Bikram / Hot Yoga
- Bikram Yoga: Is a modern type derived from traditional hatha yoga techniques and is often also referred to as ‘hot yoga’ since it is practised in an ambient temperature of 35-40 °C. It comprises a standard of 26 poses which are specifically designed to warm and stretch every muscle, ligament, and tendon in the body. The body is allowed to detoxify itself, to heal and to build greater endurance.
Hot yoga classes involve practising yoga in a heated room. This concept evolved from Bikram yoga which involved 90-minute sessions of 26 postures each done twice in a specific sequence, along with two breathing exercises in a room heated to a minimum of 38 degrees.
Bikram yoga was created by Bikram Choudhury and became popular in Western culture in the 1970s. In more recent years, studios and teachers now offer hatha or vinyasa style yoga classes in a heated room, generally referred to as ‘hot yoga.’