Bikram Yoga is a sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing excercises. It has been proved and experienced by many that these 26 postures + 2 Breathing exercises systematically work every part of the body, to give all the internal organs, all the veins, all the ligaments, and all the muscles everything they need to maintain optimum health and maximum function. Each component takes care of something different in the body, and yet they all work together synergistically, contributing to the success of every other one, and extending its benefits.
Standing deep breathing (Pranayama)
- Good for lungs and respiratory system
- Helps with mental relaxation
- Helps high blood pressure
- Relieves irritability
- Good for detoxification
- Exercises nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems
Half moon pose with hands to feet pose (Ardha Chandrasana with Pada Hastasana)
- Works into the whole skeletal and circulatory systems
- Opens shoulder joints
- Good for frozen shoulder
- Reduces or eliminates pain in the lower back
- Good for abdominal obesity
- Improves and strengthens every muscle in the central part of the body
- Increases the flexibility of the spine
- Tones the spinal nerves and abdominal organs improving the working of the bowels
- Increases flexibility and strength of rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, oblique, deltoid and trapezius muscles
- Helps with sciatic problems
- Alleviates anxiety and reduces mental stress
- Stimulates pituitary gland
- Exercises colon, pancreas, kidneys, muscular, skeletal, respiratory and glandular systems
- Firms and trims waistline, hips, abdomen, buttocks and thighs
Awkward pose – in three parts (Utkatasana)
- Improves overall body strength
- Opens pelvis
- Strengthens and tones leg muscles
- Relieves menstrual cramping
- Reduces fat pocket under buttocks
- Aligns skeletal system
- Good for arthritis conditions
- Good for digestion
- Relieves joint pain
- Relieves sciatica
- Improves flexibility in toes and ankles
- Exercises liver, intestines, and pancreas
Eagle pose (Garurasana)
- Works into twelve major joints of the body
- Good for central nervous system
- Facilitates lymphatic function, improving immune system
- Improves mobility of hip joint
- Improves balance
- Strengthens legs
- Good for varicose veins
Standing head to knee pose (Dandayamana Janushirasana)
- Builds mental strength
- Improves concentration
- Unifies mind and body
- Uses all major muscle groups
- Exercises digestive and reproductive organs
- Good for diabetes
- Strengthens back muscles
Standing bow pulling pose (Dandayamana Dhanurasana)
- Stimulates cardiovascular system
- Increases circulation to heart and lungs
- Opens diaphragm
- Opens shoulder joint
- Helps frozen shoulder conditions
- Improves spine elasticity
- Improves strength and balance
- Reduces abdominal fat
- Helps regulate ovaries and prostate gland
Balancing stick pose (Tulandandasana)
- Increases cardiovascular circulation, especially to heart blood vessels
- Helps clear blocked arteries
- Helps prevent future cardiac problems
- Creates a total spine stretch
- Relieves stress from spine
- Good for varicose veins
- Builds strength in legs
- Exercises pancreas, spleen, liver, nervous and circulatory system
Standing separate leg stretching pose (Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimottanasana)
- Increases circulation to the brain and adrenal glands
- Centres nervous system
- Good for depression
- Good for constipation
- Helps reduce abdominal obesity
- Helps with diabetes and hyperacidity
- Releases lower back
- Exercises muscular, adrenal and reproductive systems
Triangle pose (Trikanasana)
- An excellent cardiovascular workout
- Intensely stretches each side of the body
- Opens and increases flexibility of hip joints
- Reduces saddle bags
- Good for kidneys, thyroid and adrenal glands
- Opens shoulder joint, good for frozen shoulder
- Strengthen and tones legs and buttocks
- Helps regulate hormone levels
- Works all muscular groups simultaneously
- Helps conditions of constipation, colitis, low blood pressure, appendicitis, spondylitis, menstrual disorders
Standing separate leg head to knee pose (Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana)
