There are many types of yoga practices that you can venture into or try. Most of the asanas are pretty uncomplicated and can be out into practice with great ease. However, there are also styles of yoga that may be too challenging, and potentially harmful for beginners to try. Bikram hot yoga is one of those styles. So you need to understand the dangers of Bikram yoga to avoid serious injury.

Founding of Bikram Hot Yoga

Bikram Choudhury is a renowned name in Olympics. In the 1960′s, he won the gold medal for weight lifting. He blended conventional yoga skills along with the tropical weather conditions of India and came out with a brilliant concept. The unique innovation which he came out with is known as sizzling Bikram yoga which augmented muscular potency, stamina and is highly effective in losing weight.

Choudhury has gone to great lengths to keep his form of yoga intact and guarded from misinterpretation. He has limited the access of his yoga only to those who have learnt yoga from his Yoga College of India situated in California and if anyone wishes to edify the same to others then they should be literally licensed by Choudhury himself. While there may be similar sounding yoga classes throughout the country, in order to legally be considered a real Bikram hot yoga class, these criteria must be met.

What Makes Sizzling Bikram Yoga Different From Others Conventional Forms of Yoga?

Bikram hot yoga is done in a room heated to 105 degrees. The clamminess in the room should also be regulated and it should be between 40% to 60%. Sizzling Bikram yoga requires heat as an integral part of the yoga session and cannot do without it. The heat factor involved makes this yoga form a relative calisthenics session and not a respite. The outcomes of this form of yoga are quite surprising because the body releases lots of sweat and along lots of contaminants off our body too. It is important to be properly hydrated before beginning to avoid any dehydration issues. The session involves body stretching and posing of various forms so as to boost stamina and potency, which is effectuated because of the heated up environment.

The session involves a total of 26 postures, or asanas. These are done in a specific order and repeated again. Each asana lasts for a period of 10 to 60 seconds. The session lasts for 90 minutes. The initial 12 asanas require being on the feet. The others are all done lying on the floor and sitting.

The Poses of Bikram Hot Yoga:
1.    Asana involving intense inhalation and done while standing
2.    Half moon pose and hands to feet
3.    Awkward pose
4.    An asana posing as an eagle
5.    An asana which is done wherein head is allowed to touch the feet
6.    An asana wherein you are required to position in a bow stretching fashion
7.    Balancing stick pose
8.    An asana wherein you are required to stretch your feet
9.    Triangle pose
10.    An asana wherein you are required to perform head to knee poses towards both the legs
11.    An asana where you are required to pose like a tree
12.    An asana where you are up on your toes
13.    Dead body pose
14.    An asana where you pose like leaving up all the unwanted wing inside you
15.    An asana which involves you to rise while lying down
16.    An asana wherein you have to pose like a snake and ravel around
17.    Locust pose
18.    An asana which involves a pose of a full threat locust
19.    An asana which requires to pose in the shape of a bow
20.    Fixed firm pose
21.    An asana wherein you pose like a half tortoise and dwell
22.    Camel pose
23.    Rabbit pose
24.    Head to knee pose
25.    An asana which shows as if you are turning your spine around
26.    Blowing in Firm pose

Aside from the obvious benefits of Bikram yoga, there are other benefits to doing Bikram hot yoga that may not be seen right away. Choudhury and others who are devoted followers of this type of yoga claim symptoms of various ailments can be alleviated by doing this type of yoga at least ten times a month, if not daily. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis and auto immune disorders may be helped by doing Bikram yoga. Since this form of yoga brings on excess of perspiration, it helps in oozing out toxins from your body resulting in a glowing skin with no skin related issues.

While some may feel this hard-core version of yoga loses some of the spirituality and calming effects yoga is meant to enhance, others feel it is the best way to combine the benefits of traditional yoga with a cardio workout.

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