Bikram yoga is performed under extreme conditions-intense heat and humidity-so it requires specific yoga wear.
For Bikram yoga, you'll want to dress in light, form-fitting yoga wear. Because the temperatures hit up to 100 degrees and the humidity can be around 40 percent, you'll want to wear as little clothing as you can while still getting the support and coverage you need to feel comfortable. You'll also want to dress in layers so that you will not be too cold when traveling to and from class, even just walking in the halls before and after your Bikram yoga class. Look for shirts, sports bras, shorts and underwear designed to wick away moisture. Do not wear loose clothing that will soak up sweat and then hang off you or cling to you as the excess cloth will hinder and distract you. Instead look for clothing that is minimalist and already clings to your body. Thin clothing is best.
You will also want to invest in a few small towels to bring with you to class to wipe sweat from you and your yoga mat. You may have noticed yourself sweating in Hatha yoga classes; in a Bikram yoga class, you will sweat much, much more, which can make your mat slippery, which in turn makes it difficult to hold the positions required. Make sure you wear clothing that will soak up some of that sweat without getting in the way; bring those extra towels with you.
Bikram Yoga is style of yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury after his emigration from India to the United States. Not only is the sequence of asanas designed to generate heat to warm the body, these 26 bikram yoga poses or postures are practiced in rooms heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Often called hot yoga, Bikram finds its roots in traditional hatha yoga and is designed to support the increase and movement of fresh, oxygenated blood throughout all parts of the body. |
Bikram yoga classes always consist of the exact same 26 Bikram yoga poses, called asanas, each of which is held for 10-60 seconds apiece during the twice-through routine of the class. If you want to be in the know, learn these poses. |
For busy, professional adults, finding methods for fitting a productive fitness program into a hectic schedule can be stressful enough. For many, Yoga offers an opportunity for a unique physical and spiritual work out offering a reduction in stress as well as leaner and more tone bodies. |