Berkeley Parents Network: Bikram Yoga

Berkeley Parents Network

Bikram Yoga

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Classes & Lessons > Yoga Classes > Bikram Yoga

Re: Yoga Class in El Cerrito
Bikram yoga and pregnancy?
More Yoga Classes

May 2004

Re: Yoga Class in El Cerrito
On San Pablo Avenue and Central Avenue, there is a Bikram Yoga studio, adjacent to Suhaila Salimpur's Dance Class studio.

I'd like to second the recommendation for the new Bikram yoga studio on San Pablo in El Cerrito (kitty corner from Burger King). My husband has been taking classes from the owner and teacher, Mary, for a couple years now, first at her former studio in Orinda, and now in the new facility in El Cerrito. She is a fabulous teacher, and he always comes home VERY glad he went to the class--tired and sweaty, but feeling great. Heidi

Hi I take Bikram Yoga classes at Funky Door Yoga on Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley. There's also a Bikram Yoga studio on San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito. There are people of all ages and body shapes in my classes. And yoga requires so much concentration that everyone in the class should be focused on themselves and not on you!

Bikram is a series of the same poses done in a 90 minute period in a very hot room. Don't let this scare you. The heat is great for people who have a hard time stretching. And on your first class, your goal is simply to stay in the room. If you have to take lots of breaks and watch your classmates, the teacher is OK with that.

For your first class, do not eat two hours prior to class. Wear what you would wear to the beach. Swim shorts are fine. At Funky Door, they have a towel and mat available for free at your first class. Or you can also bring your own. They have a special of one month of unlimited yoga for just $29. Be sure to drink plenty of water before you come to class. You can bring a bottle of water for class, you can purchase water and sports drink at the studio.

Good luck in your yoga search. There are so many types of yoga in the Bay Area that I am sure you will find the type that's right for you! Namaste! Bikram Yoga Fan

October 2003

i'm currently trying to conceive for our second child and am wondering about the risks of continuing my bikram yoga while trying to conceive and then through the first trimester. i don't want to do anything that would be a risk to my pregnancy, since i have recently miscarried. any known dangers from the effects of bikram yoga--rise in room temperature, body temperature, excessive sweating? any information would be greatly appreciated; i have found very little on the web.

Please do not do bikram yoga during ANY part of your pregnancy! I LOVE Bikram yoga and I am a certified yoga teacher. I have heard Bikram instructors advise to not do Bikram during the first trimester only, but I strongly advise to stay away during the entire pregnancy. It would be o.k. if you were born and raised in a country like southern India where your body would be completley accustomed to intense heat upwards of 100-130 degrees. but your body is not and its physiology is not built around extreme temps (nor is the physiology of your growing baby). In the research I have done I believe this intense heat would effect your baby in the same way as a soak in a hot tub. I do however think, and this is also backed by the latest research, that it is very healthy for you to take part in aerobic and cardio-vascular activities: dance classes, other forms of power yoga such as asthanga, biking, and even running if it is comfortable. during my pregnancy I continued to do all of these things including intermediate level yoga classes (modifiying postures when needed to accomodate my growing body.) I was told that all of this physical excercise helped to tone my uterus (and my butt!) I feel that excercising during my pregnancy helped ease my labour and delivery because my body was strong. Jessica

When I went to the obstetrician before conceiving, he told me to avoid any rise in body temperature-- to avoid hot tubs, to avoid exercise that made me sweat vigorously, and to take tylenol if I got a fever. Best of luck!

You should be concerned about overheating while pregnant. When you get too warm blood flows to your skin in an attempt to cool off (which is why we get flushed) -- this diverts blood from your heart and your baby, which is not good.

You may not find information on the web directly related to Bikram yoga and pregnancy, but if you do a google search with ''exercising, pregnant'' you can find a lot. A good resource regarding pregnancy onwards is Dr. Sear's website. Here's an excerpt from his discussion on exercising while pregnant: ''Keep cool. In the first trimester, prolonged body temperatures above 102 degrees F. can be hard on baby's development. Avoid exercising in hot and humid weather. Keep the room cool or well ventilated. Wear loose clothing to allow body heat to be released. Warm up and cool down. During pregnancy your body's extra blood supply knows its priorities: your uterus and its resident. It takes time for your cardiovascular system to ease into the extra demands of exercising muscles. Ease into exercise. Take five minutes to build up to your peak, and then take time to cool down from your peak.''

