How does Bikram Yoga work?

Bikram Yoga offers a challenging and stress relieving workout for the entire body. Regular practice can help you maintain your health and become less prone to illness and injury. It has a positive effect on your overall sense of well-being.

The Bikram series caters to all the systems of the body. Regular practice ensures:

  • strengthening of the immune and cardiovascular systems
  • increase of flexibility in the spine and relief from back and neck pain
  • development and strengthening of the entire muscular system
  • improvement in posture
  • weight regulation and control
  • increase in concentration, balance and willpower
  • stress relief

The 26 postures

1. Pranayama (Deep Breathing)

  • Expands lung capacity
  • Increases relaxation and concentration
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Detoxifies the body
  • Provides the body with oxygen

2. Ardha Chandrasana Pada Hastana (Half Moon)

  • Opens the shoulder area
  • Helps with neck and shoulder tension
  • Reduces pain in the lower back
  • Trains stomach, butt and thigh muscles
  • Increases spine flexibility
  • Stimulates the glandular system, intestine and kidneys
  • Helps with sciatic problems

3. Utkatasana (Awkward)

  • Works the entire muscular system
  • Opens the pelvis
  • Develops leg and butt muscles
  • Improves damaged postures
  • Stimulates intestinal activity
  • Reduces joint and sciatic problems
  • Stimulates internal organs, particularly the liver and pancreas

4. Garurasana (Eagle)

  • Opens the 14 main joints
  • Stimulates the central nervous system
  • Improves equilibrium and balance
  • Prevents or reduces varicose veins
  • Strengthens the immune and lymphatic systems

5. Dandayamana Janushirasana (Standing Head to Knee)

  • Strengthens leg and back muscles
  • Encourages will power and concentration
  • Regulates blood sugar level (in the case of diabetes)

6. Dandayamana Dhanurasana (Standing Bow)

  • Works the cardiovascular system
  • Opens the diaphragm
  • Increases spine elasticity
  • Improves strength and balance
  • Helps regulate prostate glands, more specifically ovaries
  • Opens the shoulder area, good for neck and shoulder tension

7. Tulandandasana (Balancing Stick)

  • Increases blood flow, especially to the heart blood vessels
  • Prevents heart diseases
  • Stretches the spine
  • Prevents varicose veins
  • Strengthens legs muscles
  • Stimulates the pancreas, spleen, liver and nervous system

8. Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimottanasana (Separate Leg Stretching)

  • Stimulates blood circulation to the brain, central nervous system and adrenal glands
  • Loosens the lower back
  • Regulates the blood sugar level
  • Boosts mood and morale

9. Trikanasana (Triangle)

  • Intensively trains the cardiovascular system
  • Increases hip joint flexibility
  • Stimulates the kidneys, thyroid and adrenal glands
  • Tightens leg and butt muscles
  • Regulates the hormone level
  • Works all the muscle groups simultaneously
  • Helps with constipation, hypotension and menstrual disorders

10. Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana (Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee)

  • Trains the abdominal muscles
  • Regulates blood sugar level (in the case of diabetes)
  • Stimulates intestinal activity
  • Encourages a sense of balance
  • Works against depression

11. Tadasana (Tree)

  • Assists in maintaining good posture
  • Corrects bad posture
  • Increases hip and knee flexibility
  • Alleviates abdominal tension
  • Reduces back pain
  • Works the gluteal muscles
  • Good for circulatory problems and rheumatism

12. Padangustasana (Toe Stand)

  • Encourages balance
  • Strengthens abdominal muscles
  • Opens the pelvis and hip joints
  • Works hip, knee and ankle joints

13. Savasana (Dead Body)

  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Slows down heart rate
  • Quiets the mind
  • Complete body relaxation

14. Pavanamuktasana (Wind Removing Pose)

  • Reduces back pain
  • Improves flexibility in the hip joints
  • Stimulates intestinal peristalsis
  • Massages the digestive tract
  • Regulates acid levels in the stomach

