Anybody tried Bicram Yoga (Hot Yoga)?

leighn62
leighn62 Posts: 142 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I spend the weekend with some family and they were telling me how much they loved Bikram Yoga( the Yoga you do in a 105 degree room). Sounds horrible but I'm fairly flexible and I thought I might give it a try. Anybody tried it? Love you hear about your experience.

Replies

  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
    I have taken one Bikram class and while I didn't find it was for me, I have continued on to take other hot classes and really enjoy them. Definitely give it a try!
  • cmcorn26
    cmcorn26 Posts: 253 Member
    I have a crabby guy friend ( health issues fr accident).... He loves it, completely changes his outlook when he goes!
  • Linda1725
    Linda1725 Posts: 5 Member
    I live in Florida and did Bikram for a while...It makes hot Florida heat feel like a balmy day! The first day I came in a little late and noticed a "perfect" spot available in the room. Everyone else was situated on their mats and nobody said anything. Little did I know that the spot was directly under the heat vent! And I forgot to bring water! And when the instructor walked into the class in a Speedo my mouth dropped open.

    In spite of that hot beginning, I continued to do it for a while and really enjoyed it. You will definitely work up a sweat! Just remember your water, towel and mat...and don't sit near the heating vent. =) Hope you like it!
  • tuulikki30
    tuulikki30 Posts: 99 Member
    I do Bikram regularly and I do it because I like how I feel after. I log it in as regular yoga, and I know some people believe it burns more calories, but I am not convinced. The people who do well at it, have strong mental strength and not necessarily flexibility or strength.

    My youngest daughter has jaw-dropping flexibility, but has had to work extremely hard on gaining strength. The hardest part of a class is leaving your ego at the door. It is no good to compare yourself to others in the class, nor is it good to compare yourself from one class to the next. Each day is different.

    The 90 minute class is lead by an instructor who stands at the front of the class and leads by verbal instruction and not by demonstration. It's important to really listen because the instructions are there for you to do the posture correctly without injuring yourself.

    You do the same 2 breathing exercises and 26 postures in each class. You would think it becomes boring but surprisingly it isn't. Each day is new because your body and mind are stretching to go to its maximum.

    Last year, 2 of my daughters and I did 5 90 minute classes just for the challenge of it. The hardest class of the day was the first, not the last. I didn't like getting up a 5. :laugh:
  • Andrea681
    Andrea681 Posts: 178 Member
    I love Bikram Yoga. I try to do it as much as I can. Wanna be friends?
  • aliciap412
    aliciap412 Posts: 170 Member
    I go regularly and I love it!
  • nikket3000
    nikket3000 Posts: 18 Member
    Bikram was a challenge, even though I do Yoga at home.
    It was a struggle to get through, but I made it through the entire class.-made sure to hydrate well before and after.
    Got home with soaked clothing and showered...about two hours later had the worst migraine ever (I am prone to migraines though)
    my medication didnt take it away. Drank two litres of coconut water and slept forever.
    I had that migraine for three whole days. It was awful.
    I can see how people would enjoy the class itself, but its not for me at all.
  • Bug207
    Bug207 Posts: 58 Member
    Bikram Yoga is seriously intense but I loved it when I used to do it. The first few classes I'd take after a hiatus were always incredibly tough, but by the third class, you really start to get into a groove. It's amazing how well your body adapts to the heat and how quickly you can pick up the poses. I love Bikram because it never stops being challenging even though it's the exact same class every time.
  • Andrea681
    Andrea681 Posts: 178 Member
    I have experienced a headache after a Bikram class before and I found that it was because I lost a lot of electolytes from sweating. Now both before and after a class I make sure to drink a coconut water along with my regular water. It has helped and I no longer get the headaches. Be prepared to sweat and know that some days you will have an awesome class and others you will have the hardest time. I really enjoy the challenge of it and that every class is different. I can't tell you how much I love it. It is great. Try it!
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
    I live in Phoenix.

    I figure just trying to drive w/o actually touching anything inside of my car counts as Bicram Yoga.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I have had a fainting problem in the past, and I'm really aware of it. Figured I would be fine in Bikram yoga since I was fine in every other regular yoga class I've been to. NOPE! Spend most of the class getting the stars I was seeing to disappear, followed by a wonderful pukefest after I got home. All set!
  • leighn62
    leighn62 Posts: 142 Member
    I have heard about the coconut water. Where can I find it? I'm 50 and you look about my daughter's age. I hope I love it as much as you do! Thanks for the encouragement.
  • leighn62
    leighn62 Posts: 142 Member
    Ha! That's my usual mindset but I think I'll give it a try anyway. I live in Austin, so I'm right there with ya!
  • nikket3000
    nikket3000 Posts: 18 Member
    I have heard about the coconut water. Where can I find it? I'm 50 and you look about my daughter's age. I hope I love it as much as you do! Thanks for the encouragement.
    I can find it in the organics/juice section of my local Kroger/Meijer/Walmart.
  • Polly758
    Polly758 Posts: 623 Member
    I live in Phoenix.

    I figure just trying to drive w/o actually touching anything inside of my car counts as Bicram Yoga.

    :laugh:

    I have tried bikram yoga. It was fine but I really don't see the point of it. I'd rather do regular yoga.

    And you'll need to use a towel on your mat or have a special non-slip mat-cover thing. Otherwise it's slip-n-slide yoga.
  • margojr4
    margojr4 Posts: 259 Member
    I love it, we try to get a class in each week. Try not to eat a few hours before (2-3) and drink plenty of water before and during.

    Agree with the towel on your mat if you sweat a lot. And a smaller towel for your face, arms etc.

    If you have a HRM, use it and see what you burn calorie wise, everyone is different - I've been able to burn up to 500 calories in a 75 min class! hooray!

    Have fun!
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