The Origin of Hot Yoga Classes - Yoga Practice Blog

The Origin of Hot Yoga

about hot yogaBy Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 500

The original creator of modern Hot Yoga is a Yoga teacher by the name of Bikram Choudhury. Beyond this, there is a trail of clues as to how Hot Yoga became a popular form of exercise today. Bikram Choudhury was a proficient weight lifter, but claims about his participation or capturing a medal at the Olympic weight lifting championships are not verified. In fact, when searching deeper into the names of champions and who won the 1964 Olympic Championships in Tokyo, his name is not in any weight lifting class and, and it appears he did not win a medal, or set any records. Back to reality – For personal health reasons, Bikram sequenced traditional Yoga poses in a very specific way, in order to promote the health and healing of the physical body and mind.

 

One of the main aspects of Hot Yoga is that the Yoga asana sequence is performed in a very hot and humid room. Ideally, the temperature is to be set at 105 degrees and the humidity level between 40-50 percent. Performing Yoga asanas in a heated room helps the elasticity of the muscles and ligaments and also enhances the detoxification process. Whether we like the heat, or not, it becomes apparent that the body is marginally more flexible with warmer temperatures and quite stiff in cold temperatures.

Bikram Choudhury was born in Kolkata, India in 1946. It is said, he began to learn and practice Yoga asanas at the age of three. When Bikram was five years old, he began studying Yoga techniques with his teacher, Bishnu Ghosh. Most people are not aware that Bishnu Ghosh is the brother of Paramahansa Yogananda, a beloved Yoga instructor and meditation teacher. This lineage focuses on bringing ancient Indian scriptural wisdom to the Western world, while maintaining the integrity of the original manuscripts.

 

It is said that by the age of 14, Bikram was known as an exemplary Yoga practitioner. Within his lineage, he was declared to be a Yoga Raj, or King of Yoga.  According to Bikram, unfortunately, or fortunately as the case may be, at age 20, Bikram suffered a severe weightlifting accident that crippled him. It is also said that he was told that he would never walk again.

With the expert guidance and support of his guru, Bikram created a series of 26 yoga asanas that ultimately restored his health. To the doctors’ amazement, he made a full recovery in six months through the ardent practice of this 26 asana posture series. Several years later, Bikram opened up Yoga schools in Japan and India. In 1972, he traveled to the United States and opened up the Bikram Yoga College of India, which is the model school of Hot Yoga studios worldwide.

 

The practice of Hot Yoga has grown out of Bikram Yoga. While Bikram Yoga outlines a set practice of Yoga asanas in a specific order. Hot Yoga utilizes Bikram Yoga as a framework from which to build a powerful and effective Yoga practice. The use of a heated and humid room is also a core element of any Hot Yoga practice. Truly, Hot Yoga practitioners and teachers owe a debt of gratitude to Bikram Choudhury and his teacher, Bishnu Ghosh, in the creation of such a powerful and healing Yoga practice.

© Copyright – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

 

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3 thoughts on “The Origin of Hot Yoga”

  1. With the expert guidance and support of his guru, Bikram created a series of 26 yoga asanas that ultimately restored his health. Thanks for sharing this informative article about the origin of hot yoga classes.

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