Introduction to Bikram Yoga

What is Bikram Yoga? Bikram Yoga is a series of 26 postures, and also includes 2 breathing exercises. The intense series, with the mentality of “the right way is the hard way,” is practiced in a room that is heated to at least 104 degrees Fahrenheit – with a humidity of at least 40%.

I am going to do my best here to keep this as dynamic as possible; the issue with this Yoga is that the benefits are so expansive that an entry introducing the yoga is almost too mind boggling. I'll brush through as many benefits, but will still be just brushing the surface – I feel.

Each posture (or pose) in the series is done twice, and prepares the body for the next one. It is practiced deliberately the same, ritualistically, and uses a script/dialogue. It is also known as a “moving meditation,” and is largely known for its slough of benefits. Oh, boy!

“Why so warm?” one might wonder. While warming up the muscles is great for increased flexibility, and prevention of injuries, also, the warmer your muscles are the more easily you burn fat. It causes you to sweat at an increased rate, which pushes toxins through your body and helps detoxify the body (starting with the largest organ – the skin.) Essentially washing your skin with your own salty sweat, you will notice some benefits of softer, clearer, and healthier skin. Self exfoliation! Increased blood flow to all areas of the body, including areas under your skin will brighten your complexion if this is what it is lacking.

A side effect to detoxification is a healthier circulatory system. This has a very positive effect on your metabolism, which, in turn increases your body’s ability of to lose weight more easily. These things can add up to a stronger mind/body awareness, and a decreased appetite as the body and the hormones are balanced. In effect, each Bikram Yoga class I've taken has given me a great reset to whatever was going on in my body at any given time.

Increased blood flow to all areas of the body helps the body heal at a quicker rate to where-ever the blood is flowing to. Blood brings nutrients and the greater opportunity for cell regeneration. Just as oral injuries heal quickly in your mouth due to increased blood flow naturally to this region, the Yoga creates a tourniquet effect in most postures, eventually releasing when the pose is done and creating this same concept all over the body.

It is a well known fact that Bikram Yoga improves the working of most of the systems and functions of the body – respiration, digestion, elimination, endocrine and lymphatic – and helps them act in harmony.

The biggest thing that I realized when going into the practice of yoga was that I would not expect immediate results. I began my practice with a chronic injury that I was aware would not see immediate results. It was my only real reason for the beginning of my practice. This gave me the benefit of not looking to SEE immediate results. However, in a few sessions I was already feeling some great physical changes in my body. The changes do appear over time, and is much akin to the peeling of an onion. Layer after layer of changes will begin to appear.

Intensely different/increased flexibility and a more concentrated level of strength was what I noticed first. As my muscles around my knees grew stronger, my knee pain did decrease. I am certain that in all areas of the body that you experience an ailment, over time you'll see the pain level decrease while practicing the Yoga.

Other small changes included the need for less sleep (my body began operating more efficiently, requiring less rest), 90 minutes of any “active” thing, will burn calories. I became much more self aware, more confident and comfortable in my own skin.

My situational depression lifted as the months of regular practice passed. This was bigger than almost any other benefit to me personally. It allowed me to take back my personal power, and gave me access to my own mental strength once again – which I felt that I had lost while experiencing depression.

Alleviating stress and tension in the body, it also helps prevent sports injuries and pain from repetitive and overuse injuries. Building a greater capacity of the lungs and creating marked changes in my diaphragm, I immediately noticed a greater capacity to sing! This was the last thing I expected out of the Yoga. Greater lung capacity can transfer over into ease in other fitness areas as well as every day life. Putting intense simulated stress on the body in postures will help you cope easier in day to day life when stress does pop up.

Increasing your level of balance will keep you from falling over in your day to day routine and crashing into things as often. I'm joking around of course – yet, in all seriousness – Bikram Yoga is challenging, engaging, and different every day while still following the same ritualistic format. Yoga didn't seem very “hard core,” to me as a fitness fanatic, until I gave it a shot.

I was pleasantly surprised by all of the benefits that I've experienced first hand (you'd have to try it to believe all this) and also by the fact that it is no easy, soft task. I enjoy challenges, and that's what the practice of Bikram Yoga will provide. I would have quickly lost interest if it were anything short of a difficult task. Day in, and day out.

The subject is definitely enough that Bikram has written two books, and has a 63 day course of intensive training for aspiring teachers. I will have to cut it short with this expansive introduction to Bikram Yoga.

