The problem with Bikram Yoga

I just bought a Groupon for a local Bikram Yoga studio. For $ 30 I get 10 classes. That's a lot so I bought it on sight, and a friend to follow.

I'm worried about my friend who has a heart condition made worse in hot, humid conditions. He regularly passes out on hot summer days dirty. Doing yoga in a room of 105 degrees seems wrong. A few minutes into the first class he thought he should give up, but she persisted and by the time we reached our second grade he fit in and do a lot better.

However, I am afraid to go. If it is not a group activity, I thought I would give up. Not because it is difficult, because it does not - at least not part of yoga. I've been doing yoga off and on for years, and 26 poses performed in Bikram is not all that challenging - though they, of course, even harder when you're sweating and dizziness. I have no problem sitting posture outside when I suddenly felt like fainting, and because many people in the classroom is another Grouponers, they are also new to the class and sit outside many poses. The problem with Bikram is that it is for me, yoga for people who are hyper-competitive. I imagine the parents of people with OCD helicopter and enjoyed it very much. But I do not feel relaxed at all.


Most of the time when you do yoga there are some soothing music, lights out, and the teacher was talking in hushed tones about the relaxed, respect your body, and breathing. At Bikram lights and, at least in my case, the teachers yelling about pushing harder, going deeper, and inhale through your nose and out through the nose. (That's the really valuable tip you see the difference almost instantly when you start breathing through your mouth ..) Instructor at our second class is the Drill Sergeant Yogi, yelling at people about not leaving the room, and God forbid you should try to do anything but sit or lie down while taking a break. A woman tries to imitate the poses we were doing while he was sitting on the floor and nearly blew off the head instructor. He even called the two girls to come talk to the class after him for not lying completely still at the end of class, one tries to drink water.

Last time I checked, I paid to be there and I do not need a lecture. If my girls I would go and make a point of no return to one class.

This is not why I go to yoga. I went to yoga to stretch, relax, and build strength. I often go to yoga on Monday night to ease back into the routine of the gym after the weekend. And I do not think there is one minute for Bikram when I feel so much relaxed. This routine also improved. You do the same 26 poses every class. I need more variety and challenge of it. In some hot spots to be a challenge, and I'm not sure how someone could come back year after year for the same set-in-class rock.

I'm also a little shiver by the instructor to view. Train with a coach in any form that does not have a body that you want to like go to the hairdresser with bad hair. So far most of the women who seem to practice a lot of Bikram have the look of Madonna's scary about them. I do not want to look like that and if it is regularly practicing Bikram makes you, well, I'm out.