08-18-17, 08:02 AM | |
VF Supporter
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Buffalo, NY
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At-home 30 day Bikram yoga challenge
I mentioned in a previous yoga thread that I was doing a 30 day Bikram yoga challenge at home. I have finished!
TL/DR version: Enjoyed the challenge very much and the sequence has numerous benefits, but it is not balanced enough for me to do exclusively for the long term. If you want to know more, keep reading. Methodology: 6 days on, one day off. The routines 60 to 90 minutes long and were a mix of YouTube videos, DVDs, and audio-only. See this page for the YouTube videos I used. Scroll down to about the 6th post. Some routines were pure Bikram (26 postures done two times); others were Bikram-like routines (these included some of the original 26 postures, dropped some, added others, and/or did only one repetition of each posture). Heat: Room temperature in a second floor room. It got pretty warm. Tony Sanchez, Bikram's top student, does not believe in having the studio be ultra-heated. That's good enough for me. In winter, I will use a space heater. What I liked about the pure Bikram sequence: Easy to memorize sequence Repetition of the postures enables you to improve or go deeper on the second repetition (or lets you back off). Lots of balancing postures Lots of backbending postures (many yoga routines have too many forward bending postures) Improves concentration, endurance, and lower body strength Short savasana between each floor posture enables you to regroup Pranayama breathing exercises start and finish each routine What I didn't like about the pure Bikram sequence: No postures that directly target the upper body--no postures where you support your weight on your hands (no planks, down dogs, etc.). You do pull on your feet a lot, but that really isn't enough of an upper body workout for me. No postures that directly target the core except old-school unsafe sit-ups (legs are kept straight and people practically fling themselves up). I modified with bent knees. Planks are better for the core anyway. If anyone has knee, back, or neck issues, several postures need to be modified or substituted with other postures. I did this and still got great benefits. Summary: This challenge was totally worth doing. I feel great--physically and mentally. While the full Bikram sequence is not as difficult as the full 90 minute Ashtanga primary series, it isl not an easy sequence of postures to do for 90 solid minutes. I feel pretty darn proud that a 61 year old woman with crap knees was able to complete the challenge. I like the Bikram style of yoga and am delighted that there are so many options to do this yoga at home. I intend to continue doing the sequence each week, but I will do other types of yoga and/or weight training for a more well-rounded regimen. IMO the Bikram-like routines by Bikram's top students Tony Sanchez and Jimmy Barkan, and other teachers, are better designed than the original 26/2 sequence. These later routines include postures that target the upper body and the core; Jimmy Barkan also eliminated the unsafe situps.
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Betsy There is no way of telling people they are all walking around shining like the sun--Thomas Merton People have done all kinds of remarkable things because they thought they could. People routinely fail to do quite ordinary things because they assume they can't--Reinhard Engels Stay gold, Ponyboy--S.E. Hinton Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try--Ryan Bingham Disclosure: I have a personal relationship with a fitness instructor who has appeared in some videos. |
08-19-17, 05:15 PM | |
VF Supporter
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Maggie seems great!! I think I'd love a live class with her. When I used to do Bikram at a studio, those instructors..... wow! They were so adamant about everything having to be exactly according to Bikram -- I know, that's his schtick, not necessarily their's, but I still feel scarred for one pose that I had to modify and got called out on in class. I was thinking about that as I did it this morning.
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Tags |
bikram, bikram yoga, yoga |
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