What is Hot Yoga and where does this style of Yoga originate

Hot yoga or given its proper name Bikram Yoga, was developed by Bikram Choudhury, who claims that his method is the only true hatha yoga practiced in the West.

Bikram has designed a sequence of 26 asana yoga postures and 2 breathing exercises that are performed in a heated room.

The postures are vigorous and demand a lot from the students. The heated room, typically set around 95 - 105 degrees fahrenheit (35 - 40 degrees celsius) makes muscles more pliant and encourages sweating which acts as a purifier.

People of all levels, ages and body types practice together with a teacher acting as a guide, taking the class through the ninety-minute series.

Bikram teaches at the Yoga College of India in Mumbai and other locations around the world, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris and Tokyo.