As yoga grows in popularity through the world and becomes more recognizable, yoga classes themselves are starting to specialize into different kinds of yoga that can be performed. Of these different ways of performing yoga, Bikram Yoga is one that was invented in the United States, rather than in India, where yoga originated. Let's look at what makes Bikram Yoga different from traditional yoga.

A Hot Environment

One of the key features of Bikram Yoga is the environment that it's practiced in: a room that is heated to about 105 degrees Fahrenheit and with air that's about at 50% humidity. This is key to the philosophy of this form of yoga, which is to not only improve the body's breathing and flexibility, but the body's circulation as well, according to Bikram Choudhury, the creator of Bikram Yoga. The higher temperature helps to get the blood flowing to meet that end.

The Poses

Though there are many different poses in yoga, Bikram Yoga is concerned with a series of 26 poses as well as two specific breathing exercises. These poses are so key to this particular form of yoga that the creator of this form of yoga has had the specific order of these poses that he uses copyrighted. This has become an important issue, as Bikram has had his copyright for these poses challenged in court, due to claims that you can't copyright a series of poses that comes from traditional yoga poses.

Finding An Instructor

As the creator of Bikram Yoga recommends, your best bet is to find someone that has been certified as a Bikram Yoga instructor. In order to control the quality of Bikram Yoga instruction, Bikram Choudhury does not allow this form of yoga to be taught without a license from his company, something which he uses his copyrights to attempt to enforce.

Beyond legal reasoning, it makes sense to find someone certified in Bikram Yoga to teach you since they have been through the training for teaching this form of yoga. This means that they can adequately explain safety concerns when practicing Bikram Yoga and are well-versed in the 26 poses in this form of yoga and the correct way to perform them. What you'll get from giving this form of yoga a try is greater flexibility, a strong circulatory system, and more controlled breathing, among other health benefits. Given that, if you're willing to brave the heat, then trying Bikram Yoga might be a good idea for you.