Yoga is a sacred art that helps you connect with your true self without the need for an external stimuli. It offers numerous techniques to help you unlock the hidden physical and mental potential. This ancient art has transitioned to a global phenomenon owing to numerous health benefits and a variety of styles. Among the numerous yoga styles like Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and others; one that stands out is Bikram yoga for beginners.
Bikram yoga is the brainchild of Bikram Choudhary, a yogi who devised a yoga session of 90 minutes consisting of a sequence of 26 asanas and breathing techniques. You have to practice these in a room with temperatures tuned up to 41 degrees Celsius. However, similar to other styles of yoga there are a few precautions you should follow in a Bikram yoga class. Yoga experts have come up with a few simple tips to help you practice Bikram yoga with safety.
5 Things You Should Never Do In A Bikram Yoga Class
The temperature is 105 degrees Fahrenheit, sweat is all over your face, and you wait for the class to get over. This is a common scenario you will encounter in a Bikram yoga for beginners session.
However, for you to practice Bikram yoga without putting yourself at a major risk, yoga experts have come up with some easy-to-follow tips.
1. Say No To Baggy Clothes
Unless you are completely okay with doing Bikram yoga in sweat-drenched clothes, never wear baggy clothes. Yoga experts recommend you should choose cropped tights, shorts, and tank tops. These would help you practice Bikram yoga with ease.
2. Don’t Consume Too Much Water Before Or After The Class
Proper hydration makes all the difference between an easy or hard Bikram yoga for beginners sessions. You should consume adequate water before the class, which should be somewhere between 8 to 9 glasses in a day.
Consuming water before you enter a Bikram yoga class would make you uncomfortably full and make it hard to practice the poses, especially those that require you to lay on your belly.
3. Do Not Breath Through The Mouth
To help you make the most of a Bikram yoga session, yoga teachers recommend you should breathe through the nose. Breathing through the mouth would activate your fight or flight response system which would cause you to experience unnecessary anxiety and stress.
However, breathing through the nose would keep you calm and remove carbon dioxide and other toxins from your body.
4. Do Not Push Too Hard
With room temperatures hitting 105 degrees Fahrenheit in a Bikram yoga for beginners session your body might become a bit more flexible. However, yoga experts recommend this is not the time to rush into a Bikram yoga pose, so respect the limits of your body.
If you continue pushing your body beyond what is comfortable, an injury is inevitable. Remember, you have time to practice and master Bikram yoga without putting your body at risk.
5. Do Not Fidget
One of the objectives of Bikram yoga is it sharpens your focus. You might find it a bit hard to not fidget during the meditation sessions. However, with the right guidance, moving from one yoga asana to the next helps you develop patience and a calm mind. You should try to make a conscious effort to not fidget and go with the flow of the class.
These are the five tips that would help you make the most of a Bikram yoga for beginners class. Now, let us see how practising Bikram yoga benefits your body and mind.
5 Major Benefits Of Bikram Yoga
Bikram yoga might be a bit hard for you as a beginner, it does offer some major health benefits. Given below are five major benefits of Bikram yoga for beginners.
1. Detoxifies Your Body
When you sweat during Bikram yoga class, it is not just water you lose. A major health benefit of doing Bikram yoga is it rids your body of toxins and other harmful substances. In other words, Bikram yoga helps you let go of all harmful substances and chemicals in your body.
2. Bikram Yoga Is Low Impact
If you suffer from painful knees or ankles, enrol in a Bikram yoga for beginners session. This yoga style does not involve any high impact activities and yet does not puts unnecessary pressure on your joints.
3. Excellent For Weight Loss
Being an intense yoga style, Bikram yoga helps you burn extra calories. One session of Bikram yoga burns around 1000 calories, which is far better in comparison to other yoga styles. Furthermore, various Bikram yoga poses improve the efficiency of your digestive system and metabolic rate.
4. Improves Focus
Do you find it hard to focus on daily tasks? Maybe you should enrol in a Bikram yoga for beginners session. Taking a Bikram yoga class requires a lot of determination and effort and this improves your concentration levels in the long run.
5. Heals Injuries
A majority of pain and discomfort you experience occurs due to weakness and lack of flexibility, especially when you have an older injury. Bikram yoga utilizes the Tourniquet effect which blocks off the supply of blood in certain areas of your body.
However, on release, these areas receive oxygen and nutrient-rich blood which takes care of any old injuries and scar tissue.
Conclusion
Enrolling in a Bikram yoga for beginners in India session might seem a bit hard to you. However, the numerous mental and physical health benefits this yoga style offers make it worth the effort. You should enrol in a certified yoga school to learn this challenging yet relaxing yoga style. anxiety and stress.
