I'm an Ashtanga-yoga girl and the one time I did Bikram, I've never felt so nauseated. I couldn't do all the poses because I felt so light-headed. Then I spent the rest of the day trying to feel normal again, it was like being hungover!

i completely agree with this article. i did bikram yoga for 4 months almost 4 to 5 times a week and i did not lose any weight. i felt amazing and did tone up a bit, but i did not lose that layer of fat around my mid-section that i wanted to lose. combining bikram or another form of yoga with regular cardio is definitely the best way to lose that weight.

My bff did tons of Bikram yoga (easily 5 times a week, for an hour and a half each time), and while she 'toned up' she didn't lose a lot of weight (and I'm not talking weight on the scale, I'm going by the way she looked and by how her clothes fit her). She's recently switched to 'power yoga' and she says she prefers it to Bikram.

However, another friend of mine lost a lot of weight once she started doing Bikram, so I guess it depends on the person.

When I lived "downtown," I was across the street from a bikram studio and would go several times a week...I was also working out, but was in the best shape of my after-high-school life!

I want to try bikram so bad! Love to sweat, love yoga!

I prefer Ashtanga or Vinyasa. You sweat because you're moving so much, so you gradually warm up your muscles. I think it's better for your body that way.

my dad loves bikram. He doesn't need to lose weight, so he just loves the stretching. It's awesome for the day after he surfs and is sore from that.

OMG! I just went for my annual checkup two weeks ago, and my dociter kept raving about this Bikram yoga! I've been thinking about it but I don't do any yoga! I wonder if I should take another type of yoga first...

*doctor (oops!)

I love yoga and do it avidly but Bikram - not so much. You end up sweating so much that it becomes difficult to hold even downward dog. Plus sweat drips into your eyes. Ugh. I'd rather sweat from running.

I enjoyed some Bikram yoga classes awhile back and they are definitely worth trying. But I feel a lot better with my ashtanga, rocket, and power yoga classes. Warming up doesn't take too long and I get a great stretch and an even better muscle workout. I like being out of the Bikram yoga because I'm not constantly worried that I pushed too far or am I going to pass out. I can really focus.

I agree that it may not be the most effective way to burn calories (and therefore, lose pounds) but it DEFINITELY is a great form of exercise! Bikram always leaves me feeling great, my arms and legs get sculpted, and it really helps with posture and back problems by strengthening. Give it a try!

i taught bikram yoga for several years and i saw many students lose weight. these were usually the folks who had been doing NOTHING for exercise before coming to classes. and burning calories just doing what they were able to do in the hot room benefitted they greatly. they came regularly(3-7 days a week)and watched what they ate. but just like all programs, after the inital weight loss you have to start changing up your routine to keep the results coming. unfortunately bikram yoga's dogma does not allow for that change of routine. ideally, mix bikram yoga with cardio and weight training. other flowing style yogas such as power, vinyasa and ashtanga ofter offer enough variety and constant movement to keep your body "fooled" into thinking "hey this is new". and there's nothing pretties than a strong set of ashtanga shoulders in a tank top!

BTW, michlny- there is no down dog in the bikram yoga series. but sweat indeed does get in your eyes while in the hot room. i'm a heat lover... sweat in my eyes?...YAY!!!

oops! nothing * prettier* than those ashtanga shoulders...

I always wanted to try Bikram - but a few of you make it sound dreadful!

I love to sweat, and miss the heat (having moved from a place where its 105 in the summer to SF), I've been wanting to try Bikram for a while now.

I've always wanted to try it, but I have a very low tolerance for extreme heat. I think I'd get dizzy and nauseous and feel like I was going to pass out! All in all, not so much fun. I'll stick to pilates thankyouverymuch!

I love Bikram but more as a tool to help diagnose areas of my body that aren't quite healthy. For me I can pinpoint when something is not going right fast like a sinus infection, back problem, stomach issue, etc. I don't think it is a reliable weight loss tool since most immediate effects are water-related anyway.

I guess theoretically it makes you lose weight...water weight, that is. I never got into yoga that much, but I don't think I'd like the Bikram yoga. I get really nauseous when I work out in the heat, so I don't know if I'd like to be in a room that hot.

I do Bikram because I get such a high afterwards. It's the best post-workout high I've ever had. You chicas who have done Bikram know what I'm talking about, right?

I love doing Bikram yoga. It makes you feel so good after you are done with a session. I like taking it at night going home taking a shower and then going to bed. I always sleep so well after a class!

I do bikram about twice a week and have been doing it on and off for the last 5 years. I absolutely love it, you really do get a high from it. And not only will you lose weight, but you will completely change your body, both inside and out.

I don't think I'd enjoy sweating so much. I couldn't tolerate it.

I would like to try it, but I don't think I'd be able to deal with the heat.

