The Hottest Workout: Bikram Yoga :: Exercise Health Fitness Papers

The Hottest Workout Bikram YogaImagine a 240-pound professional football player stretch his sweat-drenched body to its limits in heat of more than than 110 degrees. This scene doesnt throw place on a football field, but in a heated Bikram yoga studio where many athletes and everyday people are going to repossess and prevent aches and pains. Yoga, as a way to achieve higher self-awareness, was well-nigh as early as 200 B.C. in India and has been gradually growing in popularity in the western world over the past four decades. traditionalistic panaches of yoga, including Hatha yoga, which consists of thousands of poses, have long been studied as an effective bring in of complimentary or alternative medicine (CAM).The biggest yoga boom has occurred over the past decade harmonise to statistics from the International Association of Yoga Therapists. The Association estimates there were 20 million Americans practicing some form of yoga in 2002 compared to 6 million in 1994.Increased awareness of yoga as a healing method along with high-profile celebrity endorsements have contributed to the growing numbers of yoga users recently. Madonna and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are some famous yogis that have been students of Bikram Choudhury, who founded his own style of hot yoga in India. Dina Lancour, a Hatha yoga instructor from Agawam, Massachusetts, took a Bikram yoga class under Choudhury. It reminded me of Indian sweat tents, Lancour said. It becomes very meditative and deep.Proponents of Bikram yoga and medical specialists have noted the health benefits of hot yoga. Other yoga practitioners and teachers have expressed concerns about the safety of practicing yoga in a hot room and some yoga purists question the motives of the founder, noting that his style is too externally focused. According to an article in the Charleston Gazette (March 24,2004) some yoga traditionalists think the help yoga has received in mainstream media and business is damaging to the ancient pr actice.Newer students of yoga are more concerned about how they look rather than the spiritual basis for yoga the article stated. Yoga purists believe focus on the outward image overlooks the true goals of yoga, which are more spiritually focused.Bikram yoga incorporates 26 of the Hatha poses and two breathing exercises in a specific read to get the maximum benefit for the body, said Megan Cooney, a certified Bikram instructor, who teaches at three studios in the Boston area. Choudhury developed the Bikram style after he suffered an knee injury from weight training.The Hottest Workout Bikram Yoga Exercise Health Fitness written documentThe Hottest Workout Bikram YogaImagine a 240-pound professional football player stretching his sweat-drenched body to its limits in heat of more than 110 degrees. This scene doesnt take place on a football field, but in a heated Bikram yoga studio where many athletes and everyday people are going to cure and prevent aches and pains. Yoga, as a wa y to achieve higher self-awareness, was around as early as 200 B.C. in India and has been gradually growing in popularity in the western world over the past four decades. Traditional styles of yoga, including Hatha yoga, which consists of thousands of poses, have long been studied as an effective form of complimentary or alternative medicine (CAM).The biggest yoga boom has occurred over the past decade according to statistics from the International Association of Yoga Therapists. The Association estimates there were 20 million Americans practicing some form of yoga in 2002 compared to 6 million in 1994.Increased awareness of yoga as a healing method along with high-profile celebrity endorsements have contributed to the growing numbers of yoga users recently. Madonna and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are some famous yogis that have been students of Bikram Choudhury, who founded his own style of hot yoga in India. Dina Lancour, a Hatha yoga instructor from Agawam, Massachusetts, took a Bikram y oga class under Choudhury. It reminded me of Indian sweat tents, Lancour said. It becomes very meditative and deep.Proponents of Bikram yoga and medical specialists have noted the health benefits of hot yoga. Other yoga practitioners and teachers have expressed concerns about the safety of practicing yoga in a hot room and some yoga purists question the motives of the founder, noting that his style is too outwardly focused. According to an article in the Charleston Gazette (March 24,2004) some yoga traditionalists believe the attention yoga has received in mainstream media and business is damaging to the ancient practice.Newer students of yoga are more concerned about how they look rather than the spiritual basis for yoga the article stated. Yoga purists believe focus on the outward image overlooks the true goals of yoga, which are more spiritually focused.Bikram yoga incorporates 26 of the Hatha poses and two breathing exercises in a specific order to get the maximum benefit for th e body, said Megan Cooney, a certified Bikram instructor, who teaches at three studios in the Boston area. Choudhury developed the Bikram style after he suffered an knee injury from weight training.