The link to the Dr. Sear's ''Exercising for Two'' page is: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/t011700.asp

Another good website, which also lists symptoms that would be cause to stop exercising immediately is at: http://health.discovery.com/centers/pregnancy/dummies/exercise.html

You don't have to stop doing yoga as there are a lot of great pre-natal yoga classes out there. I found out about a lot of them at the UC Berkeley Parents website. I was working when pregnant so couldn't take a class during the day - there's a good evening one at 7th Heaven.

Another concern about doing your regular Bikram class versus a pre-natal class is that you might do poses that are not good to do while pregnant. For example, you want to avoid laying on your back for extended periods of time as it constricts blood flow to your heart. Around the 4th month of pregnancy you're balance will be way off. You want to avoid poses that could allow air to enter in the vagina.

One of the hardest things about being pregnant is having to adjust your life and modify the things that you do, but you always have to think about what's best for the baby. Anyway, it's good practice for all the sacrificing that comes once they're born! exercised while pregnant

I was a regular Bikram-yoga goer before I got pregnant. After I found out I was pregnant (a bit of a surprise!), I freaked out when I realized I had been to a few grueling classes in the past month. Everything turned out fine, but I decided that continuing such an intense workout in the heat while pregnant was not for me. I knew I'd always wonder if I was doing any damage to my child. So, if you are at all concerned about the effects of doing Bikram yoga while pregnant, my advice is don't do it. There are lots of other kinds of yoga that are more gentle to your body and don't involve such an extreme environment. Go easy on your body for a while! Carrie

As a Bikram's instructor, my advice to you is: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. sounds basic, but I think it's the best advice I can offer. My teacher went through the Bikram training program in Los Angeles 5, 6 & 7 mos. pregnant. I however, had to give up my Bikram practice my entire pregnancy. It did not feel good or safe to me, so I just had to let it go. (That marked the beginning of letting go of the life I had known as a single person) It is my belief you are different in your childbearing year (the time upon deciding to become pregnant and through the time the baby begins sleeping through the night) so why not address this change? There are asana's you can do to help prepare the body for pregancy, once pregnant find a prenatal class you like and go to that regularly....Bikram will be there once the baby is here. Feel free to email me, I teach prenatal now and i'm happy to share any information that may help you at this time in your life. jnana

I think that if you've had one miscarriage, it would be unwise to do anything extreme to your body while trying to conceive again -- or at any time during the pregnancy. Trust Mother Nature: we did not evolve in the steam vents of volcanoes. ''Moderation in All Things''

I think an issue would be making sure to stay extra hydrated. When my children were infants they both nursed a lot and it seemed like I was always hungry and thirsty. Andrea

I would defininitely NOT do Bikram yoga when only 1 month post-partum! It's great to start yoga then, but I think the heat and rigors of a regular Bikram class would be best left until after 3 months post-partum at the earliest. I've also been taught (I teach Iyengar yoga and have practiced myself for the past 12 years) that jumpings and poses that tighten or build your upper chest muscles (like chataranga dandasana) can impede breastfeeding. Why not check out a mom and baby yoga class for a couple of months, instead (esp. if you haven't practiced in a year)? I loved the mom and baby classes taught by Melanie Green (info at www.berkeleyyoga.com) before my baby started to crawl. Enjoy this time and the chance it offers to be fully present with yourself and your little one! There will be lots of time in your life for a rigorous practice. fellow yogini momma

I wanted to chime in on this one because I am a big fan of Bikram yoga and have been doing it off and on for 5 years. That said, I would never ever do Bikram yoga while pregnant. There have been no studies about how the extreme high temperature affects pregnant women, but intuitively it just can't be good. I have had two children and stopped during both pregnancies. Bikram yoga is a great way to lose weight and reshape your body, but lets face it, it is a very intense work out. The main problem with it is the rise in body temp due to the high temp of the room. You know how pregnant women are not supposed to go in hot tubs? The reason for that is that it is dangerous for a pregnant woman's body temperature to rise above a certain level. While short dips in hot tubs don't necessarily raise your body temp to a dangerous level, Bikram yoga surely does.

