Does anyone have any experience with bikram yoga?

Hot Yoga. Yeah, I walked into a class a couple of years ago. It reminded me of all that No Pain, No Gain crap that was going around gyms run by young jits who didn’t know what they were doing a couple of decades ago. If yoga could be made to resemble the USMC, this is it. I don’t do yoga to reduce my waistline or lose weight (Which, according to an ABC poll, this is the main reason 78% of American students practice yoga). Your body will change for the better, but that’s incidental to the real rewards.

If all you want is a slimmer waistline, then I suppose Bikram is your thing, and I would even venture to say that you may even slip into a kind of elated stupor, which you might mistake for a kind of elevated consciousness just before they put you in the ambulance.

I did a little investigation on Bikram after I left that 110F studio that day. It’s a bastardization of Hatha, developed by a guy named—take a guess—Bikram, back in the 70’s. He’s a former all-India National Yoga Championship winner. (Since when did Yoga become a competitive sport?). My competitive countryman are sure eating it up, though. Bikram now has 1,650+ studios. Maybe this is how yoga will finally become mainstream therapy in this country: We can have a Yoga Superbowl every year complete with the world’s most limber cheerleaders. I can’t wait for the halftime commercials.

This seems so far beyond what yoga is for me, I ran from that place like my hair was on fire. I search for rest, health and peace through yoga. I’m more of a Paramahansa Yogananda kinda guy, myself. I even like how the syllables roll off the tongue.

^ People seem to think hot yoga is better for weight loss because you sweat. Not the case. The “weight” you lose from excessive sweating is water weight. Drink a glass of water and the weight is back. Sweating is your body’s temperature regulation system – it doesn’t mean you’re burning more fat than you would be if the room you’re in isn’t hot enough to make you sweat. Yoga doesn’t burn many calories when compared to things like cardio or strength training. The “point” of yoga should never be to lose weight.

OP, I’ve never done hot yoga and likely never will because I lack interest in it, but if you’re not used to a new activity, feeling tired and sore is totally normal. I wouldn’t do it every day until/unless your body adjusts to it. Allow your muscles to rest for a day.

Thanks. Just to be clear – I’m not doing this to lose weight. I’m 6’1” 173lbs. I’m desperate to find some relief from chronic back pain. My spine guy gave me the thumbs up to try it after two 3-month rounds of physical therapy, 2 series of spinal injections, and 8 months of gym exercises designed to continue the work of physical therapy. Note: I’m desperate here. :)

I haven’t done hot yoga. I have, however, done Iyengar yoga with a teacher who was an occupational therapist and had an exceptional understanding of anatomy, physiology and appropriate supports/modifications for different ailments.

I think my lower back pain was helped by yoga to some degree. I used to go to classes 1–3 times a week, but would do more restorative poses when I was in pain (or menstruating… although irrelevant to your question).

Given my back problems, I would only consider studying seriously under a teacher with extensive understanding of proper modifications for lower back pain.

I’m afraid of that stuff! Give me a gentle yoga class or even a level 2 Iyengar class any day. I hate that fast flow stuff. Especially when there’s distracting music. Might as well do a salsa class and you would probably be less likely to hurt yourself.

Hi,Thanks for sharing your experiment.I have also tried bikram yoga.In my body during Bikram Yoga there is compression and extension to the thymus, spleen, appendix and intestines; lungs are stretched and flushed out by increased blood circulation. The endocrine glands are encouraged to secrete appropriate hormones, and the communication between hormones and various glands and systems of the body is perfected. Toxins and waste are eliminated through the organs of elimination.

^^ If the jit who was running the studio that I went into had explained it in that way, I might have given it a chance. But I was pretty much convinced that he had finally found a business where he could gain access to women with precisely the body-type he liked, with a little authority thrown in. Hardly an enlightened soul.

Take a look into Pilates for back pain. It’s much gentler and works on limbering up the body and developing musculature to properly support the back.

I went yesterday for the second time, and plan on going again in two days.
I’m not as sore as I was after the first time. But the heat definitely got to me more this time. I really need to hydrate really well prior to my next session.

^^ …in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti…