Bikram Postures
Posture # 1: Standing Deep Breathing
Sanskrit Name: Pranayama Benefits: relieves stress, migraines, stomach discomfort, digestion problems and constipation, improves shoulder girdle, sends blood from knees to toes and to the brain, stretches spine, increases circulation to heart, cures insomnia, stretches lower lungs - good for asthma, increases flexibility in hips, brain gets oxygen.
Posture #2: Half Moon with Hands to Feet
Sanskrit Name: Arda-Chandrasana with Pada Hastasana Benefits: works whole skeletal and circulatory systems, opens shoulder joints, good for frozen shoulders, relieves lower back pain, good for abdominal obesity, relieves bronchial distress, good for sciatic deformities, improves cell division, stimulates pituitary gland, exercises colon, pancreas, kidneys, muscular-skeletal, respiratory and glandular systems.
Posture #3: Awkward Pose
Sanskrit Name: Utkatasana Benefits: improves overall body strength, opens pelvis, relieves menstrual cramping, shapes lower muscles, uses all major muscle groups, cuts fat pocket under butt, aligns skeletal system, good for digestion, good for joint pain, good for immune disorders, good for arthritis of knees, improves flexibility in toes and ankles, relieves sciatica, exercises liver, intestines and pancreas.
Posture #4: Eagle Pose
Sanskrit Name: Garurasana Benefits: more joint work (bigger joints), stretches central nervous system, creates pressure on lymphatic glands, strengthens lower extremities, helps joint mobility at hip girdle and 12 other major joints of body, improves balance, good for varicose veins.
Posture #5: Standing Head To Knee
Sanskrit Name: Dandayamana-Janushirasana Benefits: good for mental strength, improves concentration, realizes oneness of mind and body, uses all major muscle groups and internal organs (primary-digestive, secondary digestive), improves circulation and flexibility, good for diabetes, improves pancreatic functions, strengthens back muscles.
Posture #6: Standing Bow Pulling Pose
Sanskrit Name: Dandayamana-Dhanurasana Benefits: great cardiovascular challenge, increases circulation to heart and lungs, opens diaphragm, good for frozen shoulders, improves elasticity of spine (by compression), creates marriage between strength and balance, activates digestive system, helps cure infertility, eliminates abdominal fat, helps prostrate problems.
Posture #7: Balancing Stick
Sanskrit Name: Tuladandasana Benefits: cardiovascular, increases blood flow to all over body and arteries of heart, clears blocked arteries, prevents future cardiac problems, total spine stretch, relieves stress from spine, great for emotional problems, good for varicose veins, builds strength in lower extremities, exercises pancreas, liver, spleen, nervous and circulatory systems.
Posture #8: Standing Separate Leg Stretching
Sanskrit Name: Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada Paschimotthanasana Benefits: increases circulation to brain, good for pychotic depressions, centering and stretching of spine where nervous system is housed, good to relieve constipation, good for abdominal obesity, good for diabetes and hyperacidity, increases circulation to adrenal glands, releases lower back, exercises muscular, adrenal and reproductive systems.
Posture #9: Triangle Pose
Sanskrit Name: Trikanasana Benefits: cardiovascular, major side stretching, opens hips, centers the self, good for kidneys, thyroid and adrenal glands, good for frozen shoulders, rids saddlebags, build muscle, nerves and tissue strength, helps balance chemical imbalances, helps anorexia, constipation, colitis, low blood pressure, appendicitis, spondylitis and PMS, works all muscular systems at same time.
Posture #10: Standing Separate Leg/Head To Knee
Sanskrit Name: Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada Janushirasana Benefits: helps depression and loss of memory, helps abdominal obesity, helps diabetes, balances blood sugar, compresses pancreas and kidneys, exercises endocrine, digestive and reproductive systems.
Posture #11: Tree Pose
Sanskrit Name: Tadasana Benefits: corrects bad posture, creates hip and knee mobility, creates total body traction, balances coccyx, tightens gluteus maximus, releases abdominal tension, releases inflammation of lower back, good for circulatory disorders, arthritis and rheumatism.
Posture #12: Toe Stand
Sanskrit Name: Padangustasana Benefits: creates balance in body and mind, strengthens stomach muscles, strengthens weak joints, good for arthritis in knees and legs.
