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Release Date: 2007-04-03
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| Bikram is Ayn Rand of yoga - and that's not horribleI like the book, I like the yoga classes, and Bikram himself is growing on me.
The hard talking style is appealing to me as an endurance athlete, so you'll find no complaint from me to hear him telling me that "99% right is 100% wrong" or that tattoos are a gross violation of your body. Even if I don't agree with his philosophy 100% (and that might make ME in the wrong), I admire and congratulate him for HAVING his own principles and enforcing them in others that want to use his name for their business.
Bravo, and here's to "90 Minutes of Suffering"!
Original 1979 book is the best!!If you can get a hold of the 1979 edition, you will have exactly what you need to continue on your yoga journey. FUNNY, honest and sensible. Yeah, he name drops, but who cares? Doesn't every one? :o) You will TREASURE this book.
The StudentGreat book that anyone interested in making thier life and body better should read. The author talks from real experience and was taught & mentored by the best of the known Yogis of recent time. You will learn about the different types and practices of yoga and why some may not be as good at producing the results that you want to attain. No pain no gain is a sort of mantra that permeates through out the book. Meaning that if you don't do it the right way (or hard way) then don't expect to get the very best results from the time you spend doing it. There is a right way and a wrong way and the right way is usually the hard way Bikram says. Curiously enough however, doing it the right way always turns out to be the easiest way in the end, it seems. Self Realization is a big topic in this book and indeed is the purpose of practising Yoga. According to Bikram his style of yoga is the best way to attain this most worthy goal.:-)
Read the book for his philosophy -- not to learn the poses.I am hooked on hot yoga but am in complete disagreement with Bikram Choudhury over his attempt to patent the poses. It seems to really go against the core philosphy of yoga.
So why did I buy the book? I flipped through a copy at my local bookstore and read a few excerpt that made me think I would hate this book. But as I became more and more hooked on hot yoga, I wanted to learn more "keys" or "secrets" to achieving the various poses. So based on the reviews here, I purchased it as an accompanyment to the first Bikram book.
Although I wanted to dislike the book for the reason stated above, when I read through it, I actually enjoyed learning a bit more about his philosophy... and realized that the portions that I read were taken out of context.
I think the gem of this book lies not in the poses/or photos... but rather in the back where he discusses the thoughts behind "mind yoga."
So, buy the book if you are an avid reader and are interested in the man who "invented" hot yoga. But don't buy the book if you are a beginning student and want to learn more of the technical aspects of the poses.
Good for Some PeopleBikram's previous book is better for those trying to learn the poses. This book is probably the best for insight into his personality.
I have practiced yoga for 16 years and have tried many different types of yoga including Bikram, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Kundalini, Forrest, Kripalu and others. My conclusion is that there are so many different types of yoga because there are so many different types of people - physically, mentally, and spirtitually.
Where does Bikram fit in? It is best for people who are already in good physical condition and want to gain the physical benefits of yoga, especially increased flexibility. Here are some tips:
1. I would highly recommend learning the poses from the book prior to going to a class. It is much easier to learn the poses in 75 degree heat rather than 105 degrees.
2. Listen to the instructors and try to do the poses the Bikram way. They will be very impolite if you try to modify the poses according to another style of yoga.
3. Listen to your body if it is telling you something different than the instructors. Contrary to what Bikram claims, his instructors are not very well trained. Their training primarily consists of doing the poses and memorizing and practicing the script. From my experience most have very limited knowledge in dealing with physical conditions that may be aggravated during certain poses.
4. The heat will affect people differently. I know some who can do Bikram in 105 degree heat 6 days a week for months or years with no problem. When I did Bikram 6 days a week after a few weeks I found I couldn't fully replenish fluids and minerals lost during the classes. My observation is that people who are more muscular and less flexible will generate more internal heat and therefore sweat more. Basically if you're a male athlete in good shape you can expect to lose 6 - 10 pounds of sweat each class. I used to weigh my towel when I got home and it was usually 7 - 8 pounds soaking wet with sweat.
5. The instructors monologue can be aggravating. There is way too much attitude in the dialogue. As an experienced yogi I just tune it out. A beginner will need to pay attention for a few months at least.
6. In my opinion Bikram isn't true yoga. There is far less mind- body connection than other forms of yoga. The feeling after class is distinctly different from other forms. Ashtanga works the body at least as hard as Bikram if not more so. After an Ashtanga class I feel a calm, powerful energy. After a Bikram class I feel worked - but I do sleep like a rock afterwards.
7. Bikram poses have a fairly low level of difficulty. Certainly much less diffcult than Ashtanga. That does not mean that they don't work you hard, only that you don't have to be Gumby to do them without modification. That is one reason I like Bikram yoga. I can get a great work out without modifying the poses.
8. I also like Bikram because, like Ashtanga, you do the same poses in the same order each time. It's great to make sure the full body gets worked and it's easy to measure progress.
Product Description Bikram, the "hot yoga" program, has been heating up the yoga world lately, and its founder probably has something to do with it: The outspoken, dramatic, and always controversial Bikram Choudhury has garnered a lot of attention with his version of hatha yoga that some yogis think unorthodox: In his classes, students are stuck in a room heated to at least 105 degrees doing a structured program of 26 asanas with a sergeant–like instructor––and they love it. Bikram Yoga will emulate that same energy. With his take–no–prisoners philosophy, Bikram describes how the program can reap great medical, physical, and spiritual benefits––the poses work out every part of the body, all of which can help alleviate many common ailments, from asthma to back pain. (Photographs will accompany each pose.) In addition, the book offers the best ways to incorporate eastern philosophy into a western lifestyle and tips on how yoga can cultivate "a union between body and spirit." Simply put, you don't have to meditate passively to reap the benefits of yoga.
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