Postures and Breathing in Bikram Yoga

Bikram Yoga
Image: bikramyoga.com

Ana Docoito-Nelson is a property manager with Gramatan Management, Inc. in New Rochelle, New York. In her position, which she has held since 2012, Ana Docoito-Nelson manages daily office operations, and oversees enhancements to the value of the properties under her charge.

In her spare time, Ms. Docoito-Nelson enjoys practicing Bikram yoga. Bikram is a style of hatha yoga, developed by the yogi Bikram Choudhury in the 1970s. Bikram involves 26 poses, practiced in a specific sequence, in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

The 26 postures in the Bikram yoga practice are designed to oxygenate every part of the body. A session begins with a standing series that includes familiar yoga asanas like eagle and triangle pose. Students then move to the floor, where the remaining 14 poses, such as bow pose and camel pose, are practiced.

While performing the 26 postures, students are instructed to engage in 80-20 breathing. This breathing style requires taking in a full breath before beginning the pose and, while doing the pose, exhaling and then inhaling only 20%. Keeping 80% of the breath in the lungs at all times is believed to improve balance and energy.