Postures & Benefits

Bikram's Yoga is made up of a floor and a standing series of 26 postures & 2 breathing exercises.

Each posture stretches and strengthens specific muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints needed for the next posture. All organs, glands, and nerves are stimulated moving fresh oxygenated blood to 100% of the body helping to restore all systems to a healthy working order. Each posture has several benefits as shown here;

Standing Series

Floor Series

Bikram scientifically designed this 90 minute program to deliver total health through the balancing and strengthening of every system in the body in order to prevent illness and injury, promote weight loss and limit the effects of aging. The series is dynamic and exhilarating. The series of postures combine skills of concentration, patience, determination and self control that increase mental clarity and reduce stress.

Why the heat?

The room is intentionally heated to 38-40°C to warm up the body and assist with circulation, promoting detoxification and providing optimum conditions to improve the functions of the body's internal systems.

The heat provides a challenging environment which increases your strength, concentration, endurance and stamina. It also allows you to work safely and deeply into the postures, giving faster results.

Here are 10 good reasons:

1. Warm muscles burn fat more effectively.
2. When we stretch fat it has no where to sit so it redistributes back to the blood stream to then be reused as energy.
3. Speeds up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids.
4. A warmer temperature produces a fluid like stretch that allows for greater range of motion in the joints.
5. Heart rate becomes elevated which improves the cardiovascular system (heart and lungs).
6. Blood becomes thinner which clears the circulatory system.
7. Promotes sweating which assists the detoxification process using the body's largest organ (the skin)
8. Muscles, fascia and connective tissue become more elastic allowing for greater flexibility with less chance of injury.
9. Capillaries respond to heat by dilating, this allows more oxygen to muscles, tissues glands and organs helping with the removal of waste products.
10. Teaches you determination, and focus in a challenging environment.

Other known benefits include;

• Endurance is boosted through consistent practice
• Your peripheral circulation improves
• Willpower, self-control, concentration and determination are strengthened in this challenging environment
• Just as when your body raises its temperature to fight infection, the raised temperature in the room may assist in improving the proper functioning of your immune system.
• With regular practice, discipline and honest effort you will:
• Reshape your body
• Reduce the risk of sports injury
• Reduce the effects of stress
• Clear your mind and calm your soul
• Tone and strengthen muscles
• Develop increased strength, balance, flexibility, coordination and endurance
• Increase your energy level

Disclaimer: The benefits suggested for Bikram’s Yoga are based on scientific and anecdotal evidence of improvement in many conditions – both chronic and acute – that have been witnessed by medical staff, teachers or students over many years of practicing Bikram’s Yoga. They should not be construed as a guarantee that these benefits will definitely occur for all yoga students. Consistent practice will always be the best approach. Use your own body wisdom.

This information is not intended to replace advice from your medical practitioner or natural therapies practitioner.