Bikram Yoga

Bikram Yoga
Founder	Bikram Choudhury
Established	late 20th century
Practice emphases
unchanging sequence of postures in a heated room designed as a rejuvenating exercise to strengthen the entire body head to toe

Bikram Yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional hatha yoga techniques and popularized beginning in the early 1970s. Bikram's classes run exactly 90 minutes and consist of a set series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (≈ 40.6°C) with a humidity of 40%,^{[citation needed]} and is the most popular form of hot yoga (a series of yoga poses done in a heated room).^{[citation needed]}

Theory

Bikram Yoga's goal is general health and Bikram Choudhury says that the heated studio helps deeper stretching and injury prevention, while reducing stress and tension. Bikram claims that his system stimulates and restores health to every muscle, joint, and organ of the body. Bikram's Yoga claims to increase circulation to all organs in the body, and that this helps in the prevention of heart disease and organ failure. According to Choudhury, many people only use up to 50 percent of their lung capacity and thus the lungs must be stretched in order to withstand holding more oxygen. In a 2007 interview, Choudhury stated that when one is practicing pranayama she or he will eventually be able to enhance oxygen conversion and absorption, as well as improve blood circulation, as in many other forms of cardiovascular activity.

Choudhury claims that blood circulation is affected immensely during Bikram Yoga because of two processes called extension and compression. These two dynamics are said to work together to deliver fresh blood to every joint, muscle, and organ within the body. While performing a specific asana (pose), the practitioner stretches or compresses a certain part of the body, thus cutting off circulation temporarily. This restriction of circulation is believed to cause the heart to pump more blood in reaction to the shortage. The pumping of excess, fresh blood is called extension. Once the asana is complete and the individual comes out of the posture, it is claimed that the new oxygenated blood is able to rejuvenate the arteries that were being compressed. Many of the postures massage the lymphatic system and aid in lymphatic drainage, assisting to eliminate infection, bacteria, and toxins. Other styles of yoga also promote this theory (cf: B.K.S. Iyengar's "squeeze and soak" analogy regarding the effects of deep twists on the internal organs).

Benefits

Weight loss: the amount of calories burned per session varies from person to person, but estimates range between 500 and 1250 depending upon intensity of practice and other factors.

Mental well-being: the series requires that students detach from what is going on around them in order to focus on their breath. This results in more patience, mental stability, serenity, and focus.

Celebrity practitioners

Kareem Abdul Jabaar, Kobe Bryant, David Beckham, Lady Gaga, Ashton Kutcher, Robbie Williams, Charles Barkley, and Jennifer Farley. 'Lacey Turner, Madonna, Elton Brand, Bruce Bowen, David Robinson, Benedict Cumberbatch.

Controversy

Safety

Bikram Yoga has been the subject of much debate as to whether or not performing strenuous exercise in a room over 37.8 °C (100 F) is safe. Some therapists have claimed that the heat increases the risks of overstretching, as well as muscle and cartilage damage.

Competition

Another controversial component of Bikram yoga pertains to the prevalence of Bikram competitions, regionally and nationally. While practitioners of other forms of yoga maintain that competition contradicts the idea of peace and unity, Bikram contends, "Competition is the foundation for all democratic societies. For without 'Competition', there is no democracy."

Legal issues

In the United States, Choudhury has claimed and been aggressive in enforcing broad copyrights in most aspects of the practice, teaching, and business of the system. While these claims are not definitively resolved (i.e., by any judicial ruling on the merits), Choudhury has extracted legal settlements from a number of yoga teachers and studios.

In Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class (First Edition), Choudhury claims he conducted "medical" studies at the Tokyo University Medical School validating the medical benefits of his 26 postures. During one of the lawsuits defendants demanded copies of the "medical" studies and Choudhury claimed he could not find them. In Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class (Second Edition), Choudhury removed all references to "medical" studies.

The 26 Asanas (postures)

#	Sanskrit	English
1	Pranayama Series	Standing Deep Breathing
2	Ardha Chandrasana with Pada-Hastasana	Half Moon Pose with Hands To Feet Pose
3	Utkatasana	Awkward Pose
4	Garudasana	Eagle Pose
5	Dandayamana - JanuShirasana	Standing Head To Knee Pose
6	Dandayamana - Dhanurasana	Standing Bow Pulling Pose
7	Tuladandasana	Balancing Stick Pose
8	Dandayamana - Bibhaktapada - Paschimottanasana	Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose
9	Trikonasana	Triangle Pose
10	Dandayamana - Bibhaktapada - Janushirasana	Standing Separate Leg Head To Knee Pose
11	Tadasana	Mountain Pose
12	Padangustasana	Toe Stand Pose
13	Shavasana	Corpse Pose
14	Pavanamuktasana	Wind Removing Pose
15	Bhujangasana	Cobra Pose
16	Salabhasana	Locust Pose
17	Poorna - Salabhasana	Full Locust Pose
18	Dhanurasana	Bow Pose
19	Supta - Vajrasana	Fixed Firm Pose
20	Ardha - Kurmasana	Half Tortoise Pose
21	Ustrasana	Camel Pose
22	Sasangasana	Rabbit Pose
23 and 24	Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana	Head To Knee Pose with Stretching Pose
25	Ardha - Matsyendrasana	Spine Twisting Pose
26	Khapalbhati	Blowing In Firm

External links

• List of all 27 postures with illustrations
• 'Yoga, Inc.', a documentary about the Bikram copyright case, 'competitive' yoga and the yoga industry