Fit yoga into your life

The first question every new student asks is "How often should I practice?" 

Come to class as often as you can. You will notice incredible improvements in your practice and in your overall health and life.  The more frequently you practice, the faster the changes will happen.

As a beginner, we recommend that you practice six days a week for the first two months, unless you suffer from a chronic condition.  In that case, continue to practice every day until your condition is alleviated.

This may sound like a tall order to a new yogi.  Rest assured, the time and effort you put into your Bikram Yoga will be returned to you tenfold.

Overtime, you will find yourself organizing your life so you can get to your yoga class.  You deserve every minute of it.

The second questions is "Is it worth it if I can only come X times per week?"  The answer is absolutely.  Think of it as money in the bank for your retirement.  You put in what you can when you can and it all adds up.

• Student inspirations
• Bikram Yoga Headquarters: student inspirations

Reshape and heal your body

The benefits you receive from a regular, devoted yoga practice will vary depending on

• who you are, your health history,
• what you put into your practice and
• what you may be struggling with physically or mentally.

The most frequently reported benefits are decreased chronic pain, improved physical fitness, weight loss, decreased blood pressure and blood sugar, increased flexibility, increased strength, balance, mental focus, stronger immune system, less illness, ability to deal with stress, more relaxed, increased happiness and an overall sense of peace and well being.

You lose fat by extension, stretching, not by compressing or using strength. When you stretch you disperse and reorganize the lipids in your muscle structure in an optimal way. The metabolism of the lipids is enhanced and you start using reserves of stored energy, so that's why when you do yoga your energy is higher and your appetite is less. Also, the cells become more efficient in the use of energy.

!@#$ it's hot in there!

The heat is a major part of what makes this process work.

Our lifestyles tend to make our muscles tight and rigid. Think of how a blacksmith heats metal in order to make it malleable.  We use the heat to bring circulation to your muscles, softening them in much the same fashion.

The heat takes a lot of the trauma out of stretching and allows you to go much deeper into the stretch in a shorter amount of time. This means you see quicker results.

Less Toxins, More Love

The second very important reason for the heat is the removal of toxins from the body. In yoga, as you stretch in each posture, you are massaging deep tissues, organs and glands. This begins to release toxins that have been stored for a long time deeply within these tissues. The skin is the largest organ in the body, as well as the largest organ in your elimination system. Sweating flushes out these toxins through your skin. Make sure you stay well hydrated with water to assist in this process.

For more information on the heat, visit our Q and A section.