Q: What If I am not flexible?
A: This is the most common misconception that prevents people from coming to a yoga class and yet yoga is not about how flexible you are. It is about stretching your body and spine in all directions to your own personal capability, it is about breathing and staying present to the moment. If you maintain the correct form of the asana (posture) and work with effort, energy and enthusiasm you are guaranteed of receiving 100% of the benefits.

Q: Is it a cardiovascular workout and can I loose weight?
A: No matter what your fitness level you will find Bikram yoga very challenging. Each posture combines strength, flexibility and balance to work your whole body from the inside out, from your bones to your skin. With persistence, patience, and dedication, you can loose inches, and develop muscle tone and strength that might never come from other forms of exercise.

Most people do not experience dramatic weight loss according to a scale because as you are loosing fat, you are building muscle mass. What you will see is a general slimming all over: your clothes will fit better, your posture will improve, your skin will GLOW!

Q: Why is the room heated?
A: The heat combined with the sequence of the postures is what makes Bikram yoga so special. The room is heated intentionally to warm muscles, which allows you to work deeper in a shorter amount of time, seeing results faster. Heat takes the trauma out of stretching, heals and helps prevent injuries. Also, your skin is the largest elimination organ in your body. Yoga is not just about working muscles. You are massaging deep tissues, glands and organs as well. As you work deep within your body, you may start to release "poisons" or 'toxins" that have been stored there a long time. Sweating helps flush the toxins from your body, giving you a wonderful glow from head to toe.

Q: What if I feel sore after class?
A: Didn't know you had a muscle there ? Congratulations, you have utilized 100% of your body. You are on the way to regaining your birthright: using your body in the full range of motion that it was designed for. Muscle soreness is a buildup of lactic acid. What's the best way to get rid of the lactic acid? Stretching. It may seem impossible to imagine that coming back for more will help, but it is THE BEST way to relieve the soreness. If you wait too long to come back, then you will be starting all over again.

Q: Do I need to drink water before class?
A: Drink plenty of water before class. It is easy to get dehydrated, so make sure you are drinking plenty of water after class and the entire day before you come to class. You are less likely to feel light headed or dizzy during class if you've had enough to drink in the hours proceding the class. Remember our bodies are mostly water. Being fully hydrated helps take pressure off of organs to do their jobs and helps flush the body and keep it running smoothly.

The most typical excuse for not drinking water is the increased visits to the WC. Your body will adjust to the increased water intake. You may also find benefits of decreased body odor, smoother skin and shinier hair.

Q: Does Bikram Yoga help with balancing emotions?
A: Bikram Yoga helps balance the emotions in several ways.

Physioligically, regular practice harmonizes the nervous and endocrine system, two systems which figure heavily in 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.

Q: How many times a week is it recommended to practice?
A: In the beginning, do the Full Class religiously each day for two months until you are performing all but the very difficult poses such as the Standing Bow Pulling and Stretching Pose eighty percent correctly.  If you are restricted by any medical condition or have any chronic disease, you should continue daily until your condition is resolved.

Even when your progress is measured in fractions of inches that add excellence to what is already good, rather than in bold strokes, like being able to balance on one leg for ten seconds, you should continue your Yoga practice daily.

When you are performing ninety percent of the postures ninety percent correctly, you should still not feel complacent about doing your Yoga. Doing this Hatha Yoga class every day is like everything else you do in your life that is good for maintaining life. You don't plan to give up doing those things because of the daily benefit you receive.

Practice while following Bikarm's Beginning Yoga Class CD or casstte tape is an ideal method to practice the postures, as best as possible without being in an actual Bikram Yoga class.

Some tips: Set aside a special time of the day to create a regular daily practice.   Set aside a regular practice area in your home, and if possible, equip it with a mirror and an extra heater or two. Wear clothing that does not restrict your movement. Do not eat within 2-3 hours of practice.

How good is this Yoga habit? Look at someone who has been doing this yoga for over twenty or thirty years. Don't ask their ages. They have become timeless.

For more information visit bikramyoga.com and you can also read the lengthy Benefits of Yoga page here on our site, taken directly from the world headquarters site.