Thursday 16 July 2009

Bikram Yoga Poses - 5 Safety Precautions

By Jessica Praman and Lucas Rockwood
Below are some of the basic safety measures that will be beneficial for you when you perform the Bikram Yoga Poses:

1. Drink water as often as possible. You are aware that this type of Yoga is done in a warm room. There is a possibility of dehydration if you lack supply of fluid in your body. You are expected to perspire excessively, so you need to replace these fluids by taking plenty of water. Try to consume ample amount of water before the session starts. In this manner, you are able to cope with the intensity of the exercise. Remember you are deprived from drinking water in between the class, so drink plenty of water after your class to keep yourself re-hydrated.

2. Do not come to class with a full stomach. If possible do not eat 2 hours before the workout. When your stomach is stuffed, you will feel heavy. And, you will have a difficulty in doing the Bikram Yoga poses. Your goal here is to feel light and comfortable, it would be very uneasy to stretch and do the floor exercise with a heavy tummy. However, if you have a serious medical condition, this is not applicable to you. You have to eat but make sure that you are not that full, so that you can still move swiftly.

3. Take a quick rest in between class. Do not force yourself to do everything even if you feel something strange. If you are going to faint or you are having hard time breathing, try to sit and relax. Sip a small amount of water. You are not recommended to drink lots of water in between the class because you might not be able to move freely. Give yourself enough time to regain your agility before going back to class.

4. Be attentive to the instructor. When you attend your class, always remember to listen carefully. The instructor will give you directions on the proper way of doing the positions. If you are too excited and chose to do it alone, you might end up hurting yourself or worst doing it the wrong way. Your instructor is there to guide you. Do not be overconfident on, wait for instructions in every poses.

5. Finish the class until it ends. You are expected to be there from the beginning of the session until it is already done. The poses in the end will let you cool down. You need to calm yourself before leaving the session. Take your time and drink small amount of water from time to time.

These are just some of the basic reminders when you attend your Yoga class. Your main goal is to do these Bikram Yoga poses for you to stay fit and healthy. Hence, you will not achieve this if you do not know how to take care of yourself. And knowing the necessary precautionary measures is the start of that. Always bear in mind that in any physical activity you do, your safety is very much important.

Bikram Yoga - Hot Yoga For Weight Loss

By Chris Ramos
You have probably heard people talking about it in your workplace, in the subway, in the coffee shop. That it really works. That it made them lose weight. Yes, Bikram yoga is hot. It may seem everybody else has tried it but you.

But before you dive in, it is important to be more informed. Because when people say Bikram is a hot yoga, they do not only mean it's well-liked and in style. They also mean it literally. A session in Bikram yoga means exposure to elevated temperatures-105 degrees and about 40% humidity-for 90 minutes. It will make you sweat buckets.

It's All about Sweating?

Now there's a little confusion surrounding the sweating part. Some say sweating alone does not make you lose weight. Or it does but only temporarily. Once you drink fluids to rehydrate then you regain all the weight you just lost.

Well, yes and no. Yes, excess weight is not something you can simply sweat off without proper physical exertion. No, sweating is not the sole reason for weight loss when you do Bikram yoga. It is only part of the reason.

The Bikram "Glow"

Bikram involves 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, which as you carry out inside the heated room give you a total body workout. Your heart rate increases. Your muscles, warmed and flexed, get stronger with regular practice and eventually burn more fat easily.

Bikram yoga practitioners have lean, toned bodies yet they don't look old. They don't lose the glow in their skin, which is what typically happens when you lose weight, and actually look younger than before they took up Bikram.

The Bikram "glow" is physiological in nature. The heavy sweating involved in the sessions detoxifies your body of harmful toxins and improves your blood circulation, both of which in turn increase your metabolism. Your immune system is fortified because the output of the cells whose job is to fight infections is increased.

Attuned Bodies and Minds

As an end result, your bodily systems will work in better harmony. It is not unusual that people who do Bikram yoga do not suffer from constipation anymore. They sleep better. Their appetites are normalized, all those cravings for unhealthy food vanished. They genuinely feel better.

True, Bikram yoga can be challenging because you have to be able to stand the heat. But you also have to realize that those who do must have developed great endurance and will power. Though at some point, when they were just starting out, they were all novices just like you now.

