Bikram Yoga and Hot Weather

For those of you who have never heard of it, Bikram yoga is a type of yoga that was developed by a man named Bikram Choudhury, who was born in Calcutta India in 1946. Yoga poses are done in a room that is heated to a temperature of between 90 and 105 degrees F. Although Bikram yoga studios are not franchises, instructors all must be certified by Mr. Choudhury before being allowed to call themselves a Bikram studio.

I first became interested in this kind of yoga practice after talking to a friend, who claimed that Bikram yoga had helped her lose weight. I wanted to lose a few pounds but also wanted to see if Bikram yoga would help me tolerate the summer heat better.

I happen to live in Austin, Texas, where we have had record temperatures of well over 105 degrees this summer. You might wonder "who in their right mind would subject themselves to more of this", especially paying good money to do so. After about half an hour or so into the class, I was asking myself the same question.

The Bikram yoga class that I attended was the standard 90 minutes long and consisted of doing a series of 26 yoga poses. The day before I signed up my instructor told me I should drink plenty of water, and I did. After only a few minutes into the class, sweat was pouring from my body like I had never experienced. My towel, which was placed on top of my yoga mat, was soaking wet. Somehow I managed to make it through all 90 minutes, and my instructor congratulated me, saying that most new students did not do so. I felt tired and dehydrated afterward, and drank a several liters of water, as well as a large container of coconut water to rehydrate myself.

Does Bikram Yoga Help With Heat Tolerance?

As for whether Bikram yoga helps with heat tolerance, I personally believe that it does have beneficial effects. Since taking the class for a total of six sessions I have noticed that I am able to endure hot weather better, if I stay hydrated.

Perhaps Bikram yoga helps heat tolerance by opening up sweat glands, or stimulating the part of the brain that regulates temperature.

While it's not a great way to cool off during a heat wave, Bikram yoga might just help you tolerate hot weather better.