The other issue is dehydration. I struggled with staying hydrated during both my pregnancies and the amount of water you lose during b-yoga would make that even more difficult. In fact, I also think Bikram is not great for newly nursing moms. It is essential to stay hydrated in order to keep your milk production up and I know people who had trouble with low milk supply who were doing Bikram right away after giving birth.

The one thing that bothers me about many Bikram yoga instructors is that they have unsubstantiated ideas about how Bikram is a cure all for all ailments. I have even heard them tell people it is safe during pregnancy. I personally would not trust a never pregnant 18 year old yoga instructor to give advice about such an important matter.

That said, I love the intense work out B yoga provides and went back about 3 months post partem after each baby was born.

Anyway, I was so sick during my first trimesters that the though of being in a sweaty hot room was intolerable. Remember, pregnancy is a time to pamper yourself. Moderate exercise is great but anything that feels that extreme should probably be avoided. So take a break and then start up again once you've had the baby and have your milk supply well established. bikram mommy

Bikram yoga is totally inappropriate for pregnancy. It is, in fact, not even suitable for everybody as proponents of it may say, simply because it is a set sequence that does not take into considerations the needs and bodies of different people. Indeed the classes I went to offered no modifications but instead the instructor shouted at us to push push it and try and force our way into poses. This coupled with the heat made it completely inappropriate for me.

I would recommend a pre natal course. Not only does the instructor understand the specific needs of pregnant women, but if she is good she should teach you poses etc that might actually help with different pregnancy issues and/or labour. I highly recommend Barbara Papini at The Yoga Room. Finally if you feel you would like to get a book on the subject and do your own practice then I recommend Janet Balakas's book 'Preparing for Birth with Yoga'. I went to Barbara's class once a week and did my own practise at home and felt it really contributed to my overall well being during my pregnancy. anon

I did Bikram yoga throughout my pregnancy, and my son was born healthy. I did modify many of the poses with the help of my instructor, who had also done Bikram yoga during her pregnancy. There is a video tape of the modified Bikram poses for pregnancy.

I also stayed in the coolest part of the room, and if I started to feel overheated, left the room or just lay down. I think a good dose of common sense is certainly required, but that it is quite safe to do the modified routine.

It also really helped with my nausea. I would come in to class almost ready to throw up, and leave feeling much better.

However, after delivery, I waited 3 months before starting the series again. And at first, it really hurt my milk-filled breasts to lie face down on the mat during that part of the sequence.

All that being said, though, I think sometimes the Bikram sequence is taught by instructors who go overboard on telling you to push yourself too hard. You should never strain in yoga. Overdoing it on stretches can cause injury. Intense bending of the spine (especially forward), after your abdominal muscles have been weakened by pregnancy, can lead to spinal disc injuries if done incorrectly.

Listen to your body, modify the poses accordingly, and yoga can be very beneficial. I had a very short labor and a completely natural childbirth. At least part of that I credit to Bikram yoga. loves the Bikram sequence

July 2003

Re: Acupuncturists for Carpal Tunnel? (July 2003)

You did mention you are interested in ''other alternatives'' to surgery also. Several people I know have found relief for severe carpal tunnel by doing Bikram yoga (''hot'' yoga done in a heated room). Being a very nervous first-time nursing mom, I also had extreme pain in my wrists (but didn't have time to go to the doctor, so I don't know if I had carpal tunnel problems or not) which this yoga helped considerably. There are several positions in particular that are very helpful for wrist and arm problems. The yoga can be quite athletic, although anyone of any age and any ability and flexibility level can benefit (Even my aunt with scleroderma found some relief by going to class in the heated room and moving as much as she could). I have been going to studios in Berkeley, Oakland, Orinda and Walnut Creek since 1998. Try it; it is great for you and addictive (even though the heat is somewhat overwhelming the first time you go). See the following websites for more information:

Orinda/Walnut Creek: http://www.bikrameastbay.com/
Berkeley: http://www.funkydooryoga.com/berkeley.html
Oakland: http://www.oaklandyoga.com/
In general:  http://www.bikramyoga.com/

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