When I lived close to a bikram studio 2 years ago I went to a bikram class (5 days a week) for about seven months and was in the best shape of my life, physically and mentally. I still did other things to work out as well, but mainly did bikram and felt so strong and toned. Most studios offer a free first class or some sort of beginner deal, it's such a unique experience I highly recommend giving it a shot. At the very least you'll have some funny, 'oh this one time I went to a bikram yoga class...' stories!

I've been to one Bikram class. Never again! It was so hot I blacked out 3 times during the class and then afterwards I felt hungover all day even though I drank buckets of water. It was truly the most awful experience of my life exercise-wise. I guess it didn't help that it was the height of summer in Hong Kong, which I'm already not used to coming from a temperate climate, so when the instructor turned the heater up I couldn't believe it!

And it wasn't that I'm unfit - I work in a gym and I'm training to be an Ashtanga teacher! I'll stick to my Ashtanga practice.. I do 5 mysore classes a week and I look way better than I've ever looked, including when I was doing weights/cardio at the gym 6 days a week! Insane. I guess it just works for me.

Bikram yoga is true Hatha yoga, and it is amazing. It's the best form of yoga out there.

And, it IS CARDIO. Your heart beats so fast in some poses (standing-bow pose especially.) It's a good cardio workout.

And yes, you can lose weight from Bikram. Don't go into it expecting to lose weight after one class, but if you do it a few times a week, and you have a proper diet, you will lose weight over time.

Don't listen to people who claim to be "true yoga experts" and say bad things about any type of Hatha yoga.

i find aerobics or step aerobics to be most effective for weight loss. and it produces so much energy.

I did Bikram for a year, and I did not lose weight. I loved how I felt the day after the class, but not directly after the class because I would always get a migraine. Bikram really changed my body...negatively and positively. I got great tone in my legs, like outrageous tone in my legs...but everywhere else kinda started to go south, FAST. So, after my yoga contract finished, I started the gym thing again with other types of yoga, cardio, and weights, to try and tighten things up.

Both my friend and I did Bikram yoga regularly last summer, 3-5 times a week. Both of us lost a significant amount of weight. I found that a Yoga routine combined with Weight Watchers plan had helped. But when I stopped both I gained the weight back. With exercise, in order to get the benefit you have to push yourself further and harder the next time you perform it. Also, just toning your body can do wonders for your appearance.

P.S. No one loses weight with exercise alone, you also need to keep tract of the calories you are taking in, not just the ones you are burning. If you are having trouble losing weight, I would suggest seeing a nutritionist.

I completely disagree with the statement,
"I'm sorry to say that it won't help you shed pounds"
This is completely untrue. I am an avid runner with a muscular lower body. I initially started Bikram Yoga to help with my flexibility.
After 3 months of practicing, I'm not only almost pain free..but I've dropped 3 sizes. A fellow yogi has dropped 35 pounds in 6 months.
The practice is not only challenging..but after wearing a heart rate monitor for a 90 minute Bikram Yoga class, it calculated that I burned almost 800 calories.
-Bikram WILL HELP YOU SHED POUNDS....and allows for the long, lean, sculpted look.
DON'T KNOCK 'TILL YOU TRY IT!

I was an avid Bikram follower for 3 solid years, attending classes a minimum of 5 times a week. I even completed the "Bikram Challenge" and did 60 classes in 60 days...I loved this yoga (still do)!!!! Full time student status has restricted my ability to attend classes for the last 12 months.
The "thing" about Bikram is getting past the heat factor...it is hard to really get into the poses and work the appropriate muscles when you are cursing yourself for 90 minutes, struggling to maintain your balance and wondering HOW LONG are they going to hold this %$#@!@ pose!?!?!? (that's what I did when I started anyhow).
Thus, the results assocaited with THAT much sweat may not be seen right away. It will change your body (and mind, if you are interested in that), but not right away.

I like Bikram yoga, but I think the weight loss is a result of the detoxing and me losing my appetite for foods that aren't really good for me. I think I'll loose much more when I incorporate cardio back into my plan with the yoga...

I've been doing Bikram for 6 weeks, 4 to 5 times per week, and I've lost 12 pounds so far. I have about 15 more to go to reach the goal I started with. I've never done any kind of yoga before. I hated the heat at first. I still hate it, but have found that the challenge of tolerating and overcoming it has increased my stamina and endurance in other activities as well as my self-esteem and powers of concentration and will. This is definitely not the best workout for people who value comfort over achievement. But it teaches you many things: how to listen, to be humble, that you are capable of more than you thought you were if you apply yourself, and more. I went to the doctor for a physical a week before I started Bikram, and when I went back for a followup a month later, my doc could not believe the transformation. He says I look healthier than I have in years. I feel that way too. My advice to anyone thinking of trying Bikram is to give it a fair shot: Go to 10 classes or so before you judge whether it's right for you or not. It took me about 7 or 8 classes before my dread of attending the next class turned into anticipation. Now, when I skip even one day, I feel like I'm missing out. This yoga is highly addictive! Try it!