15. Bikram Sit-Up

  • Strengthens abdominal muscles
  • Acts as a stimulant
  • Detoxifying double exhale

16. Bhujangasana (Cobra)

  • Increases spine flexibility
  • Encourages rich blood flow to the spinal nerves
  • Works and tones back muscles
  • Helps relieve back pain and arthritis
  • Stretches the thoracic area relieving asthma
  • Improves the function of internal organs
  • Improves concentration and willpower

17. Salabhasana (Half Locust)

  • in conjuction with cobra including:
  • Effective in prevention and treatment of herniated discs and sciatica
  • Firms the gluteal muscles
  • Works and develops back muscles
  • Increases spine flexibility
  • Improves function of the liver and spleen
  • Strengthens shoulder, arm and back muscles

18. Poorna Salabhasana (Full Locust)

  • Tightens abdominal muscles
  • Firms the waist and buttocks
  • Improves spine flexibility
  • Strengthens back muscles
  • Prevents lower back pain
  • Helps with spinal disk and arthritis problems
  • Relieves neck tension and menstrual disorders

19. Dhanurasana (Floor Bow)

  • Increases circulation to the heart and lungs
  • Opens the diaphragm, increases lung capacity
  • Opens the shoulder area, good for shoulder tension or stiff necks
  • Strengthens all the back muscles
  • Strengthens abdominal muscles and tightens the waist
  • Improves kidney, liver and spleen functions
  • Improves concentration and willpower, helps restore equilibrium and inner harmony

20. Supta Vajrasana (Fixed Firm)

  • Helps with sciatica, gout and varicose veins
  • Strengthens the abdominal wall, upper and lower legs
  • Stretches calve muscles
  • Increases flexibility in the lower back
  • Stretches the diaphragm (good for asthma)
  • Opens the hips
  • Prevents back pain

21. Ardha Kurmasana (Half Tortoise)

  • Helps with insomnia and migraines
  • Increases relaxation and relieves stress
  • Increases lung capacity
  • Encourages blood flow to the brain
  • Firms the abdominal wall and waist
  • Increases flexibility in the pectoral girdle and works shoulder muscles
  • Increases flexibility in the hip joints

22. Ustrasana (Camel)

  • Opens the rib cage and lungs
  • Stretches the digestive tract
  • Stimulates the nervous system
  • Helps with bronchial problems
  • Strengthens back and shoulder muscles
  • Improves flexion of the neck
  • Supplies the kidneys with blood
  • Detoxifies the body

23. Sasangasana (Rabbit)

  • Intensive spine stretch
  • Increases blood circulation in the nervous system
  • Strengthens back muscles
  • Stimulates thyroid glands through compression, helps regulate metabolism
  • Increases flexibility in the shoulder joints
  • Helps with insomnia
  • Boosts mood and morale

24. Janushirasana mit Paschimottanasana (Head to Knee with Stretching)

  • Increases flexibility in foot, knee and hip joints, stretches the sciatic nerve
  • Enhances kidney function
  • Increases circulation to the liver, spleen and pancreas
  • Stretches and strengthens the pelvic girdle, hips, shoulders and spine
  • Stretches the Achilles tendon
  • Encourages concentration and patience

25. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Spinal Twist)

  • Increases hip and back flexibility
  • Tightens the buttocks and shapes the waist
  • Improves elasticity of the vessels, tissues and spinal nerves
  • Opens the rib cage and bronchi
  • Helps prevent slipped disc
  • Alleviates pain in the lower back
  • Massages and stimulates all the internal organs

26. Kapalbhati in Vajrasana (Blowing In Firm)

  • Short and quick exhales detoxify the body
  • Strengthens the abdominal wall and stimulates abdominal organs
  • Energizes the body and clears the mind
  • Enriches the body with oxygen
  • Strengthens the circulatory and respiratory systems
  • Helps regulate high blood pressure