- Good for depression and memory loss
- Reduces abdominal obesity
- Good for diabetic conditions
- Balances blood sugar levels
- Assists in regulating pancreas and kidneys
- Works endocrine, digestive and reproductive systems
Tree pose (Tadasana)
- Assists in correcting bad posture
- Increases hip and knee flexibility and mobility
- Stretches spine
- Releases abdominal tension
- Relieves lower back pain
Toe stand (Padangustasana)
- Creates balance and focus in body and mind
- Strengthens stomach muscles
- Strengthens joints (hips, knees, ankles and toes)
- Helps relieve arthritis in all leg joints including hips
Corpse pose (Savasana)
- Returns cardiovascular circulation to normal
- Slows heart rate, reduces blood pressure
- Teaches complete relaxation
- Stills and focuses the mind
- Tightens gluteal muscles
- Good for circulatory problems, arthritis and rheumatism
>Wind removing pose (Pavanamuktasana)
- Massages ascending, descending and transverse colon
- Regulates and normalizes hydrochloric acid levels in stomach
- Improves and may cure conditions of constipation, flatulence and hyperacidity
- Relieves lower back pain
- Improves flexibility of the hip joints
- Firms and tones muscles of the abdominal wall, thighs and hips
- Increases peristalsis in the gut
Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)
- The arching of the spine increases flexibility and strength
- Rejuvenates spinal nerves enriching them with a rich blood supply
- Improves flexibility and tone of spinal muscles, massages, works and tones back muscles
- Helps relieve and prevent lower backache
- Helps cure or relieve lumbago, rheumatism, arthritis and menstrual problems
- Helps cure loss of appetite
- Stretches the thoracic region and expands the rib cage bringing relief from asthma
- Gentle pressure on the abdomen massages all organs and improves their function
- Strengthens deltoids, trapezius and triceps
- Compresses and opens spine
- Relieves cervical spondylosis
- Improves concentration
- Helps to relieve many utero-ovarine and menstrual problems
Locust pose (Salabhasana)
- Same benefits as Cobra pose and even more effective in helping conditions of slipped disc and sciatica
- Firms buttocks and hips
- Increases spinal strength, flexibility and circulation
- Improves flexibility and tone of spinal muscles
- Helps relieve and prevent backache
- Helps cure or relieve lumbago, rheumatism, arthritis and menstrual problems
- Helps cure loss of appetite
- Improves sluggish digestion
- Increases abdominal pressure and regulates intestinal function
- Strengthens the abdominal wall
- Helps correct bad posture
- Improves function of liver and spleen
- Strengthens shoulder, arm and back muscles
- Compresses and opens spine
- Relieves cervical spondylosis and back pain
- Encourages concentration and perseverance
Full locust pose (Poorna Salabhasana)
- Firms muscles of the abdomen, upper arms, hips and thighs
- Increases spinal strength and flexibility
- Improves flexibility and tone of spinal muscles
- Helps relieve and prevent lower backache
- Helps cure or relieve lumbago, rheumatism, arthritis and menstrual problems Helps cure loss of appetite
- Helps correct bad posture
- Improves function of liver and spleen
- Strengthens deltoids, trapezius and triceps
- Compresses and opens spine
- Relieves cervical spondylosis
Floor bow pose (Dhanurasana)
- Increases circulation to heart and lungs, improves oxygen intake
- Opens diaphragm and expands the chest region – improves respiratory conditions
- Opens shoulder joint and helps frozen shoulder conditions
- Increases spinal strength and flexibility and tone of spinal muscles
- Revitalizes spinal nerves by increasing circulation to spine
- Strengthens, compresses and opens lower, mid and upper spine
- Improves strength and balance
- Reduces abdominal fat and strengthens abdominal muscles
- Helps regulate ovaries and prostate gland
- Helps cure or relieve lumbago, rheumatism, arthritis and menstrual problems
- Improves digestion
- Helps correct bad posture
- Strengthens concentration and mental determination
- Develops internal balance and harmony
- Improves function of kidneys, liver and spleen
