Meditation conjures up images of a person or group of people sitting motionlessly and silently -- except for the occasional chant -- and attempting to free the mind of everyday thoughts to achieve a higher state of consciousness. However, there are many forms of meditation, from the Buddhist practice of sitting meditation to the whirling and twirling of Sufi dervishes. Bikram yoga fits comfortable into the broad definition of meditation. The practice offers its disciples everything from rigorous workout to stress reduction to an opportunity to let the everyday world fall away and perhaps even attain spiritual awareness as they focus on the prescribed poses of Bikram yoga and sweat like crazy.
Benefits
While the main purpose of meditation is to enhance personal and spiritual growth, there often are health benefits as well. Meditation is an excellent way to reduce stress, anxiety and depression for many people. As the Mayo Clinic website says, "Even a few minutes can restore your calm and inner peace." The Bikram Yoga Decatur website describes the more rigorous form of yoga practiced by Bikram disciples as a form of "forced meditation," since the poses encourage a strong and disciplined focus of the mind as well as stamina and endurance.
Bikram Yoga
Bikram yoga is named for its creator, Bikram Choudhury, an Indian yogi who put the system together with his guru, Bishnu Ghosh. A form of Hatha yoga, which is any form of physical yoga, it uses a sequence of 26 specific postures taken from classic Asanas, or poses. Each posture prepares you for the next, although nothing quite prepares you for the 100- to 105-degree studio where Bikram yoga is taught. The heat loosens the muscles and enables you to stretch more deeply into the poses.
Breath
Although Bikram yoga incorporates two breathing exercises into its routine, it doesn't stress following a rigid form of breathing, as do some types of meditation. As Michele Pernetta, a leading Bikram yoga instructor in England, explains, a Bikram session opens with the two breathing exercises to calm the mind and increase oxygen in the blood. After that, students are advised to breathe smoothly and slowly through the nose, a practice they can use outside the yoga studio to stay calm in stressful situations. Although Pernetta says awareness of your breathing can bring great rewards and even spiritual awakenings, you don't want to over intellectualize it. "Bikram believes that the less said about it the better," says Pernetta.
Considerations and Cautions
Simply in physical terms, Bikram yoga sessions pay big dividends. They can improve your flexibility, balance, muscle tone and strength. As for the more meditative aspects of Bikram yoga, different people practice it for different reasons, such as a great workout, soothing and calming session, search for a deeper spirituality from yoga, or all of the above. On the other hand, the extreme heat of a Bikram yoga studio might be dangerous for those with certain medical conditions, so check with your doctor before plunging into Bikram yoga. Finally, no matter how fit you are, be sure to drink lots of water before, during and after a class to stay hydrated.
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