Bikram yoga?

maybe yes/maybe no. sorta depends.

thanks for that decisive answer.


you are a wingnut.

I guess the idea is to have the body sweat out all the toxins and make the
muscles more relaxed to get into more difficult poses. My understanding is
that Bikram yoga is not exactly for beginners.

I did yoga for years, but never Bikram. I think it is the same as being in a
sauna, and unless you have a medical condition (high blood pressure,
etc.) it should be harmless.

thanks cj

My rolfer said that what is holding me back from more flexibility is that my muscles moving over joints/bones/released facia aren't lubricated enough. Not "juicy" enough as she called it. I can really visualize that, and it feels true. It's like a tree that some of the branches aren't getting enough sap. Those branches are alive, but something needs to happen to the "juices" can get into the blocked areas.

She knows I hydrate myself well, and my range of motion/flexibility has dramatically improved in some areas of my body, but not all. Even the areas that have improved a lot could still benefit from being more opened up.

That's what it's all about, creating space for the body to move within. To put it figuratively, my body has moved from a 1/1 cramped studio apt about 2 years ago, to a much more comfortable 2/2 house with large backyard. I'm ready to either expand by building on another bath, bedroom and a garage, or move to a much bigger property.

Yeah, I know bikram is tough. She says it's the hardest thing she's ever done. However, she said there is no such thing as a beginner class, since you just need to do whatever posture within your present ability. One thing I've learned from rolfing is just that. You come in with one ability, expand it, and move on. I would never do stuff just because the person next to me can do it. We live in different houses.

Oh, I went there yesterday just to watch, standing in the lobby and watching through the glass wall. I saw people of all abilities, just doing what they could. Maybe at a younger age I would have felt like I had to keep up with others, but now, it's an internal journey.

Anyway, I'm not gonna jump right into that. The bikram place is too inconvenient for me to get to. However they are building a new location not far from my house that will be completed in June. Don't worry, I'm not gonna give myself a heart attack or anything.
My rolfer has been doing this a long time, and she's also a RN of over 20 years, and I've grown to really trust her.

What I think I'll do first is take some beginners classes at a regular yoga place right down the street from my house. Kinda test the waters.

I appreciate your advice about it, I'm sure it would be easy to get overwhelmed.

I just don't like the thought of breathing in someone elses wet humid breath and germs.

Ah I see now why you would want to get into Bikram, and I see that you have
considered not jumping into it lightly. Perhaps regular yoga classes combined
with sauna could help you initially to get used to the postures and damp heat.

I remember from my cold climate days, that I needed to gradually build up
the time I spent in a sauna until my body got used to it better.

Yoga is truly amazing: just little postures give you an instant feedback of
how relaxed certain body parts become.

Yes. My Bikram teacher said that during teacher training, all the students ended up with some crazy red rash all over their bodies because of the humidity spreading the germs, bacteria, and fungus.

I have been using a Microban Yoga Mat (from YogaDirect.com) lately in Bikram class to protect myself against bacteria. Microban is made of zinc and they put it in the mat during manufacturing. It acts as a shield to repel bacteria & fungus on the mat...and it even claims to keep the yoga mat cleaner in between cleanings. I have noticed that my mat doesn't smell like sweat after class anymore, like it did when i used my old mat.

Thanks for the topic. I wonder if anybody else has tried Bikram. I have been a few times and I love it. I was worried the instructors would be too strict - and I have pretty significant un-bendy issues - but I already see improvements. I've never sweated so much in my life!

I'm glad you enjoy it Lash. For me, I've found my nirvana in kundalini yoga.

As an aside, I've seen where they have bikram competitions, and that just goes so counter to what yoga is all about. I can't wrap my mind or emotions around that.

This is quite a coincidence, because I flicked through this thread out of curiosity yesterday, not knowing anything at all about bikram.

Later on yesterday afternoon, I opened the paper and lo and behold.....

"Women who accused Bikram yoga founder of rape speak out against the millionaire 'guru' after 'he forced one victim into a yoga pose during an attack......"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2519559/Women-accused-Bikram-yoga-founder-rape-speak-out.html

Be careful out there!

Jesus H. Christ.

This is uber creepy and wrong. It's disturbing on so many levels.

Just looking at this guy, and the poses he takes for the camera (not asanas, those are what yoga poses are called) shows that he is not about the the total package. Yoga means "union" or "yoke" it's a discipline to bring peace into all areas of your life, physical, emotional and spiritual. It's an ancient practice, not some invention of a businessman.

Also, yoga is supposed to be accessible to anyone, regardless of their physical ability of the moment. If one person can sit on their mat and bend they upper body to the floor, and another can lean foward only 2 inches, if both are doing that as perfectly and mindfully and they can, they are both equally perfect. The exclusivity factor of this practice bothers me, as not everyone can perform these moves.
Go on youtube and search "bikram competition" and you'll see what I mean.

These 2 photos are particularly gross...

No one I know who teaches yoga, would pose like this....




In this one, he's obviously channeling his inner pimp/titty bar owner....