#1: The heated room to 105degrees & 40% humidity seems extreme. That cannot be healthy.
Answer: Challenge. This is actually quite healthy for the body. All the 26 poses utilize the tourniquet effect: stretching or balancing with a locked knee or pulling pressure to momentarily cut off the blood supply to the area of the body (think when you step on a hose, all the water is backed up and then out with force when released.) The same happens with your veins and arteries: when released, the joints/organs are flooded with this super oxygenated blood to the area and effectivly flush them out. It detoxes the body by opening up the pores---your sweat being the liquid catalyst to get all the toxins out that were just wrung out by doing the posture. A warm body and muscles only makes this whole process work better. (warm muscles ---> stretch easier ---> rinse out joints by twisting & compressing body ---> more toxins released --->humid air aids in sweat production to get toxins out)
#2: Isn't bikram for people only who want to lose weight? OR "You dont need to lose weight." OR (my personal favorite) "Are you eating enough while doing bikram?"
Answer: This question really gets me going. I suppose I shouldn't take this so personally and simply look at who is source of the question. (I don't mean to be offend, but for people that don't work out or haven't experienced the amazing benefits of exercise BEYOND weight management....there will never be undersanding.) Of course, this practice is one where you burn a crazy amount of calories. But it also does an amazing job in tyroid regulation and getting your body to the healthy stable weight it is meant to be. (You literally massage your thyroid and parathyroid glands at the base of your neck in a few poses, helping them function properly, fixing any imbalances.) I think there's a GREAT misconception that doing challenging physical activity like bikram is just to be "skinny" or lose weight(sure, after the holidays were I feel the weight of 10000 cookies in my belly....I certainly rely on my yoga practice to shed) ...when in fact being FIT cardiovascularly, gaining strength, balancing out the body's regulatory systems and meditating through 90min of yoga are probably what 95% of bikram-ites would tell you is why they participate. I make wiser food choices 90% of the time when in a good exercise routine in general as I think you'll find with most individuals who prescribe to a high level of cardio/stregth training. But I also know that because of pushing my body physically, I'm able to conciously indulge in food that makes me happy (cheese and burgers, come to mama.) ---I'm a foodie at heart and live in a city that begs you to try out its culinary goodnesses. And I mmmmm love it. Win-win and less guilt.
Thanks for reading.
Signing off,
Saturday's Story Sunday Rant