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| I was recently intruduced to Yoga and I absolutely love it. I have been looking for an excersise program all my life and I feel that I finanlly found in Yoga all that I was looking for and some.
I have been practicing Bikram Yoga for over 3 months. I started with a class and now practice at home 6 to 7 days a week. I have Bikrams book as a referance and also ordered his cassette tape from his Internet site.
I have a couple of questions. Is it okay to continue with home practice or should I be going to studio? I find the studio prices very expensive and plus a Bikram studio is more than 10miles away and I found it very inconvient to make the classes.
My second question since I have been doing yoga for 3 months shouldn't the soreness in my legs go away by now. The soreness is not as bad as it was in the initial stages when I started but it's still there. Do you have any suggestions? |
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| Thats wonderful that you have been so dedicated. It is important to attend the classes, however, because practicing with the same people together gives you so much more energy. Also, the heat is better to warm up your muscles whe you are going in to the poses. If there is no heat where you are practicing at home, you are going to be staining instead of stretching warm muscles. The soreness in your legs is common in the hamstrings, especially if you are/were a runner or walk a lot. This yoga really stretched and strenghtens the legs so make sure that you are drinking PLENTY of water all day along with your practice.  |
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| The fact that you have been practicing at home is great. If you can supplement it with studio intruction that is good.
Practice practice practice all types of yoga not just Bikram He has an ego the size of a Macy's Day Float and is out suing all types of people.
He is just as guilty of stealing a 5000 year old practice from his guru and profiting from it. I do not mind him making money but stop suing studios and teachers. |
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| 1. If you are doing Bikram at home it's probably not Bikram. Or do you have the heaters on all the time?
2. Since I find it impossible to do Bikram at home you should join a studio. Also it works better in a group.
3. The soreness comes probably coz you're overdoing it. Reduce your practice until your muscles are better. Than you can start to do it more often slowly. I had the same problem since I found yoga is the righ thing for me. I became kinda addicted and had to cut back when my body sent painful signals. Now I'm levelled to do yoga 5-6 times a week and feel no pain anymore.
Shanti
badi |
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| I recommend making it to a studio, the benefits of the heat are very important. I find the more heat there is the less sore I am after a workout. Also, he instructors help you do the poses correctly. |
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| Too add, instructors not only help do the poses correctly (not that there is a correct way in yoga-best of your ability), but also they prevent poses from be executed with bad posture, misalignment. |
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| Objection your honor Jewels,
of course there is a correct way! Most asanas are not having the benefit when done wrong. When I started yoga I found lots of the poses incredibly easy and had no problems doing even the complicated ones. Then a teacher came by and started correcting me, told me to keep my hips square and also to move deeper into poses than I've done before. And suddenly it was not so easy after all. The triangle used to be one of my favourites but is now a real pain for me. The strain is heavier, the poses become more challenging but also the benefits are bigger.
And again I have to say: Bikram is not Bikram when done at home. Only in a specialised studio you can find the neccesary heat of 40 degrees celsius to get the best out of it. Without heat it's just a pretty boring hatha routine with always the same 26 asanas done in always the same order. All the bikram asanas are beginners level and there is no possibility of advanced bikram classes.
That's one of the reasons why most of the "real" yogis are laughing about that stuff.
Shanti
badi |
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| Thanks to all that responded to my question. So I guess what I get out of the answers is because of the lack of heat I am not doing the true Bikram Yoga. And also going to a yoga class is recommended so an instructor can quide you to make sure you are doing the postures correctly.
Based on the fact that I am not able to heat my home to 100 degrees. Should I be considering doing a different type of Yoga? If so what is recommended that would be similiar to what I have been doing?
Since going to a yoga class is not an option for me due to babysitting issues and financially the classes are very expensive. Can someone suggest a video tape.
Thanks again in advance for your help |
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| I have been doing Bikram yoga now for about 3 months, usually 3 times a week at a studio. I love it and find it challenging and intense. When you say you can't heat your home to 100 degrees, consider just heating one small room or area with a space heater and maybe use a humidifier also. Even in Bikram's book he says you can do his practice as long as you are warmed up pretty well first and stay warm. Of course, there are many advantages to attending classes and maybe you could go just once in a while to get the benefit of proper instruction but, and this is just my opinion, I would suggest that you continue the Bikram method.
Best of luck to you.
Namaste |
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| > Should I be considering doing a different type of Yoga?
Hm, not necessarily I guess. Since all the asanas in bikram are basically normal hatha postures it is still a good yoga, even without the heat. Maybe you should do some warm-ups before starting the bikram program to avoid harming your muscles and joints. And also introduce some pranayama and relaxation into your routine. Maybe later on you could also bring in some more advanced asanas and then you have a normal hatha yoga.
Shanti
badi |
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| It is encouraging to note how students from the West have acclimatised to the rigours of Bikram Yoga, but, as in my earlier notes to you all, kindly find a cerified Practioner and learn the correct asanas from him.
Bikram Yoga can do many good to your mind and self confidence IF DONE RIGHT. But it also can backfire in dysenteiries if done wrong. Heat is important, but one can easily bring that heat about in the body even if surrounding temperatures do not favour it. How? Ask your Guru.
Get a Teacher, stick to him or her.  |
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| Hi everyone, i was thinking about trying out yoga. any recommendations on what typr i should try at first? there are studios that offer a few different types here. |
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| I'd recommend trying them all--what the heck--most places have free or cheap first sesions--enjoy!
Ali - 2004-01-27 4:00 PM
Hi everyone, i was thinking about trying out yoga. any recommendations on what typr i should try at first? there are studios that offer a few different types here. |
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| Ah, I see no place on the Web is safe from idiots. |
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| In have done Mikrams for 3 years and only ones did i attend a studio, as there are no studios where I live. Bikrams may not be Bikrams with no heat, but still it is a great hatha yoga routine. If it gets boring doing it alone at home, even a half class, 30 min, 2-3 times a week will be very good. Remember, Deepak Chopra teaches 10-15 min programs in his books so 30 min will of course be very good. The TM movement also have 10-15 min yoga routines and if you want to, add some other exersices, or walking. 30 min Bikrams will have great health benefits and increase mind-body coordination. I also follow John Douillards ayurvedic principles for exersice (book: Body, Mind and Sports), and his approach differs from Bikram. John teaches "No pian, most gain", while Bikram is more convential woth struggle push and strain. So, I try to adjust my Bikrams to "do less, accomplish more". Bikrams teachers would probably oppose this, as stated in other posts here how teachers teach you how to make the poses more effective. But the body is intelligent, you don't have to force it if you don't want to. Of course, some poses will be pain for people who are not fit. |
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Bikram Yoga
