Women's Fitness Online Magazine (Oct 2011)

Why you should get in a sweat over Bikram yoga
It seems the trendiest way of doing yoga is to turn up the heat for a 40-degree Bikram blast. But is the high heat a passing fad – or could it take our fitness to a whole new level? To find out, Women’s Fitness talks to Michele Pernetta, director of Bikram Yoga North, West, City and Primrose Hill (www.bikramyogauk.com)

WF: What are the extra benefits of doing yoga at such a high temperature?

MP: The heat makes the yoga different because you can press harder in the poses with no fear of injury – so you can work harder and go deeper. This is beneficial as deeper stretching brings more blood and oxygen supply to your muscles nerves and tissues. It means you detoxify through sweating, and it also makes it much easier to perform the poses.

The working temperature of your muscles and joints is 40C, so they feel loose and easy. The synovial fluid is thinner at this temperature and is able to get deeper into your joints and keep them "oiled" and moving freely. People also find the heat cathartic, it has the effect of relaxing you on a deep level, allowing you to go into places you couldn’t normally reach, and deal with old injuries, scar tissue, and even mental and emotional blockages you don’t normally get the opportunity to look at in normal daily life.

Like all yoga practises, with or without heat, taking 90 minutes out to spend with yourself and whatever arises, is so valuable, once you have begun that process, you will never want to stop.

WF: What areas of the body will change if you practise regularly?

MP: It depends on where you are weak. Where we are weak tends to get flabby, as there is little muscle there. Our weak areas get worked, so they tone and then they burn fat more efficiently. In general however, the waistline, hips and bum are the first areas people notice a difference. Thighs also get strong and firm.

People also notice the easing of aches and pains. Things feel free and easy, as every muscle and joint has been opened and stretched. In time, the entire body is toned, healthy and muscular, in a long and lean way, not a bulky way.

WF: People might worry whether it’s safe to work out at this heat…

MP: It’s safe! People work outside in hot countries in these temperatures. Just pace yourself in the beginning. It does take several classes to get used to it. Sit down if you feel a little dizzy (people’s bodies are not used to that amount of oxygen at first), come to class hydrated. Drink at least 1.5 litres of water about two hours before class, or in the hours preceding. Breath through your nose, not your mouth, or you get over-oxygenated and dizzy.

A lot of what people feel in the first few classes is not the heat – a healthy body can take the heat – it’s their own toxicity or unfitness showing itself, and we are sensitive to that. It can be very unpleasant, so they should just sit down whenever they like, drink water, and join in when they feel better.

Very skinny students should ensure they have eaten a few hours before and not come having not eaten at all. Never hold your breath in class. And if you have a medical condition, inform the teacher before class. We work with all sorts of medical conditions, even high blood pressure and heart problems, and there are modifications for these, but please let us know. Also ensure your doctor has approved you to exercise in the heat if you have a medical condition.

WF: Why should everyone give Bikram a go?

MP: There is no short answer to that question! The 26 postures (and two breathing exercises) originated as the postures that are practised in India and often “prescribed” as therapies to treat chronic ailments. Bikram learned them from his guru and used to prescribe them to patients.

The 26 postures together treat all of the body, including the internal organs, systems, ligaments, tendons and joints. Every part of the body is sent oxygen.

I have found that Bikram Yoga creates the strongest and most flexible body of any exercise system. I have spent 10 years as a martial artist, and also did three years of gymnastics and dance, and Bikram yoga not only was deeper and more challenging, but it mended all the problems and injuries I had created doing these activities. It literally changes the skeleton! Over time, the heat and the yoga will reshape the body from the inside out.

Very quickly you will find that performing the same sequence every class becomes quite liberating. You can relax into it, knowing what is coming next, and you can go into a meditation, just breathing, and feeling your body, and not having to wonder about what is coming next.

We are all busy; we all need to be fit and healthy. Bikram yoga is user-friendly, humble and accessible. It packs more into 90 minutes then anything else you might try, and pays back 100-fold the effort you put in, with increased vitality, fitness, health and improved physique. It also gives meditational benefits, calms your mind, helps your focus, willpower, and ability to stay calm in challenging situations. This isn’t just for the body; it makes you a better, nicer and more patient person.