Hot Yoga

So lately my workout of choice has been "Hot Yoga" or "Bikram Yoga". I first found out about this kind of yoga in April's edition of Shape magazine. Jenny McCarthy's on the cover and she looks freaking amazing!

Hot yoga is a series of yoga poses performed in a heated room (between 95 and 105 degree). Every move is held for 1 minute....and that 1 minute feels like forever with some poses! You start to feel the burn within 30 seconds.

Hot yoga will purify the body of toxins, improve flexibility and range of motion, enhance the immune system, and promote weight loss.

I'm excited about the hot summers here in Arkansas because I'll be able to perform these exercises in my garage without having to use the electric heater!!

It's a very challenging workout.




Here are a few of my favorites. You can find all poses and wonderful videos and helpful techniques on how to breath on The Hot Yoga Doctor website.




Awkward pose: This pose is challenging....my legs shake like a leaf! But, I think it is my favorite 'cause I can feel it working and I love a good leg workout.

• Improves overall body strength
• Opens pelvis
• Strengthens and tones leg muscles
• Relieves menstrual cramping
• Reduces fat pocket under buttocks
• Aligns skeletal system
• Good for arthritis conditions
• Good for digestion
• Relieves joint pain
• Relieves sciatica
• Improves flexibility in toes and ankles
• Exercises liver, intestines, and pancreas

Triangle pose: This pose feels so good. I love the stretch I feel on my sides.

• An excellent cardiovascular workout
• Intensely stretches each side of the body
• Opens and increases flexibility of hip joints
• Reduces saddle bags
• Good for kidneys, thyroid and adrenal glands
• Opens shoulder joint, good for frozen shoulder
• Strengthen and tones legs and buttocks
• Helps regulate hormone levels
• Works all muscular groups simultaneously
• Helps conditions of constipation, colitis, low blood pressure, appendicitis, spondylitis, menstrual disorders

Half moon: This pose will help trim your waist line!!!

• Works into the whole skeletal and circulatory systems
• Opens shoulder joints
• Good for frozen shoulder
• Reduces or eliminates pain in the lower back
• Good for abdominal obesity
• Improves and strengthens every muscle in the central part of the body Increase the flexibility of the spine
• Tones the spinal nerves and abdominal organs inproving the working of the bowels
• Increases flexibility and strength of rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, oblique, deltoid and trapezius muscles
• Helps with sciatic problems
• Alleviates anxiety and reduces mental stress
• Stimulates pituitary gland
• Exercises colon, pancreas, kidneys, muscular, skeletal, respiratory and glandular systems
• Firms and trims waistline, hips, abdomen, buttocks and thighs

Standing bow pulling pose: This one I can only hold for about 30 seconds. My balance is a little unsteady still. I am getting better at this pose though.

• Stimulates cardiovascular system
• Increases circulation to heart and lungs
• Opens diaphragm
• Opens shoulder joint
• Helps frozen shoulder conditions
• Improves spine elasticity
• Improves strength and balance
• Reduces abdominal fat
• Helps regulate ovaries and prostate gland

Overall it is one of the best workouts I've tried! It's hot, you sweat, it's deeply cleansing and it makes you feel healthy and complete after your workout. I can feel the toxins dripping out of me...oh wait, that's the sweat...yeah, toxins!!!

You have to drink plenty of water after the workout; I found that if I didn't I got a headache.

So what are you waiting on.....go try this workout!! Let me know what you think.

Oh and if my body gets smoking hot like Jenny's is because of this workout....I'll post a picture of me in a bikini.