Bikram yoga is great for toning muscles, increasing flexibility and boosting your mental state, but hot yoga also benefits your digestive system. Many of the poses performed during a Bikram session are designed to alleviate digestive problems and improve the functioning of your digestive system. Bikram is a demanding form of yoga with many health benefits; always talk to your doctor before attempting a session of hot yoga for the first time.
Bloating Relief
Bikram targets a malfunctioning digestive system by encouraging the release of negative energy and toxins that have built up in the body. For those who suffer from abdominal bloating, indigestion, heartburn and flatulence, Bikram yoga is a natural remedy for these frustrating and embarrassing issues. The specific poses and the order in which they are performed target all of the vital body organs and are designed to restore them to a properly functioning state.
Constipation Remedy
Practicing Bikram improves the body's circulation and encourages motility for those who suffer from a sluggish digestive system. The particular body postures required in a Bikram session are designed to release blocked energies and facilitate the movement of waste out of the body. Stress is a common cause of constipation and bowel irregularities, and Bikram features poses designed to calm the mind and body and release pent-up stress.
Intestinal Cleansing
The heated environment of a Bikram yoga session encourages a natural cleansing of your digestive system. Performing Bikram's rigorous postures in such a hot space will make you sweat more, releasing toxins from the body. The specific movements of Bikram yoga cause the intestines and other vital organs to constrict and expand, improving circulation and functioning. Drink plenty of water before and after a session to replenish your body of fluids and to facilitate the flushing of toxins from your body.
Digestion Repair
Bikram yoga includes several meditative deep breathing poses that support the healing of an overstimulated digestive system. By stilling the mind and body and opening up your awareness, you are able to focus on the reasons your digestive system is malfunctioning. Replenishing the body with fresh oxygen stimulates circulation and restores vital organs to optimum working order. Since many digestive issues are aggravated by stress, it is vital to reduce your physical and mental stress levels to encourage your digestive system to repair itself.
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Writer Bio
Joy Johnston has been an online journalist since 2005. She has served as senior producer for the health news website Sharecare and as a digital producer for the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution," where she helped develop the health channel. Johnston has also covered ways to stay fit in Atlanta.