Bikram and Sweating

A system of 26 hatha poses developed by Bikram Choudhury, Bikram yoga is practiced in heated studios with temperatures ranging anywhere from 85 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidity can hit 60 to 70 percent – a sauna-like environment in which you can sweat buckets. By performing yoga in these conditions, your muscles and joints are more pliable and your body detoxifies via sweat.

  1. Removal of Toxins

    • Skin is your body’s waste removal system. The average adult carries about 18 to 20 square feet of skin, according to “The Purification Plan” by Rodale Health Books. When you sweat, your body addresses imbalances in your metabolism and expels heavy metals – mercury and lead – and other toxins – pollutants and pesticides. Signs in saunas encourage frequent removal of sweat because your skin can reabsorb those toxins. Radha Garcia, who owns Bikram’s Yoga College of India in Boulder, Colorado, compares your body to a sponge that needs to be wrung out to enable fresh oxygen and blood to circulate, according to Jennifer Cook’s article “Not All Yoga Is Created Equal” in “Yoga Journal.”

    Wiping Off Sweat

    • According to “Raw Food and Hot Yoga: From Severe Disability to Superior Health” by Tonya Zavasta, a Bikram yoga class is a meditation, so wiping your sweat with a towel can obstruct your concentration. You want to avoid extraneous movements. Sweat should cool you off during the evaporation process on your skin. Due to the high humidity in a Bikram yoga studio, this evaporation process is not as effective. Instead of drying up, your sweat forms beads that slide off your body. There are two reasons to wipe off your sweat during a hot yoga session. If the sweat gets into your eyes, it can blur your vision and sting. Also, if you leave the sweat on your body, your skin can reabsorb toxins.

    Overheating and Dehydration

    • Few people are used to working out in extreme heat and humidity. When you practice Bikram yoga, watch out for decreased sweating. If you’re not sweating buckets, it can be a symptom of a dangerous level of dehydration. Other symptoms include nausea, disorientation, vomiting, cramps, weakness, fatigue and an increase in your pulse rate. If you’re seeing brown spots or feeling any of these symptoms, immediately get out of the heated room. Lie down, put your feet on a raised surface, put a wet cloth on your skin and drink water. If the symptoms of overheating fail to subside, contact your doctor.

    Treatment for Disease

    • According to Sally Squires’ article “New Hope for Hepatitis C” in “Yoga Journal,” the Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle, Washington, recommends Bikram yoga as a complementary treatment for hepatitis C. The disease causes inflammation of your liver. By practicing hot yoga, you can boost the circulation of your blood and sweat out toxins. In effect, you flush the liver and alleviate the effects of the inflammation. Bikram yoga also counteracts the side effects of antiviral medication for hepatitis C, which can include anemia, depression and fatigue.