Bikram Beginners Yoga 26 + 2
Bikram Yoga is a sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, practiced in a heated room over 90 minutes. The lineage of this set sequence originates from Gosh’s Yoga College of India.
This ancient and holistic form of hatha yoga was developed to maintain health and youth through stimulating the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Postures are organised specifically to create balance within the body and increase the flow of energy.
These postures require concentration, patience, determination and self control, all of which lead to mental clarity. An increased ability to handle stress has profound healing effects on both the mind and body and is what makes this practice so unique.
Benefits
Over 90 minutes, you’ll work every part of the body. Bikram Yoga is renowned for helping with:
- Weight loss.
- Toning and building muscle strength and flexibility.
- Healing injuries and disease and preventing further degeneration.
- Cardiovascular conditioning and health.
- Body purification.
- Stress alleviation, mental clarity, focus, and discipline.
- Nervous system function and spinal health.
Suitable for all ages and abilities, most students discover peace of mind and relief from life’s stresses through regular practice. That is ultimately one of the biggest draws of Bikram Yoga; mental clarity and relaxation. Bikram Yoga is often described as ‘moving meditation’ and our studio environment is designed to encourage this.
A therapeutic and restorative style of yoga, there’s no pressure to force the postures. There’s always another class, more time, more opportunities! As long as you attempt it the right way, and under the knowledgeable guise of our teachers, you’re guaranteed to enjoy the benefits.
26 Postures + 2 Breathing Exercises
Comprising a standing and floor series, these 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises stretch, strengthen, and heal the entire body.
- Helps prevent respiratory problems such as bronchitis, emphysema, asthma and shortness of breath
- Expands lungs to maximum capacity
- Increase circulation, warming up and preparing the body for exercise
- Good for high blood pressure
- Gives energy and vitality
- Strengthens every muscle in the central part of the body, especially the abdomen
- Promotes proper kidney function
- Corrects bad posture
- Increases flexibility of the spine, the sciatic nerve
- Improves blood circulation in the legs and to the brain
- Strengthens the rectus abdominus, gluteus maximus, oblique, deltoid and trapezius muscles
- Increases flexibility and strengthens the legs, thighs and calves
- Tones, shape and strengthen the muscles of the legs and upper arms
- Relieves rheumatism, arthritis and gout in the legs
- Help heal slipped discs and lumbago in the lower spine
- Increases circulation in the knees and ankles
- Improves flexibility in the hips, knees and ankles
- Firms calves, thighs, hip, abdomen and upper arms
- Opens up and improves mobility of the joints
- Supplies fresh blood to the kidneys
- Improves flexibility of the sciatic nerve
- Strengthens hamstrings and leg muscles
- Develops concentration, patience and determination
- Flushes out the gall bladder, pancreas and spleen when forehead is to the knee
- Moves the blood from one side of the body to the other, improving circulation and keeping the organs and glands healthy
- Increases the size and elasticity of the rib cage and lungs
- Firms the abdominal wall, upper thighs and buttocks
- Improves flexibility and strength of the lower spine
- Increases circulation and strengthening the heart muscle
- Firms hips, buttocks and upper thighs
- Improves bad posture
- Improves flexibility of shoulders, upper arms, spine and hip joints
- Stretches and strengthens the sciatic nerves and tendons in the legs
- Improves functioning of the small and large intestine
- Improves the flexibility of the pelvis, hips joints and the last five vertebrae of the spine
- Improves and tones the muscles of the thighs and calves
- Improves every single bone, muscle, joint, tendon and internal organ
revitalizes nerves, veins and tissues - Slims waistline
- Increases the strength and flexibility of the hips more than any other posture
- Trims the abdomen, waistline, hips, buttocks and thighs
- Compresses the thyroid gland, helping to regulate the metabolism and the immune system
Improves blood circulation in the legs and brain - Strengthens the rectus abdominus, gluteus maximus, oblique, deltoid and trapezius muscles
- Improves posture and balance
- Increases flexibility of the ankles, knees and hip joints
- Prevents hernia by strengthening the internal oblique muscles
- Releases abdominal tension
- Strengthens the knees and is therapeutic for rheumatism of the knees, ankles and feet
- Opens up the knees and hip joints, help cure haemorrhoid problems
- Develops mental strength, especially patience
- Prepares the body to sit in lotus posture
- Facilitates powerful blood flow, then lets circulation return to normal, creating internal cleansing
- Helps high blood pressure and hypertension
- This posture is done between all the floor series postures as it greatly magnifying the benefits of the postures that precede it
- Teaches complete relaxation
- Compresses and massages the ascending, transverse and descending colon
strengthens the biceps and triceps - Cures and prevents flatulence, improves chronic abdominal discomfort
- Improves hip flexibility, firms the abdomen and thighs
- Strengthens the lumbar spine
- Relieving pain and combating slipped or herniated discs, scoliosis and arthritis in the lower back
- Cures loss of appetite
Improves the functioning of the liver and spleen
- Even better for the lower spine than cobra, helps heal slipped discs and sciatica
- Strengthens the upper spine
- Relieves tennis elbow
- Helps with varicose veins in the legs
- Increases strength and flexibility in the middle spine
- Good for scoliosis, kyphosis, spondylosis and slipped discs
- Opens and increases elasticity in the rib cage
- Firms the abdominal muscles, upper arms, hips and thighs
- Allows the lungs to expand fully
- 360 degree flexion of the spine revitalizes all the spinal nerves by increasing circulation
- Improves functioning of the small and large intestines, liver, kidneys and spleen
- Helps straighten rounded spines
- Strengthens and improves the flexibility of the lower spine, hips, knees and ankle joints
- Lubricates joints of ankles, knees and hips
- Helps cure sciatica, gout and rheumatism in the legs
- Improves functioning of the spleen, boosting the immune system
- Great for tense necks and shoulders
- Increases blood flow to the brain, enhancing memory and mental clarity
- Alleviates insomnia
- Relieves migraines, stomach discomfort, digestive problems and constipation
- Creates maximum compression of the spine, which stimulates the nervous system
- Stretches the abdominal muscles and helps cure constipation
- Stretches the throat, thyroid and parathyroid glands
- Compresses kidneys and adrenals helping to reduce excess stress hormones, relieving emotional tension in the body
- Relieves tension in the neck, shoulders and back
- Good for relieving headaches
- Stretches the spine to permit the nervous system to receive proper nutrition
- Improves digestion and helps cure cold, sinus problems and chronic tonsillitis
- Helps balance blood sugar levels
- Improves digestion
Expands the solar plexus - Enhances the proper functioning of the kidneys
- Excellent for the immune and lymphatic system
- Increases circulation to the liver and spleen
- Improves digestion
- Relieves chronic diarrhoea by improving the circulation of the bowels
- Only posture which twists the spine from top to bottom at the same time
- Increases circulation and nutrition to all the spinal nerves, veins, and tissues
- Improves the elasticity and flexibility of the spine
- Firms the abdomen, thighs and buttocks
- Improves digestion and circulation
- Increases the elasticity of the lungs with every forceful exhale
- Push out carbon dioxide, replacing it with life giving oxygen
- Makes the abdominal wall strong