How should I prepare for class? What should I wear and bring?

Come to class well-hydrated and with an empty stomach. Wear light, breathable clothing that you feel comfortable in. Bring a bath towel, bottled water and a mat (available for rent or purchase). New students should arrive 15-20 minutes early.

Is this a Beginners Class??

YES! The Bikram Yoga class is FOR beginners! Anyone and everyone can practice the Bikram yoga sequence, from beginner to intermediate. The magic of the class is that each person can work at his/her own level and progress at his/her own pace. There is no competition, nor winner or loser. As long as you put in 100% effort, you gain 100% benefit in return!

What if I'm not Flexible?

A popular misconception among people who have never tried yoga is that you must be physically flexible in order to practice yoga. What you do need is a flexible mind, allowing yourself to relax and internally heat the body through breath and movement with the ultimate goal to expose blocks and imbalances and create whole body balance, including greater flexibility.

Soon the tension will release and your range of motion will naturally increase. As you improve circulation of blood and oxygen to tight, fragile, blocked areas of your body, you will gain more elasticity and flexibility.

Remember, while you will create flexibility, the main goal is to create vitality. We need a healthy balance of flexibility and strength, and with greater body awareness through your yoga practice, you will find this balance that fits YOUR body. We are not all supposed to get our head to our legs in forward bends. We all need to find our own place in each pose. That way the pose becomes ours. We are not supposed to look exactly the same in every pose. The beauty of the human race is the differences among us all. It would be boring if everybody looked the same in every pose. Let's flourish in our differences while maintaining the same rhythm together practicing the 26 posture sequence.

Why the Heat??

Have you ever run outside during the cold winter months and felt tight, and maybe even pulled a muscle? This is one of the very reasons why we practice yoga in a heated room - to prevent injury. Stretching your joints in a hot room enables you to maximize the blood flow to your muscles and thus, quickly loosen up tight muscles and joints, and increase flexibility in less time! Heat also produces sweat and a detoxification process, which further nourishes youthful, supple, and radiant skin.

What if I dislike the heat??

Acclimatization is a way to train the body to tolerate a particular environment. By coming to class a minimum of 3 times per week, the body will adapt to heat stress by stimulating physiological changes that improve heat tolerance. The physiological changes include changes to cardiovascular function and autonomic nervous system adaptations. Additionally, you will learn to utilize your breath in order to find and maintain a sense of calm despite the challenging variable of heat.

Can I lose Weight?

YES! Increased body awareness changes eating habits and helps you make a positive connection with your body's well-being and calms your nervous system. The combination of sweating and developing muscle tone will melt the fat off your body with consistent practice. The yoga postures also have internal benefits to all the organs and systems in the body, such normalizing the Digestive System and the Endocrine System, regulating metabolism, and maintaining Cardiovascular health. These processes help to sustain a normal and healthy body weight for each respective student.

Is Bikram Yoga Aerobic?

The word aerobic literally means "with oxygen" or "in the presence of oxygen, involving or improving oxygen consumption by the body." Aerobic activity trains the heart, lungs, and cardiovascular system to process and deliver oxygen more quickly and efficiently to every part of the body during exercise to its target level. As the heart muscle becomes stronger and more efficient, a larger amount of blood can be pumped with each stroke. Fewer strokes are required to rapidly transport oxygen to all parts of the body.

You can derive these benefits from practicing Bikram Yoga. Use this formula to find your target heart rate:

220 minus your ages times 60% and times 90%.

Does Bikram Yoga help with balancing emotions?

Bikram Yoga helps balance the emotions in several ways. Physiologically, regular practice harmonizes the nervous system and endocrine system, two systems which figure heavily on emotional well-being.

In addition, practicing Bikram Yoga cultivates the mental faculties of Faith, Self-Control, Concentration, Determination, and Patience. As we become more aware of our inner life, we notice how events, interactions, and even the atmospheric pressure effect us. When we are aware, we can exercise choice in our response. This helps us balance our emotional life.

Can I practice Bikram Yoga if I'm pregnant?

Pregnant women are welcome in class. It is necessary to get a doctor's release. It is advisable to have a regular practice BEFORE commencing Bikram Yoga so that your body is acclimated to the heat and to the series. There are specific modifications for women that your instructor will show you.

What are some of the benefits of Bikram Yoga?

There are countless benefits to the Bikram Yoga series, and we have created a separate page to provide some insight into the recurrent ways Bikram Yoga has helped others.