Posture #13: Corpse Pose
Sanskrit Name: Savasana Benefits: returns cardiovascular circulation to normal, slows heart rate, reduces blood pressure, teaches complete relaxation, stills and focuses the mind.
Posture #14: Wind Removing Pose
Sanskrit Name: Pavanamuktasana Benefits: good for constipation, flatulence and hyperacidity, relieves low back pain, good for abdominal muscles - helps tone abdominal wall, massages ascending, descending and transverse colon, prevents hard stool from parastaltic stomach activity, normalises HCL acid.
Posture #15: Sit-Up with Double Exhale
Sanskrit Name: Sit-up Benefits: Tones Abdominal Muscles and re-energizes the systemBenefits: Tones Abdominal Muscles and re-energizes the system.
Posture #16: Cobra Pose
Sanskrit Name: Bhujangasana Benefits: compresses and opens spine, strengthens lower, mid and upper spine, creates more elasticity in entire spine, increases tone of muscle fibers, accelerates circulation of synovial fluid, holds vertebrae in position, relieves cervical spondylosis.
Posture #17: Locust Pose
Sanskrit Name: Salabhasana Benefits: compresses and opens spine, strengthens lower, mid and upper spine, creates more elasticity in whole spine, increases tone of muscle fibers, accelerates circulation of synovial fluid, holds vertebrae in position, relieves cervical spondylosis.
Posture #18: Full Locust
Sanskrit Name: Poona Salabhasana Benefits: compresses and opens spine, strengthens lower, mid and upper spine, creates more elasticity in whole spine, increases tone of muscle fibres, accelerates circulation of synovial fluid, holds vertebrae in position, relieves cervical spondylosis.
Posture #19: Bow
Sanskrit Name: Dhanurasana Benefits: Compresses and opens spine, strengthens lower, mid and upper spine, creates more elasticity in whole spine, increases tone of muscle fibers, accelerates circulation of synovial fluid, holds vertebrae in position, relieves cervical spondylosis.
Posture #20: Fixed Firm Pose
Sanskrit Name: Supta Vajrasana Benefits: greases joints (by putting pressure on joints against gravity), forms abdominal muscles, more stretching in hip joints and diaphragm, relieves lower back pain, good for knees, slims thighs helps sciatica, rheumatism, gout, diabetes and varicose veins.
Posture #21: Half Tortoise Pose
Sanskrit Name: Ardha Kurmasana Benefits: relieves stress, migraines, stomach discomfort, digestion problems and constipation, improves shoulder girdle, sends blood from knees to toes and to the brain, stretches spine, increases circulation to heart, cures insomnia, stretches lower lungs - good for asthma, increases flexibility in hips, brain gets oxygen.
Posture #22: Camel Pose
Sanskrit Name: Ustrasana Benefits: compresses spine, helps cure back problems, opens rib cage, heart, lungs and digestive system, stimulates nervous system, great for lungs and any problem in bronchial plexus, strengthens back and shoulder muscles, improves flexibility of neck, stretches throat, sends fresh blood to kidneys.
Posture #23: Rabbit Pose
Sanskrit Name: Sasangasana Benefits: helps to cure insomnia, depression, colds, sinus, tonsillitis, laryngitis, allergies and glandular defects, compresses thyroid, balances hormones, improves flexibility of scapula, stimulates nerves behind eyes.
Posture #24: Separate Leg Stretching Head To Knee
Sanskrit Name: Janushirasana Paschimotthasana Benefits: stimulates thymus, digestion and immune system.
Posture #25: Spine Twisting
Sanskrit Name: Ardha Matsyendrasana Benefits: compresses and stretches spine, improves elasticity and flexibility, detoxifying, opens bronchial muscles and rib cage, good for abs, prevents slipped discs, increases circulation to spinal nerves, veins and tissues, relieves back pain and deformity in lumbar region of spine, helps arthritis of knee and sciatica, massages kidneys, liver, gall bladder, spleen and pancreas.
Posture #26: Blowing in Firm (Breath of Fire)
Sanskrit Name: Kapalabhati-Vajrasana Benefits: detoxifying - cleansing life force, brings mental clarity, forms abs, normalises bowels energises body, improves oxygenation to body, increases circulation, good for heart, high blood pressure and respiration.