Bikram Yoga

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Bikram Yoga, also known as hot yoga, is a style of yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury.^[1] Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%. Classes are guided by specific dialogue including 27 postures and two breathing exercises. Classes last approximately 90 minutes.

Choudhury lives in Beverly Hills and teaches at his self-founded Bikram's Yoga College of India in Los Angeles. Before emigrating to the United States, Bikram was trained at the Bishnu Ghosh school in Calcutta, India.^[2] Bikram holds a U.S. copyright on his yoga and Bikram yoga instructors are required to undergo a training and certification process to teach it.^[3] Bikram has over 500 studios throughout the world, with new studios opening up regularly.^[4] The Yoga College of India has trained over 3000 instructors, charging upwards of $9,000 per person plus other expenses for the training regimen. Note that the Yoga College of India does have branches in Japan, but they are wholly unaffiliated with the two small schools run by Bikram's younger brother Budhadeb Choudhury (the poses, method of instruction, and teacher training differ).

Overview

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Bikram Yoga College of India in Los Angeles, California

Bikram or hot yoga is a series of yoga poses done in a very heated room, which is usually maintained at a temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 40 degrees Celsius). Yoga at this temperature promotes profuse sweating, which is believed to help rid the body of toxins. It also keeps the body very warm and, therefore, more flexible.^[5]

Bikram yoga aim is toward general wellness and claims the heated studio facilitates deeper stretching, injury prevention, and stress and tension relief. Bikram yoga is claimed to systematically stimulate and restore health to every muscle, joint, and organ of the body. There are two complementary aspects of the 26 exercises, asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises). According to Choudhury, many people only use up to 50 percent of their lung capacity, and just like any muscle, the lungs must be stretched in order to (through practice) withstand holding more oxygen. When one is practicing pranayama s/he will eventually be able to enhance oxygen conversion and absorption, as well as improve blood circulation. (Choudhury, 2007)

It is common for beginners to experience dizziness and nausea. Beginners may feel faint or pass out and are encouraged to take breaks as needed if feeling lightheaded.^[6]

Choudhury claims that blood circulation is affected immensely during Bikram Yoga because of two processes called extension and compression. These two dynamics are said to work together to deliver fresh oxygen to every joint, muscle, and organ within the human body. While performing a specific asana (pose), the body is stretching or compressing a certain part of the body, thus cutting off circulation temporarily. This restriction of circulation causes the heart to pump more blood in reaction to the shortage. The pumping of excess, fresh blood is called extension. Once the asana is complete and the individual comes out of the posture, the new oxygenated blood is able to rejuvenate the arteries that were being compressed. Because of the volume change and influx of fresh blood, it is said that infection, bacteria, and toxins can be released through this process. (2007)

The 26 Asanas (postures)

Controversy

Controversy has surrounded Bikram Choudhury's copyright and franchising of Bikram yoga. Choudhury has attempted to enforce claims of copyright and trademark protection, most notably his sequence of 26 asanas in Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class for which he registered a copyright on October 24, 2002 (Reg. Num. TX 5-624-003). His cease-and-desist letters and a lawsuit (see the U.S. case Open Source Yoga Unity v. Bikram Choudhury^[7], for example) have drawn protest from some North American yoga practitioners. His attempt in 2009 to franchise Bikram yoga and force instructors into one-sided teaching agreements was not well-received by Bikram yoga practitioners across the U.S. and other parts of the world. In addition, his claims have incited numerous Indian historians and scientists to catalogue various yoga poses documented in ancient texts, with the intention of demonstrating that yoga poses vastly predate new copyrights.^[3]

Some yoga practitioners protest the application of copyright, franchising, trademarking, and personal profit of the yoga tradition.^[8] This controversy spawned the 2006 documentary Yoga, Inc.[1] as well as epithets such as "McYoga"^[9] and "McBikram".^{[citation needed]}

Choudhury and Bikram yoga practitioners have been criticized for their endorsement of competitiveness in yoga, on the grounds that it deviates from yoga's true nature and purpose.^[10]

Possible risks

There are a number of possible risks associated with performing Bikram and other forms of hot yoga. All exercise should be approached with caution and with a physician's consultation. Dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and injuries resulting from fainting are also among the possible risks from performing Bikram and other forms of hot yoga. A practitioner of Bikram Yoga is also at an increased risk of muscle, ligament, and lower back injuries. Heating of muscles, ligaments, and tendons allows them to be more flexible than when they are cold. This increases the risk of these parts being stretched past a safe limit and can result in tissue damage. Injuries of this type occur frequently amongst yoga practitioners.^[11]

Although it is possible for the body to release small amounts of toxins in the sweat, sweating for this purpose may be counterproductive. The liver and kidneys are the main organs responsible in the human body for eliminating toxins. If the person doing Bikram yoga does not stay sufficiently hydrated, the efficiency of these organs can actually be lowered, resulting in a lower rate of toxin elimination. Dr. Dee Anna Glaser, a professor of dermatology at St. Louis University and founding member of the International Hyperhidrosis Society says, "Sweating for the sake of sweating has no benefits," and "Sweating heavily is not going to release a lot of toxins." Metals, in particular, are released in sweat at a very low rate and are much more readily excreted through the urine or feces.^[12]

Notes

See also

• Asana
• Pranayama or breathing exercises

External links

• Official website
• 'Yoga, Inc.', a documentary about the Bikram copyright case, 'competitive' yoga and the yoga industry
• Pune’s gurus get into the act to curb West’s yoga piracy Pune Newsline
• Bad Boy: Bikram Choudhury Yoga Journal
• List of all 27 postures with illustrations