- Strengthens deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi and triceps
- Relieves cervical spondylosis
Fixed firm pose (Supta Vajrasana)
- Helps conditions of sciatica, gout, varicose veins and rheumatism in the legs
- Slims and tones thighs, firms calf muscles and strengthens the abdomen
- Strengthens and improves flexibility of lower spine, knees and ankle joints
- Lubricates and increases circulation to joints
- Strengthens and lengthens abdominal muscles
- Creates a great stretch into hip joints and diaphragm
- Relieves lower back pain
Half tortoise pose (Ardha Kurmasana)
- A rejuvenation pose providing maximum relaxation
- Assists in relieving digestion problems and constipation
- Stretches lower part of the lungs, increases lung capacity
- Excellent for respiratory conditions
- Increases circulation to the brain
- Firms the abdomen and thighs
- Increases flexibility of hip joints
- Improves mobility of shoulder girdle and associated muscles (scapula, deltoids, triceps, latissimus dorsi)
- Relieves stress and migraines
- Helps with insomnia
- Increases flexibility in hips
Camel pose (Ustrasana)
- Compresses spine, relieving back problems
- Opens rib cage, lungs and digestive system
- Stimulates nervous system
- Great for lungs and many bronchial problems
- Strengthens back and shoulder muscles
- Improves flexion of neck
- Stretches throat
Rabbit pose (Sasangasana)
- Provides maximum longitudinal extension of the spine
- Stretches the spine to increase proper nutrition to the nervous system
- Improves the mobility and elasticity of the spine and back muscles
- Stimulates thyroid and parathyroid glands through compression, helps balance and regulate metabolism
- Balances hormones
- Improves flexibility of scapula and trapezius
- Improves digestion, glandular problems and helps improve conditions of the sinus, common cold and chronic tonsillitis
- Helps insomnia, depression
- Flushes fresh blood through kidneys
- Helps eliminate toxins
Head to knee pose with intense stretching posture (Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana)
- Head to knee pose helps balance blood sugar levels and the metabolism
- Improves flexibility of sciatic nerve and ankle, knee and hip joints
- Enhances kidney function
- The intense stretching pose increases circulation to liver, spleen and pancreas
- Stimulates thymus gland, digestion and immune system
- Increases flexibility of the trapezius, deltoid, rectus femoris and biceps muscles, sciatic nerve and last five vertebrae of the spine
- Stretches and strengthens pelvic girdle, hip joints, shoulder joints and spine
- Improves concentration and mental endurance
- Powerfully massages all the abdominal organs
- Stimulates and tones the digestive organs, increases peristalsis, relieves constipation and other problems
- Regulates function of the pancreas, assisting those with diabetes or hypoglycemia
- Mobilizes joints and increases elasticity in the lumbar spine
- Relieves compression of the spine and sciatica
- Strengthens and stretches the hamstrings
Spine twisting pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
- Compresses and stretches spine from the bottom to the top
- Increases hip and back flexibility
- Improves digestion
- Firms the buttocks, thighs and abdomen
- Improves elasticity, flexibility, circulation and nutrition to spinal nerves, vessels and tissues
- Increases synovial fluid of the joints
- Removes adhesions in the joints caused by rheumatism
- Tones the roots of the spinal nerves and sympathetic nervous system
- Detoxifying
- Opens bronchial muscles and rib cage
- Helps prevent slipped disc
- Relieves lower back pain
- Helps sciatica and arthritis of the knee
- Massages kidneys, liver, gall bladder, spleen and bowels
Blowing in firm pose (Kapalbhati in Vajrasana)
- Detoxifies and cleanses body by removing stale air and toxins from lungs
- Brings mental clarity
- Strengthens abdominal organs and wall
- Normalises bowels
- Energizes body
- Improves oxygenation to the body
- Improves cardiovascular and respiratory systems
- Good for high blood pressure
Bikram Yoga is a sequence of 26 postures selected and developed by Bikram Choudhury from Hatha Yoga.
