If you have tried different ways to get back into shape and failed, then may be its time you tried to lose weight with Bikram Yoga. Named after its inventor, Bikram Yoga is a simple but effective adaptation of the traditional yoga practices.
The first big difference between the two is that Bikram Yoga is practiced in a controlled environment where the room temperature is regulated between 95 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity is set to 40 percent. As practitioners of this form of yoga say, it is yoga done in sauna! But they also vouch for the effective weight loss they experience by simply striking a posture in a heated room. In a typical session you can burn up to 600 calories!
The second difference is that Bikram yoga is a sequence of twenty six asanas. These asanas are performed in two cycles during the ninety minute session. You will hold each posture for 10-60 seconds as directed by your Bikram teacher.
The 26 Bikram Yoga Postures
Beginning with Pranayam or deep breathing exercises, the twenty six asanas include:
1. Padahastasana
2. Ardha Chandrasana
3. Utktasana
4. Garudasana
5. Dandayamana Janushirasana
6. Dandayamana Dhanurasana
7. Tuladandasana
8. Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimottanasana
9. Trikanasana
10. Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana
11. Tadasana
12. Padangustasana
13. Savasana
14. Pavanamuktasana
15. Sit-up
16. Bhujangasana
17. Salabhasana
18. Poorna Salabhasana
19. Dhanurasana
20. Supta Vajrasana
21. Ardha Kurmasana
22. Ustrasana
23. Sasangasana
24. Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana
25. Arda Matsyendrasana 26. Kapalbhati
These asanas have the same rejuvenating effect on the body as traditional yoga. There is a sense of overall wellness with better blood circulation and enhanced breathing capacity of the lungs. Even your brain function improves. Plus, these seemingly gentle postures deeply stretch and strengthen your muscles, working them to their maximum potential.
In just a few sessions, you will notice that your body has a more toned and defined look, and your ligaments, tendons and joints have become supple. This quick beneficial effect is attributed to the fact that heat makes the body more flexible. So, if you otherwise find it tough to bend forward and touch your toes, worry not! With Bikram Yoga, you can do that and much more with relative ease.
Besides working your muscles and reducing flab, the yoga postures also stimulate the various glands in the body and regulate their hormone secretion. This in turn boosts sluggish metabolism, corrects the appetite, restores digestion and changes whether your body stores the food you eat into fat or converts it into energy.
So practice Bikram yoga, improve your flexibility and muscle tone, and see those kilos melt away!
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