Bikram

Bikram Yoga, also called Hot Yoga was developed by Bikram Choudhury, who began his study of Yoga in his native India at the age of three when he studied Yoga with Bishnu Gosh, the brother of Paramahansa Yogananda.. At the age of 11, he became the youngest person to win the national India Yoga Compettion. After being crippled in a weightlifting accident, Bikram developed his series of 26 Yoga postures, which helped him to recover from his injury. He has worked with doctors to show that yoga regenerates tissue and cures chronic ailments. Today, Bikram is a self-proclaimed, "Yogi to the Stars," with Bikram yoga locations in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Paris, Tokyo and Calcutta, India. There are also Bikram yoga - hot yoga in South Florida, and Bikram yoga and Las Vegas.

Bikram Yoga is a Hatha style of Yoga where asanas are performed in a room heated to 105 degrees F with 50% humidity. Bikram yoga classes last for 90 minutes and they are guided through 26 poses and two breathing exercises.

Bikram yoga poses are each performed twice and held for a certain length of time. Bikram yoga postures are said to work not only on your muscles, but also on your internal organs, glands and nervous system increasing circulation and reducing stress.

The 26 Bikram Yoga positions:

Sanskirt: English
1 Pranayama Series: Standing Deep Breathing
2 Ardha Chandrasana with Pada-Hastasana Half Moon Pose with Hands To Feet Pose
3 Utkatasana: Awkward Pose
4 Garurasana: Eagle Pose
5 Dandayamana - JanuShirasana: Standing Head To Knee Pose
6 Dandayamana - Dhanurasana: Standing Bow Pulling Pose
7 Tuladandasana: Balancing Stick Pose
8 Dandayamana - Bibhaktapada - Paschimottanasana: Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose
9 Trikanasana: Triangle Pose
10 Dandayamana - Bibhaktapada - Janushirasana: Standing Separate Leg Head To Knee Pose
11 Tadasana: Tree Pose
12 Padangustasana: Toe Stand Pose
13 Savasana: Dead Body Pose
14 Pavanamuktasana: Wind Removing Pose
15 Sit Up: Sit Up
16 Bhujangasana: Cobra Pose
17 Salabhasana: Locust Pose
18 Poorna - Salabhasana: Full Locust Pose

19 Dhanurasana: Bow Pose
20 Supta - Vajrasana: Fixed Firm Pose
21 Ardha - Kurmasana: Half Tortoise Pose
22 Ustrasana: Camel Pose
23 Sasangasana: Rabbit Pose
24 Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana: Head To Knee Pose with Stretching Pose
25 Ardha - Matsyendrasana: Spine Twisting Pose
26 Khapalbhati: Blowing In Firm

Some of the benefits of Bikram yoga are that it can reshape your body, tone, strengthen and lengthen muscles, strengthen the spine, raises you energy level, reduces stress, clears the mind. Some of the effects of Bikram yoga heat are that it helps warm the muscles to increase flexibility, flushes impurities from the body, great cardio workout, enhances endurance and burns calories. These are just some of the benefit Bikram yoga.

There is an official web site where you can purchase Bikram yoga clothes and Bikram yoga accessories.