The authentic form of Bikram yoga originated with yogi Bikram Choudhury in 1974. Choudhury developed a series of 26 asanas to be performed in a particular sequence in a heated room of 80-105 degrees Fahrenheit.
Since its introduction, Bikram yoga has been under hot debate, so to speak. As a practitioner of Chinese medicine, I'm obligated to side with the doubters. Bikram's high intensity and temperatures means it's not for everyone; in fact it's a particularly bad way to exercise for certain types of energetic constitutions.
From a Chinese medical perspective, excessive sweating depletes the body of energy, specifically qi and yin fluids. Though many feel invigorated after such a vigorous workout, the underlying energy of the body is actually becoming quite deficient. Long-term depletion of the qi and yin of the body can create or worsen symptoms of imbalance such as fatigue, headache, digestive and immune problems and more.
Worse still, excessive sweating and depletion of qi and yin can actually cause the body to retain extra weight. This is especially frustrating for those exercising to lose weight. When the body is depleted of its nourishment, it weakens the digestive system, which stores extra fat when under stress instead of burning it. The body also retains extra water, fluid, or fat to protect itself once it learns it is losing qi and yin fluids faster than they are being replenished.
Yoga traditionalists often agree that Bikram is an unhealthy distortion of the original intentions behind yoga exercise. Specifically, they point out that "...ideally yoga should be practiced in normal environmental conditions. Hot Yoga, Bikram yoga or similar types are inappropriate and difficult to justify versions of Indian ancient Science of Yoga." (See the rest of the article here.)
One concern is over the excess strain exerted on muscles in a hot environment, where there is always a danger of muscle or ligament stretched beyond biological limit. An elevated body temperature, similar to a fever, dilates our blood vessels, increases our blood pressure, makes the heart beat faster and stronger, and also causes excessive water loss from our body. Most bodies have very little redundant energy to waste away, and the energy demand in a heated environment catalyzes certain bodily processes and slows down other processes.
When it's all said and done, we need exercise that works with us, not against us. I recommend sticking to cardiovascular exercises such as jogging, biking, swimming, yoga, martial arts, or aerobics.
posted by Jessica Silver, L.Ac., MAOM
