Yoga has taken on a new level of popularity over the past 15 years, as Hollywood celebrities tout that their tight bodies and long limbs were attained through frequent Yoga practice. Bikram Yoga is a specific style of Yoga that focuses on 26 specific postures and asanas, all executed in an environment that has been preheated to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot Yoga or Bikram Yoga was developed to heat the muscles and loosen them in order to execute poses as effectively and completely as possible.
Step 1
Clasp your hands together, and intertwine your fingers. Stand in a straight posture with feet together and a straight back. Place your hands together under your chin, spread the arms out and away from the body, and gently lift the chin up toward the ceiling. Open your chest and stretch your neck for three deep breaths.
Step 2
Keep your feet together while standing, and place the hands in a prayer position in front of the heart. Lift your hands together directly above your head toward the sky. Slowly and deliberately bend toward the right side of your body, while looking forward. Keep your spine strong as you bend to the right, for two breaths, then to the left for two breaths. Return to center after completing two full motions both left and right.
Step 3
Stand straight with your hands in prayer position in front of your body, the same posture as in step 2. Lift your hands up to the ceiling while together in the prayer pose, then move them back, behind the body to stretch the abdomen and front of the legs for two slow breaths. Center your body back in a neutral state, then bring your body forward, down to your legs. Grasp your legs with your hands and bring your chest as close to your legs as possible, and hold this stretch for two deep breaths.
Step 4
Lie on your stomach and spread your legs straight behind your body. Place your hands just below your chest with elbows at a 90-degree angle. Slowly draw your body up and away from the floor, while your feet stay grounded, toes pointed away from your body. Keep your shoulders relaxed and don't let them crawl up to the ears. Look up to the ceiling as you stretch your body for three deep breaths. Return to rest on the floor, with your elbows and forearms resting on the floor, supporting the torso.
Step 5
Stay on your stomach and reach your hands back behind your body to grab hold of each foot. Gently pull on the feet to stretch the abdominal area, quads, chest and shoulders. Take three, deep breaths in this stretch, then release the feet and go back to a neutral state.
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