National Yoga Awareness Month Series: Bikram Yoga
Nicci over at Nifty Eats reminded me yesterday that September is National Yoga Awareness Month!
To celebrate, I thought I’d do my first Simply Savor series on one of my favorite forms of exercise-YOGA. Each week, I will discuss a different form of yoga, the history and the benefits of practicing.
For Day 1 of the series, I’d like to talk about one of my favorite types: Bikram Hatha Yoga
What is Bikram Yoga (Hot Yoga)?
-Series of 26 asanas (poses)
-2 breathing exercises (pranayamas)
-Performed in 105 degree heated room
- Work entire body in 90 minutes
-incorporates strength, challenge, gravity, balancing
-builds energy, stamina and flexibility
-Tourniquet effect: technique allows stretching, squeezing, and massaging of internal organs, flushing out the cardiovascular system and stimulating the endocrine and nervous systems in order to release any deficient hormones and enzymes.
Benefits of Bikram
• Tones and strengthens all major muscle groups down to the bone
• Increases balance, strength, and flexibility
• Builds cardiovascular strength & respiratory balance
• Promotes weight loss
• Strengthens and restores all systems of the body
• Reduces the risk of sports injury and accelerates recovery time
• Increases concentration and focus power
• Improves productivity & energy level
• Reduces the effects of stress
• Makes your skin glow
• Brings all systems into perfect balance, mind, body, and soul
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Some of my favorite Bikram poses are:
Dancer’s pose
also called, Dandayamana–Dhanurasana
* increases circulation to the heart and lungs * improves elasticity of the spine * creates marriage between strength and balance * regulates menstrual cycle * helps with lower back pain
Tree pose
also known as Tadasana
* creates hip and knee mobility * excellent for posture and balance * the only pose which creates total body traction * releases abdominal tension * aids in rheumatism and circulatory disorders
Triangle pose
aka Trikanasana
* changes chemical imbalances in the system * helps with menstrual disorders * the whole body is effected; muscles, nerves & tissues * good for hip and back pain
But sometimes, I just need a little of this…
Kapalbhati in Vajrasana (Deep, firm breathing)
* improves oxygenation to the body * rids the body of toxins * energizes and revitalizes the body * helps bring mental clarity and alertness
Here’s a good chart of all 26 postures (asanas)
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Yoga reminds me to slow down in life. You learn to truly listen to your body and focus on breathing. I never realized how important it is just to simply breathe until I began practicing. Yoga makes me feel strong, calm and energized (mind/body/soul). Plus I also find it’s the most effective workout for when I’m looking to tone up. Why do you practice yoga?
My September yoga challenge is to teach myself this little trick right here
Headstand (Shirshasana)
What’s yours?
“Yoga is a light which, once lit will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame” –BKS Iyengar
Simply Savor’s Favorite Yoga Links:
Free classes:
Yogamonth.org: Get a free week of yoga classes
Dave Farmar: ITUNES podcast
NAMASTE!
I do yoga to really stretch out my body but also to soothe my soul, it really helps for those of us who are type A personalities – to just chill out and focus on nothing else. I really love throwing a good yoga sesh into the mix of weekly workouts – and my mom is hooked too (so freaking cute!)
How fitting that I just did my first ‘real’ yoga class yesterday at yogadownload.com
And let me tell you, today my arms are S.O.R.E.
I was a total non-believer that yoga was a great workout before this class kicked my booty, and that is coming from a girl who thinks she is in, for the most part, pretty good shape!
I encourage everybody to give it a try, especially at yogadownload.
I LOVED this post!! Are those actual pictures of you doing yoga!? If so – WHERE DO YOU LIVE!?!? I want to live there! Haha
haha yeah that’s me. It’s at my favorite beach in CT that is one of my favorite places
Oh haha, that’s funny! Then I actually do (or did I guess!) live there! I’m from Newtown, CT. But the Fairfield beaches we grew up going to don’t look that beautiful!
Ow! I am so excited for this series. I have done bikram yoga twice and LOVE it. The heat, the sweat, the extreme stretch you get from it are all incredible!
I subscribe to yoga download…love it
My favorite yoga poses are tree, triangle, and standing split! I’ve never practiced Bikram yoga…maybe that should be my yoga challenge? Ha, no mine is to try and stay in half moon. I always wobble out of it! I hope you’re having a good day!!
definitely try Yoga108 on Oak St in NOLA…the teacher Bruno is awesome!
how did I not know about National Yoga Awareness month? Thanks for the 411, girlie!
Yeah…tried yoga once. It whooped me pretty bad. I’ve stuck w/ just lifting and cardio ever since. Maybe I’ll give it another go this month haha
i hated yoga when i first did it too, but after my 2nd or 3rd time i was hooked. it’s all about finding the right style, teacher, etc.
Wow, National Yoga Awareness Month!! Thanks for posting this, Kristen! I guess it’s fitting that I am planning to start yoga this month!
Can’t wait to read the rest of your series.
I don’t have a specific pose in mind, but I hope to get my lateral splits this month, which I know yoga can help with. I’m ashamed as a competitive gymnast NOT to have those already, but I never had them, and it’s ever so hard at age 26!
Oh goodness this really got me really wanting to get into yoga. I just seem to have no patience!! But I really really want to start! haha
I loved your post, Kristen! And I like how you’re going to talk about a different type of yoga each week – great idea! I love yoga and try to practice everyday. Seriously, I am not the same without it. I’m not quite sure if I have a favorite post but lately I’ve been really liking side plank (Vasisthasana). I’ve always had trouble getting my bottom foot completely flat on the mat and I just recently had a breakthrough! So now I look forward to doing it. BTW, your form is amazing and I am so jealous of where you practice yoga. It looks so peaceful. Thank you for this lovely post!