If you can handle this, you can handle anything says one practitioner; another has no reason to fear the blast of heat when she heads out of the gym. For all of them however, the goal is good health and fitness using Bikram Yoga.
It’s 20 degrees hotter inside than the outside and the smell of sweat is all around, sweat drips and rolls down on to the floor and towels are soaked.
It’s the hottest July in ages, but attendance at the studios of Jen Lobo, an owner of Bikram Yoga NYC, has remained largely unaffected.
Bikram Yoga or hot yoga as it is also known has classes that go for about 90 minutes. They include a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises and are ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F with a humidity of 40%.
The idea behind this form of yoga is that the elevated temperatures promote general wellness and also enhance the benefits derived from stretching. The higher temperatures are also thought to prevent injury and help in relieving muscle tension and reducing stress.
Extension and compression – two main facets of Bikram Yoga are what improve blood circulation and deliver oxygen to the muscles, organs and the joints of the body.
