| Home | Times & Prices | First Time? | About Bikram Yoga | Gallery | About Us | Shop | More Info | Contact |
With a proper diet is Bikram Yoga good for weight loss? I've been experiencing tremendous pain in various muscles since I've started Bikram Yoga... Can I still lift weights (running, biking, doing aerobics) once I start Bikram Yoga practice? How many times per week should I practice? Does Bikram Yoga help with balancing the emotions? Which classes are the least crowded? Is there a special way to breathe during Bikram? What does the teacher mean when they say "use 80-20 breathing"? Why is it important to learn from a Bikram Yoga Certified Instructor?
With a proper diet is Bikram Yoga good for weight loss? A minimum of 10 classes per month is recommended to get the benefits of Bikram Yoga, among which is weight normalization. As a beginner, It takes three classes for your body to understand the proper approach to the posture, and ten classes for your body to begin to work with postures. You will begin the optimization of all your body systems. Digestion and respiration, as well as endocrine, lymphatic and elimination systems will begin to work harmoniously. Your appetite will normalize, and your unhealthy cravings will diminish. All of these results will help to normalize your weight if you devote yourself to regular practice, at least, but preferably more than 3 times per week. Back to top
I've been experiencing tremendous pain in my various muscles since I've started Bikram Yoga. What should I do? Bikram says, "It's not what you do, but how you do." So don't let the mind wander during practice. Don't be too aggressive or impatient, either. The only time you will hurt yourself (create a sprain or pull) is if you overuse your strength or do postures mindlessly. Think of alignment. Bio-mechanically you are very safe if you do postures in alignment. Muscle imbalance creates a lot of problems. Check to make sure there is good alignment with the left and right side of the quads. Balance with the foot in alignment and the weight in alignment. Remember, the body follows the eyes. Be careful to do the postures correctly, because you are creating an imprint that is hard to undo. Breath is the only way to affect the involuntary systems. Oxygen deprivation is a major cause of spasms, other muscle pains, and sciatica. Use breath to break through fear of pain--sigh a relaxed sigh. Deep diaphragmatic breathing is best when dealing with lots of resistance. Send the breath there--breathe through the nose. And finally, honor your boundaries, but expect them to expand. Have faith! Back to top
Can I still lift weights (running, biking, doing aerobics) once I start Bikram Yoga practice? Bikram Yoga does indeed promote stretching and elasticity of muscles. It does so much more, though. It also promotes strength and balance...balanced strength, and balanced flexibility. If you find in your practice, for example, that your abdominals need strengthening or your hips or shoulders need stabilizing, you could do weight training that accomplishes those goals. The more your hips and shoulders are stabilized by balanced strength around the joints, the more in alignment your postures and your body will be. It is also possible to only do Bikram Yoga and accomplish these goals, as the practice itself deepens your awareness of your body's needs. Back to top
Should I practice while menstruating? It is perfectly safe to do Bikram yoga when menstruating. Inverted postures are normally the postures contraindicated for menstruation. But there are no inverted postures in Bikram yoga. So in fact, Bikram yoga is very good for toning the reproductive system as it directly affects the reproductive organs and the endocrine glands--pituitary, pineal and thyroid gland in particular. The women's cycle becomes regular; complaints of irregularity and PMS decrease. Back to top
How many times per week should I practice? The simple answer is... the more you practice, the better you will feel! Bikram recommends daily, but also says that practicing once a week is better than not practicing at all. We all have daily routines of work, sleep, eating, showering, brushing teeth, relaxing, etc. to keep ourselves mentally and physically capable to doing what we wish and must do each day. Yoga just helps us work at a deeper level of body cleansing/healing and mental discipline/relaxation. If you want to get the most out of Bikram yoga, it is recommended that as a beginner, you practice six times per week for the first 60 days to change your body and experience the amazing benefits of the series. After that, go into a maintenance schedule, which will be different for every person. Some people benefit by practicing two to three times per week, while others feel better practicing five to six times per week. Every individual is different, but just remember the more you practice, the better you will feel. Back to top
Does Bikram Yoga help with balancing the emotions? Bikram Yoga helps balance the emotions in several ways. Physiologically, regular practice harmonizes the nervous and endocrine systems, two systems which significantly impact upon emotional well-being. In addition, practicing Bikram Yoga cultivates the mental faculties of faith, self-control, concentration, determination and patience. As we become more aware of our inner life, we notice how events, interactions, and even the atmospheric pressure can effect us. When we are aware, we can exercise choice in our response. This helps us balance our emotional life. Back to top