Stay tuned for my next post on my 30 day Bikram Yoga challenge writeup.

Who I am, What I want to blog about, and Why

My name is Angela Santo. I am 25 years old, and I have a lot to share about fitness, injuries, health, lifestyles, nutrition, and anything related to improving the body that we’ve all been graced with. I intend to share this with anyone who is looking for ways to improve their fitness and lifestyle. Anyone looking for inspiration, ideas, guidance, and perhaps a mutual frustration at times with the body. In spite of my youth, life has taken me to a place where I have valuable experiences that others could learn from and perhaps utilize in their own lives.

There are others who would greatly benefit from things that I learned in a slow and scenic way. My experience spans a variety of activities. Let me start out with a brief run down of what those are.
My stories will be about the gateway drug that can be known as “exercise.” At the age of 15, I became addicted to hiking up mountainside trails, hitting the trails every chance I got. Rain, or shine – I was huffing and puffing up those rocky, earthy trails. I would take my then-young dog, or I’d go alone. This began my unending addiction to fitness. I didn’t know it then, but I wouldn’t stop pushing myself from the moment I started.

As time progressed, I also walked all over cities nearby. Sometimes barefoot – catching the attention of people locally who were a bit wealthy. Other times I wore footwear and went wandering just to kill time. All of it added up to what was eventually to be a base of fitness and knowledge for years later.

Always addicted to the steep uphill trails that lead to sparkling lakes, glistening waterfalls, or scenic views, I enjoyed nature to the fullest. Through densely wooded forests, or open meadows, over time I picked up a habit of running down the hills. When the hiking season waned during winter times, I began swimming. It got too dark after my work hours were over to hit the trail on any day other than weekends.

Swimming has never been my favorite sport, but I did it to keep my lungs strong, and my body fit. I found it limiting to my schedule – I had to stick with the lap swim times at night.

This frustration led to the evolution of my desire to “experiment,” with something I had always been told just “wasn’t done,” in my family. I ran! These are stories in and of themselves, however – this was the beginning of my addiction to pavement pounding and more trail traversing (at a faster pace.)The months passed, and my boyfriend – the Army soldier decided he would “show me,” circuit training, the kind of training he had learned in the US Army. He said he thought that I would enjoy it. At this point, I was an addicted beginning runner, and prior to that – swam for an hour at a time, when I wasn’t hitting the hiking trail for 2-3 hours at a time. I wasn’t familiar with strength training! Quick burst strength wasn’t what I had a lot of experience with. Quickly, I began to see the benefits.

Open was the door of interval training, and circuits. Short and strong bursts. Combining these things, with a regular running routine, I became an athlete that I didn’t know I could be. At the height of my fitness, my boyfriend (let’s call him Jim, that’s his name) showed me a new circuit. The next day I tried this circuit out. He told me it was known to “smoke,” everyone who did it pretty good. To “smoke,” someone, (an army term) it means to wear them out – to push them to the max, their limit.

I did this routine by myself on a sunny day off. (It was a Monday – April 14th, 2008 to be exact). This was when I injured my knees in the short period of 20 minutes. I felt strong, invincible. It was a moment in time I can recall with vivid alacrity. Running through my head, were thoughts of self love and glorification. I felt strong, and I did the circuit with a finesse I was proud of.

This day impacted the course of my coming months in a way I could not have predicted. I injured myself.

It sent me on some important mental and physical lessons that I believe are of value to me, and anyone willing to listen about them. From medical lessons, physical therapy, depression, eating confusion, mental health, workplace challenges; my list is vast. Fateful was the day that also would one day be the beginning of what I hope to be a lifelong Yoga practice.



This is who I am. I am a young woman who has gone through a series of lessons, I am an athlete, and I’ve always been a writer. I will be writing articles from this background, sharing what I can with you.

My biggest reason for beginning this blog, is to access others who might be struggling, or those who are interested in the journey that is called fitness. Sharing my knowledge will bring me a sense of expression that I feel is missing from my life. If just one or two people can learn from my own path, my own journey – I would be accomplishing what I set out to do.

Maybe I can infuse inspiration for you, the reader just starting out on your fitness journey. Or maybe I can help you – the veteran fitness fanatic make it through a rough spell when you’re benched and don’t know where the path of recovery will end. I mean to connect with those who need it.

Feedback in the form of comments are greatly appreciated. Anything you have to share with me is helpful, whether it be positive or constructive. It is part of my journey now, to connect.