TURN UP THE HEAT
ASK ANY EXPERIENCED YOGA PRACTITIONER ABOUT BIKRAM AND YOU’LL LIKELY GET ONE OF TWO RESPONSES: THEY EITHER LOVE IT OR HATE IT. CAROLINE PETERSEN TRIED HER HAND (ARMS, LEGS, BACK…) AT ‘HOT YOGA’ IN A 40°C ROOM.
Work up a sweat with Bikram yoga
Yoga instructor Bev Slauck’s love of the practice was instilled in her by her grandmother, with whom she practised from an early age and who taught yoga well into her eighties. With this early influence, her background in pharmacy and a keen interest in health, becoming a yoga instructor was an inevitable vocation for Bev, who has been teaching Bikram, Vinyasa and Yin yoga for just over two years now.
‘I started practising Bikram because it was a way to develop flexibility and strength before moving onto the Vinyasa and Ashtanga type of flows,’ says Bev. ‘It also doesn’t load the shoulders, wrists and elbows as much as in other forms of yoga, what with all the downward-facing dog and plank postures.’
Bikram yoga is a static practice performed in a humid, heated room. It consists of a series of 26 classic postures and two breathing exercises that build flexibility and strength. There is also a spine-strengthening series of postures as well as balancing.
But it isn’t only the physical benefits that Bev enjoys. She’s gained a sense of calm and clarity from her practice. ‘I don’t fly off the handle or sweat the small stuff as much as I used to,’ she says. ‘I tend to see the bigger picture. In life, you can just take a step back, much like you do in a posture: if you’re struggling in a posture, take a step back, take a moment, grab an extra breath – then you find you can go a little bit deeper mentally and physically.’
With all the sweating you do, even during the initial breathing exercises, it’s no wonder Bikram helps to purge toxins from your body and has
weight loss benefits. ‘Your muscular system changes, so you look better,’ explains Bev. ‘You’ll definitely lose centimetres because of this muscular change,’ she adds.
Bikram isn’t for the faint-hearted. ‘Over 90 minutes you work every cell in your body, systematically increasing blood circulation, sending fresh oxygenated blood through organs and muscles,’ explains Bikram instructor Annelies de With. The heat of the room may sound off-putting but it helps with flexibility. The heat, says Annelies, opens your muscles, reducing the risk of injury, and helps to flush out toxins. ‘The heat sends blood flow to the feet, the fingers, legs, arms, everything!’ adds Bev.
‘But your core temperature stays the same, so it’s a completely safe, protective and restorative practice. Bikram will teach you the connection between mind, breath and body,’ says Bev. ‘You will find that quiet and stillness where you’re focused on yourself for 60 to 90 minutes – something we don’t get to do much nowadays.’
Intrigued, I decided to take a 90-minute class to find out just how challenging a practice Bikram yoga was.
With all the sweating you do, it’s no wonder toxins from Bikram helps to purge your body and has weight loss benefits.