is best to check if exercise at high temperature is bad for our skin - in some people the erythema persistsonly for the time of exercise, and it disappears quickly after classes.

See all 26 yoga bikram poses on video

How to prepare for bicram yoga classes?

Due to the high temperature and high air humidity during bicram yoga classes, coming to them requires some preparation.

First of all, before training, you should properly hydrate your body and prepare for a large loss of fluids - that's why you should drink about 2 liters of water during the day before the lesson. Additionally, 2-3 hours before class, as before any heavy physical exertion, it is worth avoiding meals - especially heavy ones. Two towels are required for classes (one for training, the other for shower after training).

Because people sweating profusely while practicing bikram yoga, for the sake of the comfort of exercising, you should come clean and fragrance-free (the intense smell of perfume will not reduce the smell of sweat, and may irritate and distract people who exercise). For your own convenience, it is worth taking care of the appropriate outfit - in this case it should be rather skimpy, e.g. a sports bra and shorts or leggings.

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Bikram yoga - history

Bikram yoga, as a new way of practicing yoga, was born thanks to Bikram Choudhury, a three-time yoga master in India, who popularized his invented type of yoga in the 1970s in the United States. An Indian trainer, who is also passionate about weightlifting, created a sequence of 26 asanas, which were primarily to help modern man in relieving civilization diseases, such as back pain, metabolism disorders, excessive stress, depression.

The yoga variety invented by Bikram Choudhury quickly found a large group of followers. People from the show business world - Shirley MacLaine, Quincy Jones and Brook Shields contributed to its popularization. Today, bikram yoga is practiced in almost all countries around the world and is becoming more and more popular in Poland.

Bikram Yoga - what are the benefits?

The main purpose of practicing bikram yoga is to make the body more flexible, expand the pores of the skin and sweat out toxins. In addition, specially selected asanas and their well-thought-out sequence stimulate the lymphatic system and cleanse the body.

It is worth remembering that bicram yoga is primarily a series of positions that strengthen the muscles and improve the flexibility of the body. Among the advantages of practicing bikram yoga, the following are also mentioned:

  • increasing vitality and reducing stress levels - exercise in "tropical" conditions, similarhow to use the sauna perfectly relaxes and regenerates, and also makes us have more energy;
  • increasing the supply of oxygen by improving circulation - increased temperature and high air humidity increase the heart rate;
  • lowering cholesterol - just like any endurance exercise, doing bicram yoga lowers the level of bad cholesterol;
  • improved metabolism - the body is better at not only excreting toxins, but also energy transformations, which reduces the tendency to accumulate adipose tissue;
  • bone strengthening - during asanas, we stretch the muscles adjacent to the bones, which activates the physical processes that stimulate the formation of new bone tissue;
  • increasing lung capacity - bicram yoga, being a training that has a great impact on the endurance of the body, naturally increases lung capacity, and additionally, like any type of yoga, proper breathing is important in it. Moreover, the sequence of 26 asanas performed during bicram yoga classes includes two breathing exercises;
  • strengthening the immune system - increased sweating during bikram yoga training cleans the body of toxins, making it easier for it to fight microbes or viruses;
  • a better sense of balance - practicing bicram yoga, like any other type of yoga, requires the ability to remain stable, as some postures force the practitioner to maintain balance, such as standing on one leg.

Practicing bikram yoga relaxes and strengthens the muscles, and the atmosphere during training - silence, concentration, fighting your own weaknesses and a "deeper" feeling of the body - gives a lot of satisfaction.

Problem

Is bikram yoga the same as hot yoga? Not! Both types of classes take place at elevated air temperature, but bikram yoga is distinguished by a specially selected and unchanging set of 26 asanas. In addition, the teacher who conducts the classes, standing on the podium, gives very precise verbal instructions. If necessary, he approaches the student and, with his consent, can correct his position by directly positioning the body. Importantly, conducting bicram yoga classes requires the completion of a specialized 9-week course.

In hot yoga, the way of practicing depends largely on the instructor - it is the instructor who decides the type and order of positions taken by the participants.

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Yoga