How to Set Up Your Hot Room (or not-so-hot-room) for Bikram Yoga
Can you do Bikram Yoga at home? Can you do Bikram Yoga without the heat? The answer is yes, absolutely.
For many years of practicing, we could not have imagined Bikram Yoga without the traditional “hot room”! However, thanks to our practice of adapting to the hot room, we have learned to adapt to many other challenges since 2020 began…including practicing Bikram Yoga anywhere and everywhere! And now so many of us can practice Bikram Yoga at home.
Many students believe that practicing yoga online is “not for them”, or that Bikram Yoga couldn’t possibly be done away from the hot room. However, yoga is about recognizing and then breaking through unhelpful limitations, especially those of our own self-imposed narratives and preferences.
Although the heat and the in-person group energy are profoundly helpful parts of this practice, Bikram Yoga is so good that it works even without those things! If you’re interested, check out the results of this study that showed similar improvements in blood vessel function among those who practiced Bikram Yoga in a hot room and those who practiced it at “room temperature”.
But let’s get back to YOU and YOUR yoga practice. Those who have dedicated themselves to trying something new and adapting to yoga online have strengthened their practices in so many cool and unexpected ways! Their health and well-being has continued to benefit from Bikram Yoga, and we know that yours will too! The choice is truly yours.
So…if you are ready for the benefits of yoga, regardless of the small challenges and mental excuses….
Here are some guidelines for how to set up your hot room for Bikram Yoga, so you can do Bikram Yoga at home!
- If your main challenge is mental rather than logistical, read THIS before you proceed.
- You can practice in any room – or outdoors! – at a range of temperatures. We recommend a temp of 75F as a minimum.
- However, if you are seeking a “hot room” experience, a small room is best, as it will maintain any added heat and humidity. Bikram Yoga is most beneficial in the range of 98F-105F with around 45% relative humidity.
- Get your mat set up and find a place for your live-streaming device. A phone or laptop with a camera and wi-fi is all you need. A tidy, simple space is nice, but it is not required! Be hydrated and on a relatively empty stomach, as you normally would be for yoga.
- Add a space heater and room humidifier if you can. Or run a hot shower in your bathroom to make a some steam. This will help to increase vasodilation, cardiac output, and sweat! All of this increases Bikram Yoga’s benefits by amplifying the tourniquet effect in each posture. Again, the heat and humidity are not required, but definitely beneficial and worth it if you are able.
- A body-length mirror is helpful, so that you can see your postures and make corrections. Some students even watch their standing postures in the live-stream video on their device.
- Some students practice in small, more enclosed spaces. Others practice in larger rooms, porches, and sunny backyards.
- Some find it helpful to turn up the audio on their device so that the teacher’s voice fills the room.
- Sign on to class 5 minutes early, and enjoy your 90-minute break from the stresses of the outside world!
- If you need any further tips on how to set up your hot room, feel free to contact me here.
CLICK HERE to get started with Bikram Yoga Online!
YES YES YES THE PAULY FAMILY STACK!!!!
I haven’t done bikram yoga in over 5 years. I had to major adominal surgeries that has left me with scar tissue that pulls when I move the wrong way. But I want to try bikram again, because I miss it. So I am going to try the online/youtube first and prayerfully it works, because when I was doing bikram I was in the best shape and at my healthiest. Wish me luck.
Can’t wait! Will be moving through the 12 days of Yoga challenge but a challenge is the best way to keep me on track. Thank you for making this available to all. See you soon!