So you see, people who steadily lose weight through Bikram yoga do so because their bodies and minds are attuned to losing weight.

A Pregnancy Yoga DVD Aids You in Dealing With Pregnancy

By Jill Borash
Your body goes through umpteen alterations as you progress throughout your pregnancy. You get the option of how to handle these alterations and the way you will respond to all of them. It can be troublesome going from time to time, particularly when your body does not even feel like your body at times. Each woman manages these changes in different ways but you invariably have a choice in the way you manage them. A productive and helpful way to deal with them is to use a prenatal yoga DVD.

It might aid you get in tune with your body and the shifts going on within and outside of it. Getting in tune with your body might help you cope with all of those changes and come to a place of understanding and acceptance with them.

One area that a pregnancy yoga DVD may aid you to do is merely experience your body. The stretches and various yoga positions which you do may aid you find where your body is tense and may help you to loosen that area. As you go on in your pregnancy, there is so much of additional weight tugging at your back that doing these stretches can help you unwind your back and feel improved.

Another terrific thing about a prenatal yoga DVD is that it can help you deal with your ever-changing body with the deep breathing techniques taught. Most of us do not really take a breath in the manner we should (from the diaphragm, not from the chest) and yoga can assist you do that. These breathing techniques are fantastic for helping you tune in and listening to your body. A few deep breaths can have you actually get grounded in your body and experiencing each area of it. Closing your eyes as you breathe in and out can assist you ground and focus yourself. This may aid you get in touch with what is occurring inside your body.

Another thing which you will discover on a pregnancy yoga DVD which may assist you manage your altering body is meditation practices. Once again, this is a great way for you to merely loosen up, center on your body and your growing child, and relax into your body. Taking the time to merely sense your body and what is taking place in it. A terrific thing to do is to just welcome the alteration as you get in touch with your body throughout your meditation. Merely concentrate and unwind. Permit your body state to you what is coming about with it and what it wants. If you just heed, it will tell you.

Wednesday 15 July 2009

Bikram Yoga - Is it Dangerous Or Not?

By Jessica Praman
Well, you might have a slight doubt if doing Yoga can harm your body. You might ask if it is really dangerous. A lot of people have different opinions about this issue. Apparently, Yoga fanatics will definitely take no for an answer. But, there are other individuals who started to feel back aches and other muscle cramps.

Medical experts and physical therapists have also their side on this. According to them, since this activity is done in a heated room there can be some side effects to the human body. As we all know, heat increases the flexibility of the muscles, but stretching the muscles should only fall between the normal percentage of its resting length. Beyond that, it is already considered unhealthy, it can damage the muscles.

It was found that excessive eagerness and competition among the students can cause injuries. This is because they are much enthusiastic to perform the postures and show their best to other students. There are instances that you tend to forget your limits whenever you are in the mood for exhibiting what you can do.

Whenever you attend your Hot Yoga class, you have to drink more than one glass of water. This is because you are staying in a room with high temperature; there is a tendency that you might get dehydrated. You will sweat a lot so you will loose more fluids in your body, so there is really a need to replace them by drinking lots of water.

On a positive note, Bikram Yoga is not that bad after all. There can still be countless benefits that it can do to your body. It conditions you physically, mentally and spiritually. Once you start to join classes, you can gradually see the results. However, you also have to possess the right kind of attitude. Even if you work hard on attending Bikram Yoga classes but still very pessimistic about it, you can never achieve anything. You are just wasting your time.

You do not have to worry about the bad experiences that you hear from your classmates or friends. Everyone has its own capabilities. Maybe their bodies have lower extremity when it comes to such kind of physical activity. Physical therapists say that it will all depend on the ability of the students, whether they can tolerate doing every posture or not. They just have to assess if their bodies can sustain the level of difficulty of every position. You do not have to push your limits to the top, try to do it slowly until you can perfectly do it. Being impatient can lead you to severe injury.

Always bear in mind that performing Bikram Yoga teaches you to be disciplined and focus. Doing more is not a good habit. You have to do everything in moderation. This goes whenever you perform any position in your Yoga class. Try not to overdo your stretching. You may not feel the bad effect immediately, but you will if you continuously do it. Unknowingly, you are already leading yourself to a serious damage of your muscles. Remember, you are attending Bikram Yoga classes to stay fit and healthy. Make sure that it should not be the other way around.

