Bikram Hot Yoga Houston Blog

day 2 of our bikram challenge is well underway!

during class these next couple of days really focus on the first breathing exercise, pranayama breathing. bring all of your attention to each inhale and make every effort to take in just a little bit more air each time. exhale with the same determination and concentration.... notice anything different? make an entry in your journal about the breath....

this breathing exercise is often overlooked or done in a rote manner. some folks even try to avoid it (which is one of the reasons we do not allow students to enter the classroom if they're late). however the foundation of the entire class rests firmly in this first breathing exercise. pranayama warms the body from the inside out. it increases the oxygen in our blood and fills us with "prana" / life force energy.

you can do this breathing exercise before any physical activity as it increases circulation throughout your entire body. instead of using only 10% of your lung capacity, pranayama breathing, done correctly and mindfully, uses 100% of your lung capacity. this breathing exercise benefits everyone, but especially those who struggle with asthma, emphysema, and other lung ailments. pranayama breathing is nature's medicine for our lungs, so give this exercise your very best effort!

good luck to everyone embarking on the challenge today - day 1 on the journey towards your new body, new mind, and new life! bon voyage.... what a great journey it's going to be!

i'd like to suggest you keep a journal as the journey unfolds. so much happens along the way that it's easy to overlook or forget if you're not paying attention. keeping a daily journal of your challenge makes the process that much more profound. have someone take a picture of you today and put it on the first page of your journal.... "before" and "after" photos are incredibly powerful!

Do we expect everyone to be able to touch their forehead to their knee? No. Do we expect everyone to TRY to touch their forehead to their knee? Yes, absolutely, because the healing energy of the posture is released by the effort made to express the posture. That's the beauty of this yoga. In order to get 100% of the benefits you don't have to be able to do it perfectly, or even very well.... All you need do is give it your best effort, try to the best of your ability, and voila! The medicine is released and the magic happens.