A typical Bikram’s hot yoga beginner’s class runs approximately 90 minutes, incorporates a series of 26 yoga postures and 2 breathing exercises performed in a studio heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%. This unique element in Bikram hot yoga resembles temperatures in many parts of India where traditional yoga originated many years ago.

Unfortunately, many first-timers are unprepared for the intense heat and they often quit the classes. However, just like a sauna, the heat and humidity are beneficial for reducing muscle stiffness, increasing physical relaxation and flexibility. People who stay through the first few sessions often come to appreciate this aspect of the class and become passionate followers of hot yoga.

Many of the Bikram hot yoga’s 26 postures, which are based on traditional Indian yoga poses, are also used in other forms of yoga. However, Bikram yoga is unusual in that it only uses these poses in one sequence. The breathing techniques are also very important in Bikram style of hot yoga. The hot and energetic yoga sessions end with relaxation exercises.

As with most forms of yoga, it is important not to be competitive with others or expect quick results, but work at the yoga practice for its own sake. Students must take care not to over stretch or injure themselves. Progress will be steady but slow. The overall benefits of yoga are felt in all aspects of one’s life and are often rekindled when resuming the practice after a long gap.

Bikram Choudhury has sparked controversy in the United States and in India by claiming copyright on the sequence of yoga poses that he uses. In the US, Choudhury has claimed and been aggressive in enforcing broad copyrights in most aspects of the practice, teaching, and business of the system.

Traditional practitioners of yoga have opposed him by arguing that traditional poses, which have been used by yoga teachers in India for centuries, cannot be copyrighted. While these claims are not definitively resolved (i.e., by any judicial ruling on the merits), Choudury has extracted legal settlements from a number of yoga teachers and studios. Anyone wishing to teach Bikram hot yoga or use his sequence of poses must obtain a license to do so.

Of course, this does not prevent other yoga instructors from teaching the same basic yoga poses in different sequences, but they may not call themselves Bikram hot yoga teachers.

As well as the requirement for the instructor to obtain a license, there are limitations on the popularity of Bikram hot yoga caused by the high temperatures required. This is because not only are people uncomfortable in the heat and humidity but also most commercial buildings do not allow rooms to be heated that that high. This requires a special yoga studio to be built. Due to these factors, there are not that many Bikram hot yoga classes and studios in the US as there are for other styles of yoga.

Related posts:

1. Hatha Yoga – An Introduction
2. Tracing the Roots and History of Yoga
3. How to Choose a Good Yoga Mat

Finding the right size of yoga mat

Yoga mats come in various sizes but you will want to be sure that it is longer than your height so that you can lie stretched out with both your head and heels on the mat. For most women a 6 ft mat will be long enough but some men will need an extra long size.

The width depends on the poses that you will do and how you use the mat. Usually if the mat is 1.5 times the width of your shoulders, that is fine. Keep in mind that a wider mat will make a longer roll and may be more awkward to carry.

If your yoga style includes a lot of sitting and lying relaxation and breathing exercises, you may want a thicker mat for comfort.

Which is better – natural or synthetic yoga mat?

Yoga mats made out of natural materials are usually made of cotton or rubber. Cotton yoga mats are good if you are in a power yoga class such as ashtanga yoga (or astanga yoga) where you will move quickly from one pose to another.

You may be more comfortable on natural fibers if you are sweating. Check that the mat has a non-slip surface on the underside if you will be placing it directly on a hard floor.

You may also see some rubber yoga mats. Rubber is of course a natural material. These will grip well on the floor but can become slippery if your feet and hands are perspiring.

The most popular form of yoga mat today is the “sticky yoga mat” which is made from synthetic materials. These are designed so that the mat will not slip on the floor while also providing good grip and cushioning for your feet and hands. Sticky yoga mats give good security for balances and stretch poses. They are also lightweight and easy to roll and carry.

Finding the right color mat

The color may not seem important but it is! Your yoga mat should be a color that you like, that helps you feel calm and relaxed when you are practicing. Avoid very bright colors. Blue or green mats are best for most people. If you always practice in the same room, it is good if the color of your mat harmonizes with the room. Any clash of colors will affect your mood.

Some yoga mats have a grid pattern printed onto them. This can help you check that your feet and hands are correctly positioned in the yoga poses.