Tuesday 14 July 2009

Choosing the Best Yoga DVD

By Bianca Worsley
When it comes to selecting the best Yoga DVD, there's no such thing as trial and error. Why not? Simply put, because they cost money and there's no point to you buying a bunch of them only to realize that you've just coughed up a couple hundred dollars and still not found something that you're happy with. And you will have to spend a bundle if you want to test drive all the yoga DVDs that are on the market today. Before investing in any yoga DVD, you need to ask yourself these questions:

What Are the Instructor's Credentials?

It is a sad fact that there will always be those who are looking for any opportunity to make a quick buck. Have you ever looked for real information regarding a so-called fitness guru and found only random sales pitches? These shysters exist in the world of yoga as well and, while they may not be able to fool a seasoned yoga practitioner, novices are often easy prey. The best yoga DVD will feature a tutor who has no problems with letting people know what their credentials actually are, and who can back up their claims. Ideally they should be certified by an accredited institution and have some prior experience teaching yoga. Given the advances in the internet, this information should not be difficult to find for a reputable individual.

What Am I Looking For?

Many people, especially novices, are under the misconception that yoga simply consists of a series of positions. While such poses, or asanas, are an integral part of yoga, there is so much more involved and the best yoga DVDs are reflective of this. Yoga is not just a physical science which targets the joints and muscles. True yoga practitioners know the value of the other aspects such as meditations and relaxation techniques. If you're going to spend your hard-earned money on a yoga DVD, you'll want the best, so look for one which covers the spiritual as well as the physical aspects. Strengthening your mind is often the key to having a having a healthy body.

What Level Am I Currently At?

The best yoga DVD will serve to teach you a lesson and, like all lessons, there are different levels. Specific DVDs are usually designed for beginner, intermediate or advanced students, and the poses being shown will have an appropriate level of difficulty. If you are new to yoga, you may be tempted to buy a DVD which caters for advanced students because that's the one which has the best reviews. Stick to your level of competency or you run the risk of damaging yourself or quickly losing interest because you won't be able to what the instructor is doing because you are too new.

How Much Am I Willing To Spend?

That depends on what you are buying, but you should always ensure that you get value for your money. The best yoga DVD for complete beginners are those which focus on light exercises as well meditation, so you can prepare yourself to eventually tackle the more strenuous poses. Advanced practitioners may be more comfortable with a complete system which involves easy preparatory exercises as well as more complex poses. Either way, an exorbitant price is not something that you should be willing to pay. Shop around so you get an idea of average prices. Get reviews and recommendations from trusted sources. Sometimes there may be older DVD which is just as good as, or even better than, the latest thing and you get a copy for a fraction of the cost.

The simple fact is that yoga has become increasingly popular over the years and there are always those who are ready and willing to take advantage of any trend. That's not to say that there aren't legitimate yoga practitioners out there who have developed excellent learning systems for the yoga student. Read the reviews, talk to other yoga enthusiasts, and you'll be in a better position to make a good decision.

Finding and Buying a Bikram Yoga DVD

By Malc Moore
Although it is easy to buy a Bikram yoga dvd from most popular stores, and this may give you a great introduction, it would probably be better to join a class. The benefits of joining one of the Bikram yoga classes is there will be people to interact with and even make friends with, also if you have any problems there will be an instructor on hand to help you with any problems. You will probably only need a mat, water bottle and good loose clothing when participating in a class.

What to Look For In A DVD:

A good Bikram yoga DVD will explain what Bikram yoga is all about, you'll find it is different from the other styles. It should explain how to heat the room to around 95-100 degrees without it costing you a small fortune on your utility bills. The reason for the high temperature is that the poses and exercises have to be done in a heated room, this is one of the main differences to other styles.

It should also explain in a clear manner, that there are 26 poses to practice and learn. It is also important to be shown the proper technique for each pose, this will help to lessen the risk of an individual injuring themselves during an exercise. Additionally a good Bikram yoga DVD should make allowances for beginners and give some easier alternative poses, whilst also offering the opportunity for more experienced practitioners to practice the most difficult poses.