It has been proved and experienced by millions that these 26 postures systematically work every part of the body, to give all the internal organs, all the veins, all the ligaments, and all the muscles everything they need to maintain optimum health and maximum function. Each component takes care of something different in the body, and yet they all work together synergistically, contributing to the success of every other one, and extending its benefits.
Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury is the founder of the worldwide Yoga College of India™. Born in Calcutta in 1946, Bikram began Yoga at the age of four with India’s most-renowned physical culturist at that time, Bishnu Ghosh, the younger brother of Paramahansa Yogananda (Author of the most popular book on Yoga, The Autobiography of a Yogi, and founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles).
Bikram practiced Yoga at least four to six hours every day at Ghosh’s College of Physical Education in Calcutta. At the age of thirteen, he won the National India Yoga Championship. He was undefeated for the following three years and retired as the undisputed All-India National Yoga Champion.
At seventeen, an injury to his knee during a weight-lifting accident brought the prediction from leading European doctors that he would never walk again. Not accepting their pronouncement, he had himself carried back to Bishnu Ghosh’s school, for he knew that if anyone could help to heal his knee, it was his teacher. Six months later, his knee had totally recovered. Ghosh was a celebrated physical culturist and the first to scientifically document Yoga’s ability to cure chronic physical ailments and heal the body.Bikram later on devised the 26 postures sequence, which work irrespective of age groups. These 26 postures series has a profound healing power on your body and mind. He founded Bikram’s Yoga College of India. Bikram has shown the light of healthy life to millions of people around the world.
Pramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, was the older brother of Bikram’s beloved guru, Bishnu Ghosh (see below). In 1920, Yogananda came to the U.S to serve as India’s delegate to an international congress of religious leaders convening in Boston where he delivered his well-received address on the “Science of Religion.” In 1924, Yogananda established the international headquarters for the Self Realization Fellowship in order to disseminate worldwide his teachings on India’s ancient science and philosophy of Yoga and meditation. Yogananda emphacized the underlying unity of worlds great religions and taught universally applicable methods for attaining direct personal experience of God. When Yogananda returned to India, he instructed his younger brother, Bishnu Ghosh, to go to America and teach Americans how to practice hatha yoga. Though American were enthusiastic about the new science of yoga, they could not begin to learn the techniques for proper meditation until they got their bodies into shape. Yogananda said that the body is a temple but the Americans had not yet realized this. Their temple was empty. Bishnu Ghosh had to show them how to build up the body, the temple and fill it up before Yogananda’s teachings could be utilized.
Bishnu Ghosh, Bikram’s beloved Guru, was the first person to bring the ancient science of Hatha Yoga to the West at the request of his older brother, Paramahansa Yogananda. Ghosh developed a Yoga regimen that provides a unique blend of spiritual inspiration and highly disciplined physical exercise. His view of the human body as the temple of a living God has been a major force in the renaissance of Hatha Yoga in the West. In 1923, at the young age of 20, he founded the first Ghosh College of Physical Education in Calcutta and his fame quickly spread throughout India. Other schools were opened, first in India, and then in locations around the world. In 1939, Ghosh came to the United States to educate people on the subject of yoga by giving demonstrations of amazing yoga feats. He lectured at Columbia University in New York, generating a great deal of interest in the field, and was widely acknowledged and respected in the academic community. In the 1960’s, Ghosh asked his disciple, Bikram, to open up several schools in India which soon became very successful. Bikram was then asked by Ghosh to open up two more schools in Japan. Since then, Bikram has carried the message of the curative powers and benefits of yoga, and the possibility of a disease-free long life, around the world. He has trained thousands of teachers and has over 500 affiliated schools. Ghosh’s College of Physical Education is still in operation in Kolkata. It is operated by the Granddaughter of Bishnu Ghosh, Muktamala.