How to care for your yoga mat

A yoga mat should be easy to clean and care for. Remember that your mat is used on the floor and often in public spaces, so for hygiene you should wash it regularly. Some mats are machine washable, but keep it at low temperatures and do not spin or tumble dry. Others you can simply wipe down with a mild antiseptic household cleaning product. After cleaning the mat, leave it out to dry thoroughly. Never roll or store yoga mats when they are wet.

Related posts:

1. Hatha Yoga – An Introduction
2. Two Most Popular Symbols of Yoga
3. The Heat Is On With Bikram Hot Yoga

Like Hatha yoga, which is much better known in the west, Dahn yoga unites physical postures and breathing exercises and focuses on aligning the body and mind in order to expand the mind and allow better circulation of energy within the body. It also proposes some physical benefits, lowering stress levels, improving general health and fitness and promoting both longer life and improved vitality and quality of life.

Dahn yoga also claims to help the body learn to heal itself naturally, by improving the circulation of life energy and its connection with the mind and consciousness. This is done physically by exercises, which are said to remove blockages in its path. Spiritual healing is also promoted through meditation along with improved relaxation. Mental health and physical tensions are released through the yoga practice, and like other forms of yoga it is a holistic practice whose benefits reverberate into daily life.

Dahn Hak philosophy includes certain principles of the action and movement of life energy (ki, also spelled chi or qi) that students are taught during the classes. There tends to be more teaching of the ideas behind the practice than you would find in a Hatha yoga class in the West. This, together with the high prices that are often charged in comparison with other yoga classes, has resulted in some accusations of cult status.

A typical Dahn yoga class will begin with meridian stretching exercises to stimulate the ki to pass freely through all the meridians of the body. These are followed by a series of postures and often a period of meditation or breathing exercises that focuses on releasing stagnant ki and storing fresh ki in the body’s center, the dan jeong or 2nd chakra, located in the abdomen just below the navel. Some Dahn classes teach a non-combative form of martial art called Dahn Mu Do that is more like tai chi than yoga.

As with other forms of yoga, students report many health benefits, including resolution of many problems that are frequently stress-related such as back pain, shoulder and neck tension, sleeping problems, migraine and digestive disorders, from their practice of Dahn yoga.

Related posts:

1. Tracing the Roots and History of Yoga
2. Hatha Yoga – An Introduction
3. The Heat Is On With Bikram Hot Yoga

But within hatha yoga there are also many different yoga schools or forms, and so the description ‘hatha yoga’ has come to mean something a little more specific for us. Usually if you see hatha yoga advertised in your city what you can expect is to perform a series of poses or asanas which, while they can be demanding in terms of the stretching that your body will do, are generally not vigorously energetic. At the end of the class there will probably be some breathing exercises and relaxation time.

The word ‘yoga’ means to join, or bind together, through meditation and exercise. From a spiritual point of view this can be seen as joining body and mind, left side and right side, male and female energy, yin and yang, or ending the separation of ‘me’ from the rest of the universe.

Most people do not practice yoga for any spiritual reasons but to increase the flexibility of their bodies. However you will almost certainly find that it also has a positive effect on your mood. If you think of yoga as a way of achieving mental and physical balance you will be on the way to getting the most out of your yoga practice.

It is not necessary to be unusually flexible or double-jointed. Anyone can practice hatha yoga, from small children to the elderly. You can practice even if you are pregnant, very overweight or disabled, although in these cases you should be sure to have a well-qualified hatha yoga teacher who can advise on particular poses that you should or should not attempt.

There are many different yoga poses or asanas and a good instructor will use a series of asanas that stretch the body in all directions in a controlled way. There are standing poses, seated poses, poses that you do on hands and knees or lying down and inversions such as shoulder stands. By going through the whole series regularly without forcing your muscles or limbs excessively you can gain flexibility, stamina, strength and better circulation and breathing.

A typical adult yoga class will last 1 hour or 90 minutes. It will begin with some breathing exercises or simply sitting still on the floor to center the mind in the body after all the distractions of our busy lives. Then most of the class time will be taken up with the asanas, followed by 10 or 20 minutes of deep relaxation at the end. For the relaxation period, students lie on their backs on the floor with eyes closed. Some students fall asleep, but most are able to relax in a very conscious way.

