Bikram yoga – why it has changed my life

Bikram yoga is a non-negotiable part of my week.  People may laugh, but I regularly turn down offers for weekend arvo drinks because I HAVE to make 4.00pm class!

Many of you would have heard about Bikram or hot yoga, as it has become increasingly popular of late.  For me though, Bikram is not a short-lived trend – it is an important part of my life.  I first tried a class in 2008 when my sister asked me to join her.  She hated it, I loved it!  I have continued to practice at a wonderful studio in the Sutherland Shire run by Nathan and Megan Dennett ever since.   And it isn’t just me who is obsessed.  I took my dad along to a class shortly after I started and he practices 6 times a week!  I even managed to convince my husband-to-be to give it a go.

I honestly can’t stop raving about the benefits of Bikram to anyone I meet!  Being a hardcore fitness junkie, Bikram definitely gives you bang for your buck.  I know it might be hot (the room can be heated to 45 degrees!), but it really does amazing things for your mind and body.  Rather than telling you all the “benefits of Bikram yoga” listed by articles in Google (you can do that yourself!), I wanted to share with you the benefits I have obtained from MY practice in the hope that you might give it a go!  So here are my favourites…

1.  It taught me how to breathe properly

My posts regularly mention the importance of breathing deeply to manage stress and assist the body to rest and restore itself.

Bikram has taught me how to breathe in even the toughest poses in order to remain calm and in control – something that I can use in my everyday life.  It is no wonder they refer to Bikram as an “open eye meditation” – you really need to focus on each and every breath.

I tell this story often – Bikram breathing (pranayama) got me through a half marathon without any serious training.  I stood at the starting line for 20 minutes doing my breathing, because there was little room to move.  People were looking at me strangely (you will see why if you watch the video in the link!).  However it warmed up body so well that I eased into the run and managed the 21km in under two hours.

2.  Strong body, strong mind

There is a famous Bikram saying – “Bengal tiger strength, British bulldog determination” and it is so true!  Bikram is NOT EASY.  In fact, it is damn hard at times and I sometimes struggle to make it through class, whether it be from the overwhelming heat, being really sore and stiff from gym, or just mentally tired from my day.

But whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  The concentration required to hold poses or balance on one leg with a locked knee is intense, particularly when the sweat is dripping from absolutely everywhere.  If your mind is strong enough to get through 90 minutes of class, you can get through absolutely any challenge in life.

The other point that I wanted to make clear is that Bikram yoga is not just for flexible people or those that don’t want to actually exercise.  In truth, it is great for anyone that has tight muscles and people that want to work on their strength.  So many poses require the muscles in your legs, core, arms and shoulders to work really hard (hello hot yoga body!).  We have a lot of NRL players attend class who are certainly not flexible!!  So don’t feel put off if you can’t touch your toes.

3.  Glowing skin!

All that sweat has to be beneficial for something!  After every class I look like I have jumped in a smelly swimming pool, but it definitely has great benefits for the skin.  They do say that Bikram yogis look younger…

4.  Aiding digestion

I have had problems with my digestion for many years, however Bikram has certainly reduced the symptoms.  Many of the poses require you to compress your internal organs, including the intestines, which manually assists with digestion and stimulates blood flow.  Whenever I go on holidays I try to find a Bikram studio to assist with restoring my digestive system.  Otherwise I practice some poses in my hotel room.  Don’t laugh, but one of the poses is actually called “wind removing pose”!!

5.  Obsessed with HIIT??

If you love interval training, Bikram is certainly for you.  Balancing stick pose, camel and the spine strengthening series only last for 10-20 seconds per pose, however your heart rate goes through the roof (up to 190 beats per minute for me!).  Following each of these poses is a 20 second savasana (dead body pose), which reduces the heart rate quickly through deep breathing.  It really is the perfect interval training.

6.  Sleep easy

I like to go to class in the evening after work because it helps me sleep by calming the mind.  Or, it may just be that I am utterly exhausted after a class.  Either way, I sleep so much more soundly when I regularly attend class.

7.  Finally…I can take awesome photos on holidays!

Ok, I know this is not a real benefit, but holiday snaps always looks better when performing standing bow pose!

I really hope the above points encourage you to give Bikram more thought!  It truly is amazing.  There are plenty of studios both in Australia and around the world, so why don’t you bring a friend along and try it together.  You won’t regret it!