Using Bikram Yoga to Detox

Using Bikram yoga to detox is by far one of the best ways you can rid your body of unwanted toxins. The human body contains the best systems for removing toxins, including through the liver, kidneys and skin. The body removes waste through the skin via sweat; this is where Hot Yoga comes into play. The exercises performed are in a room with temperatures reaching between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the perfect environment for Bikram yoga to work its magic. Yoga by itself is a powerful, full body workout, but the added heat makes it one of the best workouts around.

How It Works

There are 26 poses performed during each session, along with two Pranayama or breathing exercises. During each pose, you will learn how to breathe and stretch your muscles into position without injury. The heat and 40 percent humidity makes this possible by softening the collagen around the joints, which allows faster circulation of oxygenated red blood to the muscles (thus burning extra fat).
Performed twice during each 90-minute class, the breathing exercises are an essential part of learning Bikram yoga, as this causes the maximum amount of oxygen possible to get into your bloodstream. Considered an excellent cardiovascular workout, hot yoga also uses your lungs to their full capacity, but still allow a short break to give your body the full benefit of each pose.

Health Benefits

Bikram yoga can prevent and cure certain health problems, as well as relieve symptoms of others. Some of the diseases that are curable include:

• High blood pressure
• Lyme disease
• Certain cancers

Some of the problems that are preventable include:

• Diabetes
• Irregular heartbeat
• Stress 
• Tension

 Some other benefits include:

• Detoxification through sweating
• Encourages flexibility
• Raises libido
• Enables weight loss
• Encourages deep breathing
• Improves posture

There are a few poses, which you can do at home if you have a mirror, a mat and a room you can keep between 95 and 100 degrees. These poses consist of the Awkward pose, the Full locust, the Rabbit pose and the half tortoise; each pose is designed to maximize blood flow. Most spas and health clubs today offer classes in Bikram yoga with trained instructors.
Each class lasts 90 minutes. Be sure you drink plenty of water before, during and after class. You should be aware that no exercise is able to change your psychological makeup and that there are certain diseases which are incurable. You should also be aware that Bikram yoga has also been referred to as “Hot” yoga, but not all “Hot” yoga follows Bikram Choudhury’s yoga methods.

Why Inversions Are Not Included in Bikram Yoga

Inverted poses are a staple of many studies of yoga. However, in the increasingly popular Birkam yoga, no inversions are to be found. Here we examine inversions, Birkham yoga, and why the two do not mix.

What Is Bikram Yoga?

Bikram yoga was developed by Bikram Choudhury. It is unique from other types of yoga for many reasons. Bikram yoga, or “hot yoga,” involves a 90 minute session of highly challenging yoga poses. The session is held under adverse environmental conditions. It is performed in a room kept at a high temperature, averaging 105 degrees farenheit, with 40 to 60 degree humidity. The reasons for these intense conditions include simulating the climate of India, where yoga originated, inspiring intense sweating, and allow muscles to be more flexible. Among the 26 specific, and often difficult, poses done in an average Bikram routine, you will find no inversions. This is rare in routine as challenging as bikram.

What Are Inversions?

An inversion pose in yoga is any pose that raises the feet above the head. Popular inverted poses include the shoulderstand, the headstand, and the half shoulderstand. Technically even lying on your back and raising your legs about the level of your head is considered an inverted pose, thought not a challenging one.
Inversions are used in yoga for many different reasons. They are believed to create a sense of “Viparita karani” or “opposite process” in the student. Allowing the student to see the world from an unfamiliar, opposite perspective. Some yoga instructors believe inverted poses help burn off impurities congealed in the lower abdomen, by pushing them toward the digestive fire of the upper abdomen. The more tangible health related benefits include increased circulation and sending more blood to the brain.

Not for Beginners

Inverted poses are attractive and dramatic. Talented beginning and intermediate yoga students can often achieve a rough copy of the poses. However, these poses are much more difficult to do correctly. Done by an expert, they can be held for near ten minutes, the time many professionals believe is necessary to reap the benefits of inversion. Done incorrectly by a beginner, the poses can be very dangerous with little benefit. They can result in long term damage to the neck, back and spine. The necessity to do the poses correctly is the reason Bikram does not include inversions in its routine.

Bikram Still Offers the Benefits

The purpose of Bikram yoga is to “to systematically stimulate and restore health to every muscle, joint and organ of the body.” The founder of Bikram did not believe inversions were necessary to accomplish these goals. Some of the benefits yoga practitioners believe are gained from inversions are stimulated in many standard Bikram poses. These benefits include blood flow to the brain, reduction of blood pressure, and compression of the thyroid gland. Bikram instructors have been known to invite advanced students, who have shown constant devotion to the practice of yoga, into advanced classes that include instruction in inversions. But for Bikram proper, inversions are not needed.
If you are fond of inversion in yoga, Bikram will not provide you with what you enjoy. However, if you are not a highly trained yoga practitioner, it might be better to build your skills before attempting the serious challenge of a proper inversion.