Bikram yoga

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The exercises that have become popular in the US during the 1970s are called Hatha yoga. This discipline involves exercises which most Westerners associate when they hear the word “yoga.” Poses and stretches (called asanas) combined with controlled breathing (pranayama), induce a deep emotional/mental clarity in the minds of practitioners. The discipline is also great for building physical strength and flexibility. Bikram yoga, a relatively-new variation on the traditional model, puts students in room heated to 105 degrees for 90-minute sessions, an activity that’s supposed have several health benefits.

People who are discouraged by their own inflexibility should practice Bikram yoga. During these exercises, students sustain Asanas (positions) in a heated room. Heat is supposed to increase muscle flexibility and make deep/difficult poses safer.

So why would any one want to sit in a sweltering room, performing difficult postures? Firstly, Bikram yoga promotes sweating, which in turn releases toxins from the body. Long-term students praise the practice’s cleansing results after a 90-minute session. Heat also increases blood-flow, giving students a heightened sense of consciousness and circulation. Also, there is little stretching required – 105 degrees does a pretty good job of increasing the elasticity of muscles, allowing for deeper/more difficult stretching than possible at regular temperatures.

Besides just making you feel healthy, there are many scientific, anatomical occurrences happening during heated yoga. For example, lipids and proteins in your cells become reorganized, which enables better circulation. Also, lymph nodes become massaged, thereby releasing more white blood cells throughout your body. Other health benefits Reduces symptoms of arthritis, diabetes and thyroid disorders

Exercising in heat is difficult, but it is very beneficial to your body. In heat, a body burns fat more effectively because sweating increases metabolism (the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids). Oxygen also gets to tissues faster during because capillaries dilate.

It’s not uncommon to experience nausea or become dizzy during the first couple heated sessions. Most of us do not drink enough water during an ordinary day; nutritionists recommend that we drink 64-80 ounces of water a day. In a heated room, however, this deficiency becomes much more noticeable. When practicing, sweat leaves your body at a very rapid pace and the nausea is a result from of your body losing liquid, becoming dehydrated. When practicing Bikram, you actually need double the recommended amount of water (an additional 64 ounces). Once your body begins to adjust after a couple of sessions, the dizziness should subside. But don’t give up – nausea is very common for the first couple of times, and you’ll soon find that the benefits or practicing yoga far outweigh a little sickness. To alleviate some of these symptoms, dress lightly – tank tops are ideal because T-shirts are too bulky/thick. Also, come on an empty stomach and try to increase your water intake a couple days before completing a session.

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