An Introduction to Physical Yoga Practice
by Craig Villani
Making the practice of hatha yoga accessible to six billion people worldwide is the primary philosophy underlying the development and growth of Bikram Yoga. Created by Yogi Raj Bikram Choudhury as a practical distillation of the classical eighty-four postures as set forth by oral transmission and recorded by the Vedic sage Patanjali, Bikram’s method of Hatha Yoga stands as a structured and foundational approach towards balancing the modern bodymind.
The ninety minute, twenty-six posture sequence is specifically designed to stimulate each organ, gland, muscle and system of the human body, forming a comprehensive system of practical health-maintenance and disease prevention. The proper application of Bikram Yoga has been shown to consistently reverse the effects of aging, regulate metabolism, reduce the effects of stress and strain, and substantially aid in the cure of chronic disease for many practitioners. Each posture in the Bikram Method sequentially prepares the practitioner for the next, with the overall effectiveness of the series relating directly to this scientifically-comprehensive and systematic approach.
Trained from a very early age in the practice of the traditional eighty-four asanas from which many modern styles have derived, Bikram won the prestigious All-India Hatha Yoga Asana Championship for three consecutive years under the continuous guidance of his Guru, Bishnu Charan Ghosh. Youngest brother and life-long disciple of Self-Realization Fellowship founder Paramahansa Yogananda, Bishnu Ghosh instructed Bikram in the therapeutic applications of yoga asanas as a time-honored and effective form of natural healing. In Ghosh’s words, “Yoga maintains youth. It keeps the body full of vitality, immune to diseases, even at old, old age. Where medical science stops, there the science of yoga begins.” Professionally teaching hatha yoga from the age of six, Bikram developed his unique sequence for the widespread promotion of overall health, expressing what he believed to be the most essential combination of postures from the extensive eighty-four. read more…
