Imagine standing in the middle of the Mojave Desert. It is about 105 degrees, with a 40% humidity. Now, begin working out. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Well that is the exact idea behind a growing fad, called; Bikram Yoga. Also known as, Hot Yoga, Bikram Yoga, has slowly established itself as the it way to get in shape.

1. History: Bikram Choudhury trained the Bishnu Ghosh school in Calcutta, India. At the Bishnu school, Bikram was able to obtain all of the perspectives and techniques to create Bakrim Yoga. Presently, Bikram lives in Beverly Hills, California and teaches at his self-founded Bikram’s Yoga College of India in Los Angeles. Bikram holds a copyright over Bikram Yoga, which forces any prospective instructors to go through a rigorous training program and certification process. The students are trained out of the Yoga College of India, which has branches in the United States an Japan. The College has trained over 3000 individuals. Bikram, currently owns over 500 yoga studios throughout the world.

2. Techniques: Bikram Yoga is a series of poses and breathing exercises, conducted in a room at 105 degrees (with a 40% humidity). This rigorous atmosphere allows the individual’s body to sweat out all of the toxins, while obtaining better flexibility. The actual yoga, itself, is comprised of 26 Asana (postures), such as, Tree Pose, Cobra Pose, Eagle Pose, and so on.

3. Ideology: The main ideology behind Bikram Yoga is to achieve wellness, restoration and rejuvenation within the body. Each pose was designed to systematically stimulate each muscle and joint. Bikram Yoga believes that individuals only use 50% of their true lung capacity; and through the heat it will enable a person to use more.

4. Possible Risks: Due to the overwhelming atmosphere, individuals are advised to consult their local physician before participating in Bikram Yoga. Even though an individual has been cleared, there are other risks involved. Dehydration, muscles strain, heat exhaustion, or a heat stroke can occur; so it is imperative to stretch and drink copious amounts of water.

Sunday 20 December 2009