Bikram Yoga Practitioners Sweat It Out in Santa Clara
12.10.11
"Sweat it out" takes on new meaning at the ten-year-old Bikram Yoga studio in Santa Clara, where about 140 yoga practitioners wouldn't dream of missing their daily, 90-minute workouts in a 1,200-square-foot room heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity to relax the muscles.
The steamy routine is the same every day: two breathing exercises and a systematic sequence of the exact same 26 essential Hatha yoga postures to stretch and strengthen the body. Each certified Bikram Yoga instructor even repeats the same words of direction, ensuring uniformity in training.
"Anything you do the same, you get better and better. If your posture improves, your health improves. Yoga helps with stability and circulation. It helps you to de-stress," says Abhinav Sagar, Bikram Yoga Santa Clara manager and instructor.
"Everybody should do yoga. You can do yoga all your life, and it's never too late to start," says Sagar. "Grandma does better than granddaughter. Grandma is more focused." However, because Bikram Yoga is strenuous, Grandma—or Grandpa— is advised to check with the doctor before working out at 105 degrees.
Source: Santa Clara Weekly