bikram hot yoga los angeles

(September 5, 2010)

Is hot yoga in any way bad for you? I do not see it being good to raise you blood pressure that high.

Bikram yoga is a relatively new form of yoga that has become popular over the last few decades. Yoga represents thousands of years of history and tradition and has been practiced in ancient India for thousands of years. Most yoga positions and techniques are based on some aspect of life or of celestial beings like the moon and the sun. Yoga is known for its ability to improve the overall fitness of an individual and is used by many people to maintain their health. Bikram yoga is also commonly referred to as hot yoga or bikram hot yoga. Hot yoga could however include various other derivations from bikram yoga.
Bikram hot yoga gets its name from the feature that most distinguishes it from other forms of yoga – the heated environment in which it is practiced. It is conducted in a heated room with the aim of rejuvenating the body through heavy exercise. The room is heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity maintained at a low level. This is essential for the correct functioning of the yoga sequence according to the rules of Bikram yoga.
There are twenty six separate Bikram yoga postures. These postures are no different to those being performed in other forms of yoga. The only difference is the environment in which they are performed and the sequence of performance. This sequence is rigidly set and does not have any variation. Many people argue that the Bikram yoga benefits are extremely good with people claiming to have improved fitness, improved body mass and improved overall health. However, many yoga experts claim that this form of yoga is too intense and puts too much of a demand on the body. There is also no ‘beginner’ level yoga in this form of yoga and many people who are practicing yoga for the first time get intimidated by the extreme effort required in this form of yoga.
Bikram yoga studios are now common in many locations across the world. The yoga centers have spread most effectively in the United States where they may be found in most large cities. Bikram hot yoga is extremely intense and it is the intensity that causes the blood pressure to rise. When the body is being twisted in different ways, the flow of blood is interrupted or increased which causes rapid changes in blood pressure. It is therefore not recommended for people who are unfit or those who have problems relating to their heart and circulatory system. Many people suffer from discomfort after a session of Bikram yoga because of the intense workout on the body.

Submitted by A on September 5, 2010 at 04:29

Intense heat, bright lights, instructors who could pass for drill sergeants, loads of sweat, warm meditation music- in a nutshell, that's Bikram Choudhary’s Hot Yoga. Bikram Yoga or what has more popularly come to be termed “hot yoga” started in Los Angeles around thirty years ago. Today, the style has spread far beyond the coastal confines and the Bikram Yoga College of India, Los Angeles, (named after the founder, Bikram, has over 314 certified schools all over the world, with 12 studios in New York alone.

As more and more people take up this discipline to lose pounds and gain strength, medical professionals are expressing concerns about the demands of yoga contortions performed in extreme heat.

The point here is whether it puts your body through unwarranted stress. Because, certain people are known to react with fatigue, shock, and nausea on practising hot yoga, or even working without air-conditioning. This is just the body's natural response to being overwhelmed.

On the other hand, a lot of Yoga enthusiasts quite confidently say that Bikram is very difficult, intense and best avoided. As a matter of fact, many have even gone on record to say that it is just too much of a good thing. Bikram Choudhary has earned the nickname the “bad boy” of Yoga and his hot Yoga has been referred to as “boot camp” Yoga. Some people have termed it “militant.” They feel that Bikram’s Hot Yoga can reverse the basic benefits of Yoga that are to slow down and relax.

Like many styles of Yoga, Bikram Choudhary’s Hot Yoga has been credited with helping people get relief from symptoms of fibromyalgia, arthritis, and many other ailments. In fact, Bikram Yoga practitioners swear that the intense heat adds to their relief as against the practice of other styles of Yoga.

The fact remains that the discipline teaches its practitioners 26 Yoga poses with a no nonsense approach, stressing complete discipline and adherence. These 26 postures are absolutely standardized, never mind which institute you visit, where you go..

Some doctors say that heat increases a person’s metabolic rate. By warming up the person, it certainly lets him / her stretch a lot more. Then again, if you stretch a muscle more than 20 or 25 percent of its resting length, it stands the chance of getting damaged.

Doctors in New York alone say that every week they see as many as 5 Yoga-related injuries to the lower back or the knees. Most of them are Bikram Yoga students. It therefore requires some restraint and sensibility. Don’t force your body beyond its capacity and always exercise caution. This form of yoga is excellent for some, but may not be for many others.

Submitted by A on February 25, 2009 at 11:41