It’s been a long and hard 30 days but I have made it through my Bikram challenge! I have been so touched by everyone’s support and encouragement-my fundraising efforts have raised over $1,700 for Rethink Breast Cancer and the young women with breast cancer we support. I’ve talked in this blog a lot about the challenge and tools I used to get through it but I haven’t written much about Bikram itself. Many people are very curious about Bikram and why I chose this form of yoga for my challenge.
I think what fascinates most people about Bikram yoga is that the practice is done for 90 minutes in a very hot room (103 degrees with 40% humidity). You sweat like crazy while doing the 26 postures (twice for each posture!) and are encouraged to hold off on drinking water for most of the class. In my experience if you come to class properly hydrated it is not necessary to drink much during the class. The heated studio helps with deeper stretching as well as injury prevention and lots of detoxification benefits. One very interesting part of the practice is the pranayama (breathing exercises) which are thought to stretch the lungs to hold more oxygen. It is a very funny sight to see a packed Bikram class doing the loud breathing exercises at the beginning and end of the class. Usually I will be thinking at the beginning that I cannot believe I have the full class ahead of me and by the end and I am elated at having achieved another class.
For the first few months when I started practicing Bikram I wore my heart rate monitor (don’t ask-I am a freak this way!) and I was surprised how much cardiovascular exercise I was getting in the class. Your heart rate goes up while doing a posture and then settles again between the postures while you are in Shivasana (corpse pose). It is really like interval training!
The teachers in class talk a lot about blood circulation and how through extension and compression throughout the class you are delivering fresh oxygen to all your joints, muscles, and organ within your body. While performing the asana (poses) you are stretching or compressing specific parts of your body and cutting of your circulation for those moments. This circulation restriction causes the heart to pump more blood and then when you are finished the asana the new oxygenated blood rejuvenates the arteries that were compressed. This apparently releases lots of bad toxins.
There are many benefits of Bikram that I don’t even understand or know about but one thing I do know is how I feel after each class-fabulous! Nothing feels better than working really hard for 90 minutes in the hot room. It is really hard but the effects are amazing. My skin feels better, my hair is shinier, my sleeps have been deeper and I feel a tiny bit less toxic than before my 30 day challenge. I will absolutely continue doing Bikram as part of my regular exercise and wellness routine and one day I will do this challenge again (maybe next year!). Exercise is a big part of breast cancer prevention and Bikram is a great way to keep to achieve spiritual and physical wellness. I am so glad that I incorporated reachout4rethink into my challenge and helped Rethink Breast Cancer make a difference in the lives of young women living with breast cancer.
Do you think you would try Bikram? Does it interest you? I look forward to hearing from all of you!
Best,
Alison
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