Oh, and by the way, I'm 47 years old. If I can do it, so can you!

I love Bikram. I started in 2 summers ago.. went on hiatus for a year and picked it back up again this summer. I haven't lost as much weight as I did that first summer, but I am fully addicted to it. My start was the same as most... felt totally ill the first time, didn't hydrate enough the next four times and ended up with a huge headache. I eat fruit and veggies all the time now. This time around, I am noticing how this yoga is helping me change my eating habits. I do try to do cardio, but love bikram so much, I use my precious free time on that instead! Do try it!!! and believe EVERYTHING on this board!

My experience with Bikram has been nothing but wonderful. Yes, the heat was something to adjust to and, as the studio advised, it took about 3 - 4 classes to get used to the heat for 90 minutes. I am trying to take at least 4 classes a week with the goals of losing some weight and gaining in flexibility. I believe I can reach those goals. For those who have experienced dizziness and nausea -- I also felt dizzy for the first few classes. Some poses were more "dizzy" inducing than others, like the rabbit and the camel for me. I listen to my body, ease myself into those poses if I feel the energy to do so, or I ride them out and stay in a Dead Pose until we move to the next in the series. The sweating was also something for me to get used to and, like the heated room, it took a few classes. I am there for me, do not care what I look like, sweat profusely (!), wear a bandana, and high-tail it home to shower. Showering after class is so wonderful and the hours following I feel so energized and healthy! Oh, by the way, I am over 50 years old and am exeperiencing inflexibility in my joints to the point that it's difficult to take the stairs or get in and out of my car. Since going to Bikram, I am seeing improvement. I echo an earlier post who is 47 years old. If I can do, trust me...ANYONE can!

I think running was the sole contributor to my weight loss, but I just started doing Bikram at home (just holding the poses for 1 min without the heat) and it did contribute too. I was finding it tough to get rid of the last few pounds, so I tried Bikram. The scale moved! I wasn't sweating like in a Bikram studio, so I didn't think it was water weight. But I have to say, nothing works better than running for me. Took me only 6 months to drop down 3 sizes. But the high I get from running and bikram, is definitely the same. I want to try Ashtanga next!

I have been doing Bikram Yoga for about three months. I started very slow (once a week) because I had to let time pass to get over the fear of the heat. The poses are not a breeze either, especially since I also weight train and had very tight shoulders and hamstrings. Anyhow, I increased my practice to two times a week, then three and just this last week I completed five days. I have not stepped on the scale for about two weeks but I have noticed that my arms are thinner. The rest, especially the mid section, is still somewhat the same . I don't have the best diet but, but I don't have the worse either. I do have to say that the "cravings" for food (my favorite: wine and salty things) have gone away. I even find myself asking myself, if I want to eat something only to realize that I don't! So all of that was just a little pre information before I go to the "real" issue that I have with Bikram (hot) yoga and the fact that I don't find related posts. Although I do agree that this yoga is addictive, I have a love hate relationship with it. It's dreadful when I am in that room and heaven once it's over. The physical feeling certainly is AMAZING once you are done. My problem with it is my FACE/skin. I am one of those unfortunate women who has Malesma (brown spots in the face/pregnancy mask) which is usually common on "pregnant" women due to their hormones. These spots worsen with sun exposure or heat and here is where this yoga comes in. So after finally getting a cream called Tri-Luma which worked very well, I started doing this yoga and I am back to square one. My face looks horrible!. I am 38 and look 30 but the spots are dreadful and are starting to really age me. To make things worse, I have recently inherited Seborrheic Dermatitis which is another nasty skin condition, which is also flared up by "heat". Any thoughts besides telling me to stay away from the "heat" and this type of class? I really like it and I am insanely hoping that this is all just a form of detox.

I love Bikram. I started it about a year ago, after years of no exercise except just walking to class and whatnot. I lost about 20-30 pounds and 4-5 pants sizes after only 3 months of going 5-6 times a week. (It even helped me quit smoking!) I hit a plateau eventually, and then I stopped Bikram altogether for about 4 months. I've gotten back into it for 3 months. I haven't weighed myself, but my clothes are starting to fit better for sure, and people are asking if I've lost weight.

I think the most effective part of Bikram is the change in behavior. My cravings for fast food, junk food and soda diminished and my cravings for fruits/veggies and water increased. Although I've started to smoke again, my desire to smoke is definitely less strong when I go to class regularly. I found it's most effective going as often as possible. I hate missing a class because when I go back, it's harder, so if I have miss class 2 or 3 times a week, I try to spread it out, so as not to miss too many days of class.