Mind, body and soul are the three aspects that make up the holy trinity of spirituality. Many people spend their whole lives looking to attain even one of these three and the primary practice of people wishing to get the point where these three things marry up is yoga, and a particular form that has gained notoriety is Bikram Yoga.
The inventor of this controversial form of yoga is Bikram Choudrey, an ex-All-India Yoga Champion who remained undefeated until his retirement from the competition. Having practised yoga since he was four, he has dedicated his life to it and has established himself as a prominent character on the scene - his much-talked about technique is the reason why.
Hot yoga is practised in a room with 40% humidity and a recommended temperature of 105 degrees. These intense conditions have a notable effect on the body, including the relaxation of muscles and breathing. Bikram Yoga consists of a series of twenty-six yoga positions, also known as 'asanas', which include two breathing excercises. The heat is said to affect the capacity of the lungs, allowing for deeper breathing which aids in the achievement of each position. The heat is seen as a challenging aspect and many, including some professional sportsmen, have cited Bikram Yoga as a real test of endurance. Professional tennis player Andy Murray said of the practice, '"Until you do it you can't comment on how difficult it is. It's tough. It's ugly."
Mentally, Bikram is a challenge. It is practised in a room of intense heat and can be difficult to adapt to even for seasoned yoga enthusiasts. There are many risks to exercising like this such as dehydration due to sweating and it is therefore recommended to sip water during classes. Another danger can be hypothermia which is the overheating of the body; symptoms for this are dizziness, nausea and fainting which can lead to heatstroke. This pressure on the body also has an extended risk to the mind. Many experts and sportsmen have claimed it builds up mental stability and helps strengthen emotions. Yoga has particular notoriety as being something that requires dedication and almost something of a lifestyle change, so the added pressure that Bikram applies is not for the faint-hearted, however the long-term effects have been praised.
The twenty-six specially designed yoga poses, or asanas, are composed of two intense breathing exercises at the beginning and end and twenty-four stances designed to promote the body's unity by making all muscles work one after the other with each pose preparing you for the one that follows. Michele Pernetta, who introduced Bikram Yoga to the UK and is a fundamental influence in the idea of sports and yoga, says, "Most sports have long-term effects but yoga is the science of putting the body back the way it's supposed to be." The asanas are done over the space of ninety minutes, a long enough time to get the body working hard, yet the breathing exercises help reduce the negative effects.
Choudrey himself has a slightly different idea from other yoga fans. While the practice has been universally seen as a tranquil and unifying art for attaining a sense of peace with oneself, Choudrey has been prevalent in competitions for years and says - Competition is the foundation for all democratic societies. For without 'Competition', there is no democracy. This seems to be the polar opposite to what many Westerners have been taught to believe however yoga competitions have been held in India for over a century with competitors saying it is a chance for both newcomers and professionals to sharpen their skills, the added influence of rivalry also trains the mind to become more devoted to attaining perfection.
This brings us onto the soul, surely the most important of the spiritual holy trinity. Many people who practice yoga have said that Bikram is focussed too much on the physical and less upon the spiritual side, however seasoned Bikram fans say the key to the spiritual side is self-acceptance. The pressure of the heat and the intensity of the twenty-six asanas are mentally-challenging in a way that other forms of yoga lack. While the temperature can be suffocating the simple fact that it also aids the relaxation of the muscles and the humidity has a powerful detoxifying effect on the body, allowing the release of all pollutant products in your body which leaves the body in a state of oneness. Bikram Choudrey is a controversial character, having filed many copyright lawsuits in the US and being regarded as somewhat strange, however this has only made his technique more talked about and the benefits have yet to be argued, so, provided you are up to the challenge, Bikram Yoga could be the way to reach the oneness of mind, body and soul in today's hectic, fast-paced age.
The inventor of this controversial form of yoga is Bikram Choudrey, an ex-All-India Yoga Champion who remained undefeated until his retirement from the competition. Having practised yoga since he was four, he has dedicated his life to it and has established himself as a prominent character on the scene - his much-talked about technique is the reason why.
Hot yoga is practised in a room with 40% humidity and a recommended temperature of 105 degrees. These intense conditions have a notable effect on the body, including the relaxation of muscles and breathing. Bikram Yoga consists of a series of twenty-six yoga positions, also known as 'asanas', which include two breathing excercises. The heat is said to affect the capacity of the lungs, allowing for deeper breathing which aids in the achievement of each position. The heat is seen as a challenging aspect and many, including some professional sportsmen, have cited Bikram Yoga as a real test of endurance. Professional tennis player Andy Murray said of the practice, '"Until you do it you can't comment on how difficult it is. It's tough. It's ugly."
Mentally, Bikram is a challenge. It is practised in a room of intense heat and can be difficult to adapt to even for seasoned yoga enthusiasts. There are many risks to exercising like this such as dehydration due to sweating and it is therefore recommended to sip water during classes. Another danger can be hypothermia which is the overheating of the body; symptoms for this are dizziness, nausea and fainting which can lead to heatstroke. This pressure on the body also has an extended risk to the mind. Many experts and sportsmen have claimed it builds up mental stability and helps strengthen emotions. Yoga has particular notoriety as being something that requires dedication and almost something of a lifestyle change, so the added pressure that Bikram applies is not for the faint-hearted, however the long-term effects have been praised.
The twenty-six specially designed yoga poses, or asanas, are composed of two intense breathing exercises at the beginning and end and twenty-four stances designed to promote the body's unity by making all muscles work one after the other with each pose preparing you for the one that follows. Michele Pernetta, who introduced Bikram Yoga to the UK and is a fundamental influence in the idea of sports and yoga, says, "Most sports have long-term effects but yoga is the science of putting the body back the way it's supposed to be." The asanas are done over the space of ninety minutes, a long enough time to get the body working hard, yet the breathing exercises help reduce the negative effects.
Choudrey himself has a slightly different idea from other yoga fans. While the practice has been universally seen as a tranquil and unifying art for attaining a sense of peace with oneself, Choudrey has been prevalent in competitions for years and says - Competition is the foundation for all democratic societies. For without 'Competition', there is no democracy. This seems to be the polar opposite to what many Westerners have been taught to believe however yoga competitions have been held in India for over a century with competitors saying it is a chance for both newcomers and professionals to sharpen their skills, the added influence of rivalry also trains the mind to become more devoted to attaining perfection.
This brings us onto the soul, surely the most important of the spiritual holy trinity. Many people who practice yoga have said that Bikram is focussed too much on the physical and less upon the spiritual side, however seasoned Bikram fans say the key to the spiritual side is self-acceptance. The pressure of the heat and the intensity of the twenty-six asanas are mentally-challenging in a way that other forms of yoga lack. While the temperature can be suffocating the simple fact that it also aids the relaxation of the muscles and the humidity has a powerful detoxifying effect on the body, allowing the release of all pollutant products in your body which leaves the body in a state of oneness. Bikram Choudrey is a controversial character, having filed many copyright lawsuits in the US and being regarded as somewhat strange, however this has only made his technique more talked about and the benefits have yet to be argued, so, provided you are up to the challenge, Bikram Yoga could be the way to reach the oneness of mind, body and soul in today's hectic, fast-paced age.
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