Of all the types of yoga that there are, hatha yoga is probably the one that is best adapted to most Western people.

Related posts:

1. Tracing the Roots and History of Yoga
2. Dahn Yoga for Spiritual Healing of the Mind and Body
3. How to Choose a Good Yoga Mat

The Om or Aum symbol:

Om is a mystical or sacred syllable in the Hindu religion, the very origin of yoga. The syllable Aum was first described as all-encompassing mystical entity in the Upanishads. Today, in all Hindu art and all over India and Nepal, ‘Aum’ can be seen virtually everywhere, a common sign for Hinduism and its philosophy and theology.

It is more of a sound rather than a word. As the creation began, the divine, all-encompassing consciousness took the form of the first and original vibration manifesting as sound “OM.”

The visual symbol for Om is written differently according to language but the one that is used for Om in yoga is the Devanagari script. To western eyes it looks like a figure 3 followed by a loop with a curl and dot above.

This symbol can be printed on yoga mats and clothing. Many yoga practitioners also wear it as jewelry, especially in the form of a pendant, or have it as a tattoo.

In Hindu theology, it can represent truth, unity, the object of meditation, the deity of deities, or the voice of God.

It appears at the beginning of almost all Hindu texts. It is chanted at the beginning of reading Hindu scriptures and before all prayers and mantras. It is often chanted at the beginning of a yoga class, and chanted if practiced alone.

Be seated on the floor if you can, or on a chair, with your back and head straight. If you are on the floor, cross your legs and place your hands in a mudra (Basic Mudra – Thumb and forefinger of both hands join as a zero. The rest of the fingers are extended, with the middle finger touching the non-folded part of the forefinger. The hands are placed palms-down on the thighs while sitting) on your knees.

Relax your breathing. Then make the sound in a monotone, letting your mouth close very slowly to form the vowels Ah, U and then M, holding your Om for the full length of your breath.

The three sounds should run into each other to form one smooth syllable. Let it fade naturally as your lungs empty completely, and then sit for a moment more before beginning your practice. After this long exhalation, you should feel very calm and centered.

The Yin and Yang symbol

This is not strictly a yoga symbol because it comes from Chinese rather than Indian spirituality and culture. However, because it represents the joining of two into one it has a yogic meaning for many yoga practitioners.

Yin is the dark element, black in the traditional circular symbol. It can represent the passive, receptive, feminine, downward-seeking, water and earth, night.

Yang is the light element, white in the symbol. It can represent the active, light, masculine, upward-seeking, fire and air, day.

Yin and yang are two halves of one whole: complementary opposites. All beings and forces of nature have both yin and yang energy in constant movement. If something is described as ‘yin’, it can only be ‘yin’ relative to something else, its complement or its opposite, which is ‘yang’. Therefore, the feminine is yin compared to the masculine which is yang; but a woman by herself contains both yin and yang energy.

The two small circles in the symbol are also very important. They are the yin within yang, and the yang within yin.

Yoga Postures

Yoga poses are also symbolic. Many of them are named after animals or aspects of human life: Child Pose, Cobra Pose, Downward Facing Dog. In going through a yoga practice session we can see ourselves as symbolically taking on all the forms of life and unifying them by giving them expression in our one body.

All of these symbols are a powerful expression of the philosophy of yoga. Yoga symbols are used or worn in many students’ daily lives to remind them of their yoga philosophy of bringing unity to their lives.

Sun Salutations DVD:

Related posts:

1. Hatha Yoga – An Introduction
2. Tracing the Roots and History of Yoga
3. How to Choose a Good Yoga Mat

In a beginner yoga class the instructor will also tell you the English name for each position (e.g. Downward Facing Dog) and not just the Indian name (Adho Mukha Svanasana). This is especially important if you are joining a power yoga class where students move quickly from one pose to another. In an advanced class the instructor may only say the Indian names and you could be completely lost!

If you are beginning yoga at home without an instructor, it is best to buy a beginners yoga DVD or video and watch it closely all through the first time before starting to practice along with it. Here is one recommendation: Yoga For Beginners.

Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskara):

The sun salutation is a series of positions that flow well in a sequence and give your body some well balanced stretches. Many yoga students perform sun salutations each morning and evening. This is a shortened version which forms a very basic series of yoga poses for beginners.

It is very important to go through the series in time with your breathing. Breathing should be slow and relaxed. Do not stretch so much that your breathing becomes strained.

1. Tadasana – Standing Pose

Begin standing with the outer edges of your feet parallel and big toes together. Hands by your sides. Back straight, neck long, head well back on the shoulders. Practice by a mirror or against a wall at first to be sure you are straight.

2. Inhale – Urdhva Hastasana – Raised Hands Pose

Bring the arms straight out to the sides with palms up, sweeping up until they meet above your head and slightly forward. Look up at your thumbs but keep the back straight. Keep the shoulders down – do not stretch the arms up too high.

3. Exhale – Uttanasana – Forward Bend

Sweep the hands out and down, hinge at the hips keeping the head and back straight as you go forward in a swan dive. At the end of your dive, let the head hang and the back bend so that you flop forward. Touch the floor either side of your feet, bending slightly at the knees if you need to. Place hands flat on the floor if you can do this easily. Relax into this pose. The head should be completely relaxed.

4. Inhale – Flat Back

Roll the spine up to come up to a flat back at right angles to your legs, chin up looking forward, fingertips touching the floor or just above it. Make sure the back is not hollow or bent.

5. Exhale – Return to Uttanansana – Forward Bend

6. Inhale – Return to Urdhva Hastasana – Raised Hands Pose

Reverse the swan dive of #3: roll the spine up to a flat back with arms out to the sides and continuing on up with a flat back, hingeing at the hips, to stand straight with the hands meeting above your head in the Raised Hands Pose.

7. Exhale – Return to Tadasana – Standing Pose

These yoga positions for beginners can be the first step in your yoga practice.

Related posts:

1. Hatha Yoga – An Introduction
2. How to Choose a Good Yoga Mat
3. Two Most Popular Symbols of Yoga

The first clearly written descriptions of yoga practice appear in the Hindu religious texts, the Bhagavad Gita and the Vedas, but these were passed down through an oral tradition for many centuries or even millennia before being written down between approximately 500-150 BC.

Even though the authority of the Vedas themselves was not accepted by other Eastern religions such as Buddhist and Jain theology, the influence of yoga is still felt in these religions. It is not limited to orthodox Hindu spirituality.

However, the idea of joining body, mind and soul in cosmic unity, a central theme of yoga philosophy, comes later, in the Upanishads or Vedanta. And what we usually understand by yoga in the West, hatha yoga, was developed by Swami Swatamarama in the 15th century, only 600 years ago.

Swami Swatamarama’s text is called the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. It lists in detail all of the main asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), mudra (hand postures or seals) and bandha (locks or binding postures, forms of mudra) that modern yoga students will know.

Hatha is a Sanskrit word meaning force or violence, but in yoga terms it may come from the two words ‘ha’ for sun and ‘tha’ for moon, representing complementary but opposing energies, or two halves of a whole, a common theme in yogic philosophy.

In our lives we tend to let the mind be constantly attracted by external objects and thoughts arising from what we see and experience through our senses. Hatha yoga uses physical exercises and postures known as asanas, along with pranayamas or regulation of the breath, to bring the mind back into unity with the body and soul. The breath is very important in yoga and is often seen as the soul, or the element that carries the soul.

Asana means immovable or motionless, and asanas are static postures, even if in some modern forms of yoga each one is only held for a short time before moving into the next. Other types of yoga may focus on movement itself, more like the Chinese exercise forms of tai chi and xi gong, but the asanas of hatha yoga are not motions.

Asanas develop strength, flexibility, balance and poise. Traditionally they were practiced to clear the mind to prepare for meditation. These days in the West we focus more on the physical and health benefits of yoga and if meditation is practiced at the end, it is seen as an add-on or final relaxation rather than the vital part of yoga practice that it would have been considered earlier in the history of yoga.

[Update: 01/19/2010] Here’s a link to lots of free PDFs and some great books on yoga.

Related posts:

1. Hatha Yoga – An Introduction
2. Dahn Yoga for Spiritual Healing of the Mind and Body
3. Two Most Popular Symbols of Yoga