Bikram Yoga Postures

Standing Deep Breathing (Pranayama)

• Good for the lungs and respiratory system
• Helps lung reach maximum expansion capacity
• Good for asthma, shortness of breath, and nervousness
• Increases circulation to the body

Half moon (Ardha Chandrasana)

• Gives quick energy and vitality
• Heats up the body
• Trims stomach, buttocks, hips and thighs
• Improves flexibility of the spine
• Promotes proper kidney function
• Cures enlargement of liver and spleen

Hands-to-Feet Pose (Pada Hastasana)

• Improves blood circulation to the brain and legs
• Increases of flexibility of spine and sciatic nerves
• Strengthens the biceps of thighs and calves
• Strengthens rectus abdominus, gluteus maximus, oblique, deltoid and trapezius muscles

Awkward pose – (Utkatasana)

• Strengthens and firms muscles of thighs, calves and hips
• Increases flexibility of hip joints
• Firms upper arms
• Relieves joint and muscular pain
• Increases circulation to knees and ankles
• Relieves rheumatism, arthritis and gout
• Helps cure slipped disc and lumbago in lower spine

Eagle pose (Garurasana)

• Flushes out the kidneys
• Brings blood to sexual organs
• Improves sexual vitality
• Firms calves, thighs, hips, abdomen, and upper arms
• Improves flexibility of the major joints in the body (hips, knees, ankles)
• Strengthens latissimus dorsi, trapezius and deltoid muscles

Standing Head to Knee Pose (Dandayamana Janushirasana)

• Develops concentration, determination and patience
• Good for cardiovascular system
• Tightens abdominal and thigh muscles
• Improves flexibility of the sciatic nerves
• Strengthens tendons, biceps of thigh muscles, and hamstrings in legs

Standing Bow Pose (Dandayamana Dhanurasana)

• Increases circulation to heart and lungs
• Improves elasticity of the spine
• Creates marriage between strength and balance
• Activates digestive system

Balancing Stick Pose (Tulandandasana)

• Increases blood flow all over the body at the same time
• Allows all arteries of the heart to receive blood flow
• Preventative for cardiac problems
• Relieves stress from spine
• Builds strength in lower extremities
• Works all muscles of spine and lower extremeties

Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose (Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimottanasana)

• Good for depression, loss of memory, constipation and abdominal obesity
• Increases circulation to adrenal glands
• Increases circulation to brain
• Strengthens diaphram
• Releases tension in lower back muscles

Triangle Pose (Trikanasana)

• Works all muscles, joints, tendons and internal organs
• Revitalizes nerves, veins, and tissues
• Compression good for kidneys
• Firms upper thighs and hips, slims waistline and improves muscles upper arms
• Cadiovascular benefit with little movement

Standing Separate Leg Head-to-Knee Pose (Dandayamana Janushirasana)

• Good for digestive and endocrine systems, metabolism, body chemistry and immune system
• Slims abdomen, waistline, hips, buttocks and upper thighs
• Increases the flexibility of the spine and the sciatic nerves and of most of the tendons and ligaments of the legs, and strengthens the biceps of thighs and calves.
• Improves blood circulation in the legs and to the brain, and strengthens the rectus abdominus, gluteus maximus, oblique, deltoid, and trapezius muscles.

Tree pose (Tadasana)

• Creates hip and knee flexibility
• Creates total body traction
• Releases abdominal tension
• Good for arthritis, rheumatism, circulatory disorders and lower extremity weakness
• Preparation for lotus pose

Toe Stand (Padangustasana)

• Develops psychological and mental powers-especially patience
• Physically, it helps to cure gout and rheumatism of the knees, ankles and feet.
• Helps cure hemorrhoid problems

Wind-Removing Pose (Pavanamuktasana)

• Cures and prevents flatulence which is source of most chronic abdominal discomforts
• Improves flexibility of hip joints
• Firms abdomen, thighs and hips

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

• Good for digestion, kyphosis, scoliosis, low back pain, blood pressure, menstrual disorders, spondylo-arthritis of lumbar spine
• Increases spine strength especially in the lower spine

Locust Pose  (Salabhasana)

• Good for gout, back pain, lumbago, blood pressure, sciatica, scoliosis, kyphosis, slipped disc, spondylosis, tennis elbow, varicose veins
• Increases spine strength especially in the upper spine

Full Locust Pose (Poorna Salabhasana)

• Good for low back pain, low blood pressure, scoliosis, kyphosis, spondylosis, varicose veins
• Increases spine strength especially in the middle spine

Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

• Good for anorexia, bronchitis, constipation, diabetes, low back pain, obstructive lung disease, scoliosis and kyphosis
• Increases strength of entire spine

Fixed Firm Pose (Supta Vajrasana)

• Increases circulation to the lower limbs
• Strengthens and improves the flexibility of the lower spine, hips, knees and ankle joints
• Good for lower back pain, sciatica, gout, rheumatism and varicose veins
• Helps prevent hernia
• Strengthens psoas muscules

Half Tortoise Pose (Ardha Kurmasana)

• Good for indigestion, flatulence, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, anorexia, diabetes and low back pain
• Stretches the lower part of the lungs (good for asthma)
• Increases flexibility of the hip joints and muscles of the shoulder joints
• Relieves neck and shoulder tension, low back pain and firms abdomen and thighs
• Increases blood flow to the brain (good for memory and mental clarity)

Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

• Excellent for postural alignment
• Creates maximum compression of the spine which stimulates the nervous system
• Improves flexibility of the neck and spine, relieves backache, helps kypho-scolitic deformities and cervical spondylosis

Rabbit Pose (Sasangasana)

• Creates maximum extension of the spine increasing the mobility and elasticity of spine and back muscles
• Good for depression, headaches, insomnia, diabetes and respiratory illness
• Good for thyroid and parathyroid glands
• Relieves tension in neck, shoulders and back muscles

Stretching Pose Paschimotthanasana

• Improves flexibility of the sciatic nerve and joints of the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows and wrists
• Increases flexibilty of the last five vertebrae of the spine
• Excellent for the immune and lymphatic systems
• Increases circulation to the liver, spleen, pancreas, thyroid, thymus and intestines
• Good for allergies and arthritis

Half Spinal Twist Pose (Ardha Matsendrasana)

• Improves flexibility of the spine and hip joints
• Relieves back pain and helps prevent slipped discs
• Good for lumbago, rheumatism of the spine, kyphosis, scoliosis, cervical spondylosis and arthritis
• Increases circulation to the spinal nerves, veins and tissues
• Calms the nervous system

Blowing in Firm Pose (Kapalbhati in Vajrasana)

• Strengthens all the abdominal organs and increases the circulation
• Strengthens the abdominal wall and trims the waistline
• Allows the body to release toxins through the respiratory system