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New to Bikram Yoga Moderators: Moderators Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]	View previous thread :: View next thread
Yoga -> Bikram Yoga	Message format

candishhh

Posted 2006-10-04 3:27 AM (#66167)
Subject: New to Bikram Yoga

Hello everyone!

I am fairly new - actually I will just start my Bikram Yoga Manila classes next Tuesday. I your need some help since this is my first time..

1) What do I need to wear?
2) Will I see results immediately? If not - how long till I see them?
3) Will I really lose weight?
4) Is it really a form of meditation?
5) What is the difference of Bikram to the ordinary yoga?

Thanks a bunch!!

jules

Posted 2006-10-04 10:58 AM (#66217 - in reply to #66167)
Subject: RE: New to Bikram Yoga

Hi!

I'm also fairly new to yoga - I took my first Bikram class about a month and a half ago and am totally in love. I started my practice to gain some flexibility, strength, and also to try to lose weight. Since it seems like we have similar goals, I thought I could give some advice from one beginner to another.

Wear as little as you can while still feeling comfortable. When I started i weighed 205 pounds, mostly carried in my butt and thighs, but also lots of rolls here and there. But it's so not worth it to try and cover up - you just become self-conscious of how hot you are, how uncomfortable your clothes are, etc. I wear a tank with a shelf bra and short shorts, both from a canadian company called lululemon which specializes in yoga clothes and gear.

It took me less than a week to see results as far as pushing each posture further, finishing more postures (the first few classes I couldn't make it through the entire standing series), and gaining strength. Mental results were immediate, because after each class you just feel so high, even when you have had a horrible, difficult class. At first I put on a few pounds, probably because I was gaining muscle. Now it's been a month and half, going no more than 3 times per week, and I have lost 10 pounds - without changing my diet at all.

My number one suggestion, and I can't stress it enough, is to DRINK DRINK DRINK water!!!!! My practice is like night and day on days when I drink more to days I drink less. If I don't drink enough I get light headed and feel like I'm going to pass out around Triangle pose. If I drink enough i feel great through the whole class. But you can't drink like half an hour before and think that will work. It will just make you feel bloated and you will probably need to leave class to pee. I usually drink 3-5 liters throughout the day, starting at 8am, for a class at 4:30.

Most important, just have fun. No one judges, everyone is there to improve themselves, so you should feel the same way. And don't be afraid to take a break if you need one - my teachers have been really amazing on this point, saying that your main focus for the first week should just be to stay in the room for the whole class. If you've done that, you've accomplished a great deal.

Good luck!

redrox

Posted 2006-10-04 12:29 PM (#66228 - in reply to #66167)
Subject: RE: New to Bikram Yoga

candishhh - 2006-10-03 1:27 AM

Hello everyone!

I am fairly new - actually I will just start my Bikram Yoga Manila classes next Tuesday. I your need some help since this is my first time..

1. Something you don't mind sweating a lot in. The more skin you expose, the more your body can cool. But wear what you are comfortable in, both from a movement and a modesty perspective.
2. Don't know what your expectations are for "results". A yoga practice tends to produce a variety of results when done consistently over time. It's not really an instant gratification type of thing. More of a process. Many do feel a sense of calm and well being even after their very first class though. You usually know if it resonates something within you within a fairly short period of time I think.
3. Unknown. Complex issue based only in part on caloric expenditure. What you eat on a regular basis has far more to do with potential results in this area. Self awareness and mindfulness developed through a consistent yoga practice can have parallels in other life areas including weight management IMO.
4. If you choose to approach yoga on multiple levels, it can respond on multiple levels. I personally find a bikram/hot yoga practice to be very centering and very mentally focused as well as physically challenging. It has a meditative aspect to it for me, but I don't consider it meditation or use it for that purpose.
5. It's a different style. It uses a heated environment and a specific set of 26 postures/asanas and two breathing/pranayama exercises, done in a specific sequence, every time. From what I have learned here, it also comes from a different lineage/tradition, so some of the asanas are done somewhat differently than the same asanas in other styles of yoga. It is also a copyrighted name of the individual (Bikram Choudhury) who developed it and studios must license the name and meet other requirements in order to be able to offer "Bikram Yoga". Other studios may offer the same sequences in the same environment, but they cannot call it Bikram and often instead simply call it "Hot Yoga". But not all hot yoga is bikram yoga! Confused yet?

Also you seem to assume that there is bikram yoga and "ordinary yoga" as the only two variants. "Ordinary yoga" can be quite varied and different as well and is usually not ordinary at all!

You can learn more from his official website here: http://www.bikramyoga.com/

Edited by redrox 2006-10-04 12:32 PM

YogaMommy

Posted 2006-10-04 2:20 PM (#66235 - in reply to #66167)
Subject: RE: New to Bikram Yoga

I've been doing other types of yoga for years, and I'm a yoga teacher. However, I just started Bikram about 3 weeks ago. I've noticed that I've gotten more flexible, I'm better at the balancing poses, I've gotten stronger, and my tummy is flatter (which I welcome after having 3 kids).

You will get results, you just have to go.

Carole

Cyndi

Posted 2006-10-04 2:25 PM (#66236 - in reply to #66228)
Subject: RE: New to Bikram Yoga

Expert Yogi

Posts: 5098
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC

You may want to carry a packet of Emergen-C if you're not comfortable with the High Heat, some people thinks it helps overcome the high heat. Me personally, I just don't eat any food 3 hours before, and one hour afterwards. Drink plenty of water THROUGHOUT the day, don't load up beforehand - otherwise you'll be uncomfortable and won't be able to manage the flow of postures...its really hard to maintain when your're bladder is full and going nuts because its not used to the amount of water you are drinking. So, plan on hydrating in a moderate fashion beforehand...preferably a couple of days, get yourself real balanced and hydrated, so you can have a CLEAR understanding and KNOW where your body is at in the hydration department.

As for clothing...wear a speedo if you like, I do. Sometimes I also wear sports bras with short shorts...its very nice. Also, if you have a good instructor, the least amount of clothing will help the teacher see your body so that he/she can help you with alignment issues. You might loose weight, but, you might not. It depends on you. As for meditation...yoga asana's are not meditation. If you are looking for meditation, you need to find a class that teaches it. You won't find meditation at Bikram's yoga. Although, you may find a meditation teacher/guru at the studio you attend,

Results do not happen overnite and it depends on the individual. Yoga is a process, and so many things can develop or un-develop from a sincere practice. I think it would be too early to tell at this point. What are your expectations from Yoga?? It all depends on you and what you are trying to achieve. Its an internal process, not an external one, that is for sure.

Good luck.

and enjoy the Final Savasana!

YogaMommy

Posted 2006-10-04 4:12 PM (#66243 - in reply to #66167)
Subject: RE: New to Bikram Yoga

Yes, Emergen-C is a good idea. It's a powdered drink supplement that makes your water into a sports drink. I use Emergen-C each class.

Some people think Bikram is a good intro to meditation, and I agree. It gets a person to work towards one mindedness, which is the first step in meditation. It helps a beginner to quiet the mind chatter, and focus on one point. In most Bikram poses, you can only focus on the pose because it's so intense with the heat.

Carole

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