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A lot has been said about the 26 poses of Bikram Yoga and from the reports found all over the Internet, it looks like it is quite popular all over USA and many other places in the world. Bikram Yoga is not a special branch of yoga. Rather it is a set of twenty-six specific postures or asanas which need to be performed in a certain sequence in an environment that is pre-heated to 40.5 degrees.

The whole exercise takes about 90 minutes and it has to be done every day – in return Bikram yoga claims it would keep you as healthy as it comes. The Bikram Yoga is special in the fact that it is copyrighted to Bikram Choudhury, a person who has been giving yoga classes since he was 20 years old.

Bikram wrote a book on the way he thought that yoga could be used for maximum benefit - Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class for which he obtained copyright in 1979. Ever since, he had demanded that anyone who taught his style of yoga should apply for a license from him – as Bikram Yoga had become copyrighted style of yoga. In 2002 a court in USA granted him this right and ever since Bikram Yoga has been a style or method of yoga that intellectually belonged to Bikram.

What Are The 26 Poses Of Bikram Yoga

There are plenty of ways in which you could learn abou Bikram Yoga postures. Youculd use the book, the video cassette or DVD and self tutor yourself with the help of the material you buy. However, the best is to learn it in a Bikram Yoga (licensed) center as you could be guided carefully into mastering the whole set of 26 postures.

Bkram claims that he had chosen these 26 postures in such a manner that the person who practices them would be able to exercise each and every muscle, tendon, organ and even bone and skin once he/ she completes the whole set. The postures should always be performed in the sequence given; it is important that the sequence be maintained as this too has been chosen to optimize the impact it has on the body as well as gradually increase the capacity of the body to perform. The sequence of the 26 postures of Bikram Yoga is as follows: 12. Padangustasana – 13. Savasana – 14. Pavanamuktasana – 15. Sit-up – 16. Bhujangasana – 17. Salabhasana – 18. Poorna Salabhasana – 19. Dhanurasana – 20. Supta Vajrasana – 21. Ardha Kurmasana – 22. Ustrasana - 23. Sasangasana – this is also known as the Rabbit Posture and as its name indicates it resembles a standing rabbit.

Padahastasana

This is the Standing Deep Breathing posture which helps warming up the body before the whole set of yoga postures are practiced

Ardha Chandrasana

This is also known as the Half Moon Pose with Hands To Feet Posture and it flows the warming up session.

Utkatasana Bikram Yoga Pose

this is the third posture and it is also known as the Awkward Posture because it is looking like you are half sitting half standing up – and it looks and feels awkward.

Eagle Pose of Bikram Yoga

the fourth bikram yoga posture is called the Eagle Pose and it imitates the way an eagle stands on earth.

Dandayamana - JanuShirasana

The fifth bikram yoga pose involves a Standing Head To Knee Pose, which is a little difficult to do without professional (initial) help

Dandayamana - Dhanurasana

This is a very challenging posture, also known as the Standing Bow Pulling Pose – the sixth of the string of 26 total postures of Bikram yoga.

Tuladandasana

The seventh of the bikram yoga postures is the Balancing Stick Posture which is named so because it looks like you are a stick for balancing.

Dandayamana - Bibhaktapada - Paschimottanasana

The eight one is known as the Standing Separate Leg Stretching Posture and it involves deep stretching on each of your legs.

Trikanasana

The ninth posture involves your body taking the shape of a triangle and hence it is called the Triangle Posture

Dandayamana - Bibhaktapada - Janushirasana

The tenth bikram yoga is also known as the Standing Separate Leg Head To Knee Pose as it involves stretching and bending to each knee.

Tadasana

In the eleventh posture you would take the shape of a tree and hence, this is called as the Tree Pose.

Padangustasana

the twelfth asana or posture is known as the Toe Stand Pose - a complicated posture for beginners, but quite easy to accomplish once you know how.

Savasana or Dead Body Pose of Bikram Yoga

Sav means a dead body and hence this bikram yoga asana is known as the dead body pose. In this posture (the thirteenth) your whole body relaxes as if you were dead.

Pavanamuktasana

'Pavan' means 'wind' and 'mukt' means 'free'. As this bikram yogasana helps you revome gas from within the body it is known as the 'wind removing pose'.

Sit up Yoga Pose

This posture is may be the simplest of all – after the dead-body-posture. It involves sitting up.

Bhujangasana Pose

Bhujang means cobra and hence this pose is also called the cobra pose. In this yoga posture, the sixteenth one, you imitate the way a cobra snake stands before it attacks – hence it is known as the Cobra Posture.

Salabhasana

This posture is also known as the Locust Posture because it imitates the way a locust stands.

Salabh means locust and this asana is known as the locust pose

Poorna - Salabhasana

The eighteenth posture of Bikram yoga is also known as the Full Locust Pose.

Dhanurasana

Dhanush mean Bow and hence this asana is called the Bow Pose.

Supta - Vajrasana

the twentieth pose of bikram yoga, the Fixed Firm Pose is easy to accomplish and repares the body for the next in the series, i.e. the half-tortoise-pose.

Ardha - Kurmasana

This is the twenty-first posture and it imitates the way a tortoise looks; hence it is called the Half Tortoise Pose

Ustrasana

Ustr mean camel. The next posture is the Camel Pose where your body is shaped to look like a camel.

Sasangasana

In sanskrit, sasang means the rabbit and hence this pose is known as the rabbit pose

Janushirasana with Paschimottanasan

the twenty-fourth posture involves stretching again and describing what it involves, it is called the Head To Knee Pose with Stretching Posture

Ardha - Matsyendrasana

This is one of the most efficient and yet one of the most dangerous postures (if done incorrectly). The Spine Twisting Posture is the twenty-fifth of the whole set of Bikram Yoga.

Khapalbhati

The last of the Bikram yoga set is the Blowing In Firm posture, which is also a relaxing posture.

So these are the 26 different poses of Bikram Yoga also known as hot yoga.

All these postures have to be done twice before going to the next posture and the whole set should take about 90 minutes from end to end.

In order to become a certified instructor a person would need to successfully complete a specially designed training course which is spanned over a period of two months. The successful candidate would then be awarded a certification by which he/ she would be recognized as a certified Bikram Yoga teacher.

You will find that Bikram yoga is also called the ‘hot yoga’ - owing to the fact that it is practiced in a pre-heated room. The reason for this aspect of Bikram Yoga is that heat helps the body’s flexibility and at the same eliminates toxins faster – hence all the 26 postures of Bikram yoga are usually practiced in a pre-heated room which has mirrored walls to help the person see the way they perform and hence practice their postures to perfection.

Bikram claims that if the Bikram Yoga series is practiced the way he taught it, the person would never suffer from any ailment during his/ her life. Yoga has the power of regulating all body functions as well as voluntary and involuntary reflexes. The particular sequence that Bikram has worked ensures that the body is maintained in top form no matter what age the regime is practiced.