Recently, I completed reading
Bikram Yoga by Bikram Choudhury as my self-improvement book. Overall, I enjoyed the book, and believe it will benefit me in my future yoga practice. The “creator” of American Hot Yoga is a very charismatic individual, as one would expect from a guru. First, let me inform you what hot yoga is. It is yoga, which is a series of postures that exercise the body, mind, and spirit, that is practiced in a room set at 105 degrees with a humidity level at 40-60 percent. This extreme heat allows one to stretch deeper and it challenges the mind because the heat can effect one’s mind and senses. Bikram has taken the 26 of the 84 yoga postures, and he has created his Sequence. It is widely recorded that Bikram has his lovers and haters, as many gurus tend to do. He is very bold in his opinions and does not sugarcoat any of them. Some I agree with, such as his poor opinion of organized religion. I tend to agree with him that it can be a waste of time and money, but there are plenty of people out there that would say the same thing about yoga, and that’s okay too. Bikram would not agree with the last part of my last statement, and that is okay with me too. So be it. He is very opinionated about how one should live their lives in regards to personal matters such as choosing a significant other or getting a piercing or tattoo. I believe people have a right to choose what ever path they want in a mate, and I believe if someone wants to get a tattoo or get the nosed pierce, that’s their business.
After a whole section on ranting about the problems of the world, which there are many, he offers the prescription for curing one’s frustration with the world. Of course, this is Bikram Yoga. Does it work? Yes! I have been practicing for nearly two years, and I have seen the benefits. I believe that through my practice and my wife’s practice, we were able to have a child after three doctors said we could not. They said it was medically impossible. Hot Yoga does heal and renew the body, mind, and spirit in my opinion. Yet, I am not as extreme as Bikram. Of course, my livelihood is not dependant on Hot Yoga. The studios I practice act are mainly certified by the Barkan Method, which is more liberal than Bikram. It allows for more hands on adjustments and corrections in the practice, and a little bit less judgment on others. For example, one of my instructors said she was going to pretend to be a Bikram teacher one day. She did so by standing on a pedestal. Hopefully, you get my drift. I think we have seen these two methods of teaching in the martial arts world as well.
As I have found with many people who want to show you the way or path to better living and fulfillment, they tend to contradict themselves. For example, Bikram is very much against team sports and individual sports competition. He says it creates a poor attitude and hurts the body. Yet, he brags about how his teaching have benefited such athletes ad Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and John McEnroe. Also, he talks about how his children play sports at school. I guess they are not listening to dear old dad. Please forgive my sarcasm. I’m just skeptical on these types of books. I’m even skeptical on what is considered that basis for most religions and philosophies. I simply take what works successfully for me, and leave the rest behind. I may miss out on some things, but as long as I keep improving as an individual and continue to become a better husband, father, human being, and so on…who cares? If you do, you need a hobby. See, I can be as opinionated as Bikram.
Anyway, the second part of Bikram’s book is going through the Sequence. He discusses each posture and gives valuable tips. I practiced Saturday, and even though, I did not have my best practice that day, I saw where his tips were very beneficial. I also enjoyed how he described exactly what organs, gland, muscles, and so on were doing with each posture. It was good to learn in depth what specific benefits my body, mind, and spirit are receiving during my practice. Our teachers give us the quick version at times during our practice, but in a large group class that is a 90 set sequence, it is difficult to get the specifics. I found this to be the most rewarding part of the book.
The third part of the book is how to apply your yoga practice in your life and society to make the world a better place. I know this sounds cheesy, but I believe this is an important part of yoga or anything one does in life. If it is not benefiting you or those around you, what is the point? I practice yoga to obtain and maintain better health, so hopefully, I can be around longer to enjoy life and all that’s positive in it. Even though I’m not a big fan of organized religion, if it keeps someone out of jail or hurting others, let it be.
