One of the wonderful things about the ancient practice of yoga is that there are so many variations and nuances including bikram hatha yoga poses, breathing techniques and philosophies.

Bikram yoga is a specific type of "hot yoga" which follows a scheduled series of asanas (Bikram Hatha yoga poses, or postures) and takes about 90 minutes.

Hatha yoga means "foreceful yoga" and it is definitely oriented toward fitness and exercise for the practioner.

What is commonly known as Bikram Hatha Yoga is a combination of Hatha yoga poses done in a heated "Bikram" studio environment.

 

Mastering Bikram Hatha Yoga Poses

Bikram Hatha yoga poses can be difficult to master in the beginning since a person's body has to be not only strong but flexible to achieve mastery of the asanas (yoga positions). The Hatha yoga postures requires a bit of coordination and balance as well, and emphasizes good posture in general in addition to good technique.  Although strength, balance, coordination and flexibility are all needed to be successful with the advanced Bikram Hatha yoga poses, the traditional asanas can be modified to be attainable for the beginner who may have little of any of these skills. 

For this reason, Bikram Hatha yoga has become popular in gyms across the country.  Hatha yoga poses allow individuals to become stronger, more flexible and more relaxed in their lives outside of the gym as well.  The heat from Bikram yoga's philosophy allows people to relax, stretch farther, and sweat out toxins.

Holding your Bikrahm Hatha Yoga Poses Is Part of The Challenge!

One of the more difficult parts of Bikram Hatha yoga poses is the length of time that the individual has to hold the pose - all the while sweating profusely!  The instructor will teach the pose that will be done and the students will work to achieve the pose in the circumscribed manner - sometimes a feat unto itself!  The pose will then be held for a length of time which requires concentration and muscle endurance - often this is much harder than it looks.  I sometimes find my muscules shaking after just a few seconds in a new position!  If you experience that, know that your muscles are working!  With the instructor's encouragement, you may be able to hold the pose longer than you think!

What makes holding these yoga poses even more difficult is that the students are also taught how to breathe and how to relax the non-working muscles while holding the pose, so the student also has to concentrate on these things during the time that the pose is held.

Learning to breathe and relax non-working muscles is a vital part of Bikram Hatha yoga poses.  Many individuals do not realize how tense they hold their muscles during the course of a day and Bikram Hatha yoga can help them to become more aware of their muscles so that they can relax their shoulders and other typically tense areas of the body when they are not being used.  Breathing also helps to maintain the relaxed state of mind throughout the day, and learning to do proper breathing during a difficult pose makes it easier to carry that breathing on into the working world.  Hatha yoga also loosens the body through the flexibility that is required in the poses, often stretching muscles that have been tight for years and allowing blood to flow where it has previously been constricted.

Yoga is certainly a challenging discipline and with practice and patience it can be fun and extremely rewarding!