Reflection Paper On Yoga

In reading about the various religions in class the most intriguing and colorful religion to learn about has been Hinduism. In order to explore this religion more I decided to try Bikram Yoga at the Bikram’s Yoga College of India in San Francisco. Since Hinduism itself is very individualistic in regards of its practices, I chose this practice to participate in because it originated from India and Hindu traditions as well as integrated important forms of the mind, body, and sounds together.

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Yoga itself is defined as the yogic practice. It is often interpreted as a union of mind and body. In order to fully engage in a session a person must tune in deeply to their breathing and thinking patterns. Sri Patanjali who is considered the “father of yoga,” is credited with creating the three Yoga Sutras. Bikram Chodroy is the creator of Bikram Yoga. The Sutras are the three threads of yoga. They are loosely dated back from 5000 A.D. In the western part of the world, yoga is primarily broken down into three criteria’s of asana (postures), breathing (pranayama) and meditation.

In my experience, the session of Bikram yoga first started out in a room of at least 105 degrees with about twenty to thirty people. In the very beginning of the class before the major poses began I noticed that the instructor rung a bell one time. The ring was meant to eliminate any distractions and help the yoga student’s focus solely on their mind and current thought. In doing further research about the meaning of the bell in Hinduism I found out that the ringing of a bell is a sacred symbol. “Temple worship starts at the Brahmamuhurtam or around four in the early morning by lighting up the lamp and ringing the gong bell accompan...

... middle of paper ...

...nhance the antidepressant effects of this form of yoga.” Since the heat

promotes sweating it allows for the body to become more flexible during and after the session.

And the more flexible the body can become it is less susceptible to injury in the future.

While I have practiced normal vinyasa yoga before I never participated in Bikram yoga. There are significant differences between the two. I feel that doing Bikram yoga I am more connected to how my body feels because of the addition of extreme heat. I thoroughly did enjoy it more than the yoga I had done before. Although I will not do this practice for any particular religious reason I will continue to practice Bikram yoga along with other forms of yoga as a means of keeping my mind and body healthy. I also like the fact that yoga itself has a deeper meaning and comes from a place of peace and importance.