A good quality Bikram yoga DVD should also give both instructions of the various poses but also shown some different workouts so a practitioner can choose the ones that suit them best. A class is usually around an hour and a half in length, therefore the DVD will normally offer a short version workout plus a longer version that is more in line with a class workout time.

Probably it will be better for an individual to go to Bikram yoga classes before practicing with their Bikram yoga DVD. The mean reason for this last statement is that unlike a DVD the class will have a trained instructor who will be able to make sure an individual is learning and doing the positions in the correct way, before doing them at home on their own. This will also reduced the risk of any injuries. Please Also Note! This style not be practiced by pregnant women, since it can raise the core body temperature.

Bikram Yoga DVD - Learning the Basics in Your Home

By Jessica Praman
Normally, in this kind of physical activity, there are studios that are designed purposely for it. The place is spacious enough, so that students will not look crowded during the exercise. But, learning Bikram Yoga can already be done in your home. You can now find Bikram Yoga DVDs out in the market. These DVDs are perfect for those people who have hectic working schedules.

In general, when you want to learn to do the Bikram Yoga, you attend classes. You will get a certain schedule of sessions that will fit into your daily schedule. However, if you happen to own a Bikram Yoga DVD, you would not have to go through all of these. You just have to watch it in your home, and begin to do it alone. In this manner, you can perform it anytime of the day. You need not to miss any class due to unavoidable circumstances.

If you are still a beginner, the Bikram Yoga DVD is very useful. There are people who are hesitant to attend the class because they are still new to it. This is because executing the different postures of Yoga seems to be awkward if you are not used to them. If you happen to own a video of Bikram's method, you can try doing the positions in your home. In this case, you will not have any qualms performing them. You can even have a practice, so that once you attend the class personally, you do not look naive about what is happening in the studio. You already have the idea how it goes.

Practicing Yoga in your home is an advantage to you. This type of Yoga is considered to be very intense. You expect the level of difficulty of the succeeding postures increases. Thus, constant practice will aid you in familiarizing them. You have to remember that, Yoga instructors can not fully focus on teaching all of their students one by one. They might be checking you from time to time but they do not give their complete attention exclusively to you. There is a need for you to learn the steps alone. This Bikram Yoga DVD will serve as your guide in learning the whole method.

There are a lot of shops that sell Bikram Yoga DVDs. These discs are very informative. They present other necessary links for a better understanding of Hot Yoga. They do not just show the different body postures, they also have Bikram Choudhary's life and his other related experiences. It shows the evolution of Yoga and the different methods. Songs that are played during the session are included as well. These DVDs come at a reasonable price. With all these features, you will definitely have no regrets getting one for yourself.

Bikram Yoga Tips

by PAUL WELLS
Bikram Yoga is a good exercise for most people especially those who want to achieve a good mental and physical well-being. The discipline offered by Bikram yoga no matter what type it is will surely help a person become fit and confident about his physique.

Those who practice Bikram yoga believe that a person has to unite body and soul to be able to achieve a higher level of being. Only by uniting his physical with his mental can a person elevate himself to that state where everything is within his control.

The different Bikram yoga poses have their own individual purpose but all of these are aimed at enabling the person practicing yoga to relax and to become flexible and comfortable with his body. A person who is able to find that perfect balance between body and mind will not only be physically fit and healthy but also happy and mentally fit.

Despite the misconception that yoga belongs to the underworld practice of what is mystical, it is really in effect a science that tries to find the connection between the body and the mind in order to achieve physical and mental fitness for its disciples.

Yoga can be beneficial to a person in terms of lessening his pulse rate and blood pressure and in increasing the efficiency of his cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, gastrointestinal and other bodily and organic functions. If you have not noticed it yet, try to observe people who do yoga and you would be impressed with their body posture.

It also helps to empower a harried person into living a life that is less stressful and helps him improve his mood and his attitude towards life, people and events. A person who does yoga will have more ability to accept his actualities in life.

One type of yoga that has caught the interest of some people is Bikram yoga or what they refer to as hot yoga. Bikram yoga is literally a hot yoga because the poses are performed or executed in a room that has been well-heated. Doing the poses in a heated room relieves the disciple or the follower from the various toxins that has invaded his body by releasing sweat all throughout the session.

