Yoga Girl East West: Bikram Hot Yoga - on the rise

Crank up the heat- article by Allison Brooks

In recent years, Bikram yoga has become increasingly popular. In fact, it has been considered the fastest-growing type of yoga in America. Bikram, or "hot yoga," is the practice of performing a traditional yoga routine in an environment that's been heated to around 100 degrees. The basic principal behind Bikram yoga is that it allows individuals to sweat out toxins from the body and achieve greater flexibility while simultaneously enjoying the benefits of a traditional yoga workout.
During a typical Bikram routine, 26 yoga poses

are performed in a specific sequence. Created by Indian yoga guru, Bikram Choudhury, this routine, combined with a 100 degree environment, boasts several health and fitness benefits. First of all, the heat associated with Bikram yoga promotes intense sweating, which allows students and practitioners to rid their bodies of toxins and other impurities. Proponents of Bikram say that this "cleanses" the system and promotes better overall health. Heat also lends to greater flexibility of muscles, tendons and ligaments, which allows for deeper stretching and a safer, more effective yoga workout.

The intense sweating associated with Bikram, combined with muscle-strengthening yoga poses, creates an extremely effective method of burning calories. In fact, with the heat and humidity of a Bikram session, students can burn almost twice the calories burned during a traditional yoga workout. For this reason, Bikram is known as a great workout for individuals looking to both lose weight and build strength and muscle tone.

When practicing Bikram, it's important to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, and don't eat a heavy meal before your Bikram session. Bring along your own mat and towel, as you'll be extremely sweaty when it's over. Also, most students of Bikram wear very little clothing, such as tank tops and short shorts, as to avoid overheating. Also in preparation of your first session, it's a good idea to become familiar with the 26 yoga poses used in Bikram. Practice these poses and become comfortable with them before attempting to perform them in a 100 degree environment.

Bikram is not recommended for individuals who have trouble breathing, though some suffering from lung cancers, like

emphysema or mesothelioma have reaped the benefits of Bikram. Those who suffer from cardiovascular disorders or are sensitive to heat should not participate in a Bikram yoga session. ?Likewise, those with any health issues or other concerns should consult a physician before beginning Bikram yoga or any other fitness routine.

While yoga is great on its own, Bikram, with its many health and fitness advantages, takes the traditional stretching and posing to the next level of intensity. With all the benefits attributed to Bikram yoga, it's easy to see why it's one of the fastest-growing workout trends in the nation.

Source: http://yogagirleastwest.blogspot.com/2012/02/bikram-hot-yoga-on-rise.html

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