Answered by DR. INDU ARORA

Q: I have recently started Bikram yoga six days a week. I feel great; I have lost inches; and my skin glows. I want to know how Bikram yoga is different from other forms of yoga when it comes to losing weight. I am not able to find the pros and cons for each. Please explain – I just want to know more on this subject.

Divya Tandon

A: Yoga is the most natural way to stay tuned with the innate nature of our being. The real answers are often found within us. Your experience is your best teacher. If your body, mind and skin exude health and glow, then it is the strongest evidence. To add to it further, yoga is one, it is a union. Every person understands the same yoga in different ways but it all comes down to breathing, alignment, focus and relaxation. Bikram yoga is just another form of yoga like Vinyasa, Kundalini, etc. What works for you is best for you. The only difference in Bikram yoga is the additional heat or temperature factor. With my understanding of yoga, the Pranayama, asanas and kriyas usually create adequate heating and/or cooling effect in the body as desired by the individual body itself to reach a state of optimum health. Weight management is almost a complimentary gift of engaging the self in such an activity where body is seen with a holistic viewpoint and not just by its physiology and anatomy.

 

Q: I experience a problem with my left knee whereas the x-ray suggests that there is none. I think it probably started when one day I was practicing Padmasana. The following day I was in a lot of pain. The pain is mostly to the right of the left kneecap. The yoga therapist sensed that there was a sprain in the soft tissue; he suggested two massages in about four days. Most of the pain has decreased, but I still feel soreness and inflammation. There is a slight crack/sound in the knee when I bring them together slowly as if I’m pedaling the feet. I play a lot of sports, but previously too I had a problem with my back but with regular practice of Paschimottanasana, I felt flexible and strong. Should I continue the practice of Padmasana?

Sarath Kumar

A: All yogasanas and Pranayama aim at one goal, which is to be able to sit in Padmasana for as long as you desire for the practice of deep meditation. Padmasana should be one of the most advanced asanas to practice. It is not just about flexibility, but it also helps in the cleansing of the subtle nervous system (nadis). I would suggest you practice Nadi Shodhan Pranayama, forty rounds two times a day, for the cleansing of the nadis and chakras. Avoid any intense movement, heavy weights and exertion until your pain and inflammation have subsided. Simple leg exercises may help in the quick recovery by strengthening the knee joints and the muscle groups around them. The two main muscle groups that control knee movement and stability are the quadriceps and the hamstrings.