Is Bikram Yoga aerobic? The word aerobic literally means "with oxygen" or "in the presence of oxygen, involving or improving oxygen consumption by the body." Aerobic activity trains the heart, lungs and cardiovascular system to process and deliver oxygen more quickly and efficiently to every part of the body by elevating the heart rate during exercise to its target level. As the heart muscle becomes stronger and more efficient, a larger amount of blood can be pumped with each contraction. Fewer contractions are then required to rapidly transport oxygen to all parts of the body. You can derive these benefits from practicing Bikram yoga. Use this formula to find your target heart rate: 220 minus your age times 60% and times 90% For example, a 30-year old would calculate his target zone using the above formula: 220-30=190. 190x.60=114 and 190x.90=171. This individual would try to keep his heart rate between 114 (low end) and 171 (high end) beats per minute. You can take your pulse during class and see that due to the nature of the asanas, your heart rate and respiration become elevated to your target level. This can help you determine how intensely to work during class. Back to top
Which classes are the least crowded? The evening 6pm classes are usually the largest as people are practicing between leaving work and returning home, but this is really not that important. Just come whenever you want. Your mat, your mind, your body, your yoga - nothing else matters. Don't be put off by a crowded class - they can have fabulous energy. Back to top
I've just done my 3rd (4th, 5th) class and it was so hard - I thought it would just keep getting easier. What's going on? An important lesson is to avoid allowing expectations to trip you up. Aim to practice with a clear mind, with no expectations, and remember that while the yoga never changes (every Bikram class is 90 minutes with the same sequence of postures and breathing exercises), your body will change and is truly different every day. Some days you will have challenging classes and other days you will breeze through them. Take each class (and each day) as it comes..a unique opportunity to learn more about yourself. Back to top
Is there a special way to breathe during Bikram? For nearly all Bikram poses you breathe in and out through your nose. This will help to increase your meditative state, physical strength and mental focus on each moment of your practice. If you are feeling overwhelmed at any stage, try short inhales and long exhales. We only breathe through the mouth in the very first pose of the series Pranayama Breathing and in Sit Ups. Back to top
What does the teacher mean when they say "use 80-20 breathing"? In all postures you need oxygen in the lungs to maintain proper strength while performing the posture. Many postures will allow your normal pattern of full inhalation and exhalation. For other more strenuous postures, you will use 80-20 breathing. In this method of breathing, you begin by taking in a full 100% breath. Then as you hold the posture, continuously breathe and exchange just 20% of the air through your nose with your mouth closed. Back to top
What does Namasté mean? Namasté is a common greeting or salutation used in the Indian subcontinent where yoga originated. It is a friendly 'hello' or 'goodbye' between people and a sign of respect. The meaning of the word is based on a spiritual principle of common divinity: Namasté I honour the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. Back to top
Why is it important to learn from a Bikram Yoga Certified Instructor? It takes more than a hot room and a list of postures to make your Bikram Yoga practice a safe, rewarding experience. Bikram Yoga is a specialized form of yoga, requiring appropriate training and knowledge to teach it effectively. Bikram Choudhury, the creator of Bikram Yoga, personally trains and certifies his instructors to ensure that his methods and philosophy are preserved and properly taught. To be certified as an instructor in the Bikram Method of Yoga, an instructor must complete an intensive nine-week training session requiring over 500 hours of study. For more information on Bikram training see www.bikramyoga.com. Back to top
How does Bikram Yoga work? By the tourniquet effect: stretching, balancing (using gravity), and creating pressure all at the same time. The blood supply in arteries and veins is being cut off, creating pressure. When released, a lock gate effect is created, causing blood to rush through veins and arteries, flushing them out. Also, pressure is applied to the heart by its relative position to the rest of the body. Back to top
How can I clean my yoga mat? In the studio: We have spray bottles with Eucalyptus-scented water and cloths in the mat storage area. You can wipe down your mat after your class. At home: Good quality yoga mats are very durable and can be washed in your washing machine. Front-loader washing machines are best. Hang your mat somewhere at home to air dry it. Mats cannot be dried in a tumble dryer.
|
|
|
