As you can tell from the title of the post, I've been thinking about Bikram Yoga just a little bit.
The more I think of it, the more my body hurts, just thinking about all the times that I've been told to "go beyond" my flexibility, lock my knees, and "push and push and push". If you've ever been to a Bikram/hot yoga class, you know what I'm talking about.
As I write this, I can feel my hyperextended knees, a product of years and years of Bikram.
This isn't the first time I've written about Bikram Yoga. I first wrote about it last year, ironically enough,
in defense of it.
I've changed my mind. I've changed my mind in a big way.
The last time I wrote about Bikram, I claimed that it's not so bad to only focus on the physical aspect of it, and I quoted B.K.S Iyengar:
"The stress that saturates the brain is decreased through asana and pranayama, so the brain is rested, and there is a release from strain. Similarly, while doing the various types of pranayama the whole body is irrigated with energy.
To practice pranayama people must have strength in their muscles and nerves, concentration and persistence, determination and endurance. These are all learned through the practice of asana. The nerves are soothed, the brain is calmed, and the hardness and rigidity of the lungs are loosened. The nerves are helped to remain healthy. you are at once one with yourself, and that is meditation."
So where did I go wrong, let me count the ways.
Bikram does not teach pranayamaI made the mistake of thinking that Bikram yoga teaches pranayama. It doesn't. Besides doing Breath of Fire (Agni-Prasana) at the end of 90 minutes of asana, there's no other teaching of pranayama, which, as anyone who's dabbled into this topic knows, is a vast subject to study.
Bikram does not teach asana skills and techniques
I also made the mistake of thinking Bikram yoga *teaches* a person to *do* yoga. It doesn't. You do not learn how to approach a pose safely. You do not learn modification. You do not learn the mechanics of a pose as it relates to *your* specific body frame and needs.
Bikram does not promote a safe practice
The lack of instruction, adjustment, understanding of anatomy and alignment, plus the heat are grounds for injury, (not to mention the innate human desire to compete and show off, pushing some people to do more than they should).
I've been reading up on more about the injuries that people get coming out of Bikram, from meniscus tear to knee issues and dehydration. To be really frank, I'm mad. I'm mad that this thing that's supposed to be healing and healthy is putting people's body in jeopardy. And I'm really mad because people will be coming out of Bikram thinking that *this* is yoga, and miss out on the true benefits that other style and type of yoga offer.
Bikram can hurt more than help beginners (and non beginners too)Bikram yoga, I've seen, is often called the "gateway drug" for yoga. It's less intimidating since all that "spiritual stuff" is taken out. It's appealing because it promises to deliver fat loss, detoxification, and a yoga butt. So, Bikram rounds up a lot of rookies. You'd be crazy not to sign up, right?
Yet, it's atrocious for beginners because of its complete disregard for the potential for injuries. As a beginner, I'm very likely to be completely ignorant of how my body moves. Hell, I didn't even realize I had these body parts that could do more than driving and typing. Everything feels awkward, and I really don't know what I should be doing, or should not be doing. The instruction from Bikram yoga teacher is usually, "just watch what people do around you". What if they've been doing this for 10 years? I would bend over backwards (possibly literally) to emulate them.*
Hotter is not better
You know the euphoria that you have after a hot Bikram class? Yes, the one that makes you feel like you worked out really hard and expelled all the so-called toxin out of your system? I've now realized that it's just heat exhaustion
. In addition, in the heat your body loses its sense of "uh oh, we've gone too far", and..., well, goes too far. "Once you stretch a muscle beyond 20 or 25 percent of its resting length, you begin to damage a muscle," said Dr. Robert Gotlin, director of orthopedic and sports rehabilitation at the Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan.
I'm sorry
I hereby apologize to everybody that I've taken along to do Bikram yoga with me. Knowing what I do now, I highly, highly, highly recommend you starting your yoga practice with something else. (I'll write more about finding a teacher in another post).
What a difference a year makes. I guess this is what they call "the learning process".
* Actually, I no longer aspire to look like a long time Bikram practitioner. I can do without
hyperextended knees like these.