Hot Yoga (Bikram Yoga)
By Betty Stephens
Everywhere people are doing something they believe will change their body. Perhaps a friend suggests hot yoga. In a world, where instant gratification rules, it's easy to think there's a magical way to drop pounds fast. Let’s see what the experts say.
Yoga classes provide physical benefits along with the opportunity to explore deeper meaning in your life.The original is Bikram yoga, a 90-minute series of 26 poses done twice in a 105-degree studio. Other hot yoga classes like either Vinyasa or Ashtanga yoga, are given in 90-dgree-plus rooms. Proponents claim the high temps help boost metabolism.
Does It Work?
It causes you sweat a ton, and then you're going to drink like mad and put back on all he water weight you lost some experts say. Your metabolism improves, at least temporarily, with pretty much any exercise. The heat may make you move less vigorously, notes B. Don Franks, a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine: he more work you do, the more calories you burn. Avoid hot yoga if you have hypertension or heart disease since it can spike blood pressure. Also, these conditions can be stressful on your heart, so if you have heart disease, stay away. Children, the elderly, and pregnant women should steer clear of Hot Yoga.
When And If You Try It
Stick with power yoga or aerobics for more effective fat-burning. But if you test out hot Yoga, drink up. It is recommend you should add an extra 64 to 80 ounces of water per day.
If you decide to give hot yoga a try and you start to feel dizzy, faint, nauseous, or sick in any way, stop right away it could mean you might be heading toward heat stroke. Also, if you take any prescription medication or have a serious health condition of any kind, talk to your doctor first before taking this kind of class.
Purpose of Yoga
Yoga is meant to be a relaxing, meditative activity, so do it in comfortable, safe atmosphere. Yoga is probably the oldest defined practice of self-development. It originally came from India it dates back over five thousand years ago. Yoga is defined as the control of activities of one’s mind. Yoga is founded on the belief of the progress of self-awareness. Through the practice of yoga an individual can gain information about physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. In the course of knowledge and practice of yoga the awareness encourages the individual to adjust and changes the aspects of their nature and become more aware of your attuned and life. The methods of yoga includes ethical disciplines, physical postures, breathing control and as well as meditation. Classical yoga has an eight stages process of spiritual development known as the ‘eight limbs of yoga”. Yoga is not a series of consecutive steps, but a continuous and changing process that helps to clears away the mental obscurities that prevent us from seeing clearly.