The hot yoga style is being promoted by an Indian yoga master named Bikram Choudhury. Choudhury has recently attempted to copyright his Bikram yoga poses and this has led him to become embroiled in a legal battle that has been solved in his favor.

Choudhury claims to have the legal right to the 26 poses used in Bikram yoga and he is posing a heavy legal battle to have the exclusive right to call the practice of hot yoga Bikram yoga. If his legal action becomes successful, Bikram yoga will only be practiced and taught only by his disciples who will follow his method and prescribed yoga environment to the letter.

If his claim goes well, he would be like the franchise owner of the Bikram method and no one would be able to teach Bikram yoga without his two cents worth. This attempt to make Bikram yoga exclusive for him and his disciples has made Bikram a controversial figure in the world of yoga today.

A person who wants to give Bikram or hot yoga a try should arm himself with a durable man slip-proof mat because the high temperature required by Bikram in his hot yoga will be more than enough to keep the yoga follower sweating profusely for the whole session.

It is also very important that a woman who intends to practice Bikram yoga should make sure she is not pregnant to avoid possible negative effects to her health and the health of the unborn baby. Always drink plenty of water before doing the poses, during exercise and even after to avoid dehydration. Also avoid eating at least two hours before the actual yoga exercise.

Bikram Yoga Weight Loss - Can Bikram Yoga Help You Lose Weight?

By Kajay Williams
The practice of yoga dates back to thousands of years in India. With its wide reaching success in East, it has found its way even in the West. Studies have shown that yoga has immense health benefits including weight loss.

Among different types of yoga, Bikram yoga is one method that is fast gaining popularity in the West.

What is it all about?

Bikram Yoga is a method of yoga in which you do yoga in a room that has a temperature upto 104 fahrenheit degrees for about 90 minutes. About 26 different yoga poses are done during this period.

Tips for Effective Doing Bikram Yoga

1. Attend it atleast 3 times a week, especially if you are looking to reduce weight.

2. These poses can help you burn as many as 1000 calories a session. Needless to say, the number of calories you burn depends on the complexity of the yoga poses.

3. Drink Lots of Water: To enjoy the full benefits of Bikram yoga, drink lots of water both on the day before as well as the day in which you perform it.

4. Eating Schedule: Make sure that you eat at least 4 hours before you perform yoga.

However before performing it, it is advisable that you talk to your doctor and also visit a Yoga instructor who specializes in this type of Yoga to find out if it would work for you. Remember Yoga as simple as it looks should be done the right way or else you run the risk of injuring yourself in the process.

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Monday 13 July 2009

Bikram Yoga benefits

The benefits of Bikram Yoga :

Works every organ, gland, nerve, tendon, ligament and muscle in the whole body every Bikram Yoga session, Expands your capacity to breathe deeply and fully, Prevents injury and may prevent or improve chronic illness, Promotes better sleep, you may even need to sleep less, Fabulous body toning effects, Weight loss or gain depending on your body's needs, Improvement in posture and body awareness, Diminishes the effects of stress, Increases balance, coordination, focus and discipline, Clears your mind, Calms your soul.


Pranayama Breathing
This gives mental relaxation, and works on the respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems of the body, as well as detoxification of the body.

There is many postures, such as:
Eagle Pose
Triangle Pose
Tree Pose
Toe Stand

There are many benefits if Your try to take bikram yoga class. So join today and get the health benefit for tour body.

Sunday 12 July 2009

Bikram Yoga

Bikram yoga gets its name from Bikram Choudhury, Whose teacher was bishnu Ghosh, the brother of paramahansa yogananda. In bikram Yoga practice, The body's temperature is forced up by sealing off the room and turning the heat up high, this is will helps to warm muscles and flush toxins from the body. Bikram involves a set sequence of postures. There are twenty-six postures, standing and balance, back bends, forward bends, twisting postures. Breathing is emphasized, and the ujjayi breath as well as fire breath are practiced.

A bikram yoga class make for an intense workout and tends to attract men for the reason. However, Bikram yoga meant to be open to everyone whatever your sex, age, or state of health.

Bikram yoga may help further battle hepatitis c by detoxifying the body, according to standish, who also prescribes yoga for cancer patients after they have completed chemotherapy.

At the Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle, Washington, Bikram Yoga is used as a regular part of treatment for hepatitis c.