Bikram Postures & Benefits

This from John Way's Website http://bikramyoga.je/benefits.php
I highly recommend John Way

Bikram Postures & Benefits

Standing Deep Breathing

Pranayama(Sanskrit)

• Expands the lungs to their full capacity
• Counteracts emphysema, asthma, and other breathing problems
• Helps regulate blood pressure
• Exercises the nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems

Half Moon / Hands to Feet Pose

Ardha-Chandrasana(Sanskrit)

• Revitalizes liver, spleen, pancreas and kidneys
• Corrects bad posture
• Helps lower back pain, bronchial distress, scoliotic deformities, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder
• Improves circulation in the legs and to the brain
• Increases the flexibility of the spine, sciatic nerves, most of the tendons and ligaments of the legs
• Strengthens and firms the abdomen, hips, thighs and buttocks

Awkward Pose

Utkatasana(Sanskrit)

• Increases circulation in the knee, toe and ankle joints
• Relieves rheumatism, arthritis and gout in the legs
• Helps to cure slipped disc and lumbago in the lower spine
• Increases hip joint flexibility
• Strengthens and firms upper arms and all muscles of thighs, calves and hips

Eagle Pose

Garurasana(Sanskrit)

• Relieves tension in neck and shoulders
• Improves sexual vitality and control
• Improves flexibility of all 12 major joints of the body
• Strengthens and firms legs, arms, and abdomen

Standing Head to Knee Pose

Dandayamana-Janushirasana(Sanskrit)

• Develops concentration, determination and patience
• Increases pancreatic functions
• Helps balance blood sugar levels
• Improves flexibility of sciatic nerve
• Strengthens and firms abdomen, thighs, legs, upper body and arms

Standing Bow Pulling Pose

Dandayamana-Dhanurasana(Sanskrit)

• Flushes out kidneys helping to eliminate toxins
• Increases the size and elasticity of the rib cage and lungs
• Helps correct high blood pressure
• Helps tennis elbow and frozen shoulder
• Improves the flexibility and strength of the lower spine and most of the body’s muscles
• Improves flexibility of sciatic nerve
• Strengthens and firms abdominal wall, upper thighs, upper arms, hips, and buttocks

Balancing Stick Pose

Tuladandasana(Sanskrit)

• Strengthens the heart muscle and improves circulation
• Increases lung capacity
• Helps tennis elbow and varicose veins
• Increases the flexibility of the spine, hip, and shoulder joints
• Strengthens and firms arms, hips, buttocks and upper thighs

Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose

Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Paschimotthanasana(Sanskrit)

• Helps functioning of the abdominal organs
• Brings blood to the brain
• Stretches and strengthens the sciatic nerves and tendons of the legs
• Increases flexibility of the pelvis, ankles, hip joints and last 5 vertebrae of spine
• Improves the muscle tone and flexibility of thighs and calves

Triangle Pose

Trikanasana(Sanskrit)

• Improves every muscle, joint, tendon and internal organ
• Revitalizes nerves, veins, and tissues
• Improves crooked spines
• Helps correct frozen shoulder and tennis elbow
• Increases strength and flexibility of the hip joint and of the muscles of the side of the torso
• Strengthens and firms arms, upper thighs, waistline and hips

Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Pose

Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Janushirasana(Sanskrit)

• Increases blood circulation to legs and brain (helping with some types of headaches)
• Massages internal organs
• Helps with diabetes and hyperacidity
• Helps relieve constipation, dyspepsia, and hemorrhoids
• Improves flexibility of the spine, shoulders, hips, sciatic nerve
• Strengthens and firms abdomen, waistline, hips, buttocks, upper thighs

Tree Pose

Tadasana(Sanskrit)

• Improves posture and balance
• Improves circulatory disorders
• Relieves tension in neck and shoulders
• Increases flexibility of ankles, knees, and hip joints
• Strengthens internal oblique muscles to prevent hernia

Toe Stand Pose

Padangustasana(Sanskrit)

• Develops psychological and mental powers, especially patience
• Helps to cure gout and rheumatism of the knees, ankles and feet
• Helps with hemorrhoid problems
• Strengthens stomach muscles, weak joints, and feet (which have 1/4 of all the bones in the body)

Dead Body Pose

Savasana(Sanskrit)

• Returns circulation to normal
• Improves concentration
• Helps reduce hypertension, nervousness, anxiety, and irritability

Wind Removing Pose

Pavanamuktasana(Sanskrit)

• Massages the colon
• Helps and prevents constipation and irritable bowel syndrome
• Stimulates the liver, small and large intestine, and spleen
• Improves flexibility of the hip joints and relieves lower back pain
• Firms the abdomen, thighs and hips

Sit-Up

Pada-Hasthasana(Sanskrit)

• Strengthens and firms the abdomen
• Increases flexibility of the spine, hamstrings, and sciatic nerve

Cobra, Locust, Full Locust, Bow Pose

Bhujangasana(Sanskrit), Salabhasana(Sanskrit), Poorna-Salabhasana(Sanskrit), Dhanurasana(Sanskrit)

• Relieves back pain
• Increases spinal strength and flexibility
• Improves functioning of the large and small intestines, liver, kidney and spleen
• Improves pigeon chest by opening rib cage, permitting maximum expansion of the lungs increasing oxygen intake
• Improves digestion
• Helps relieve lumbago, rheumatism and arthritis of the spine
• Helps to cure gout, slipped disc, sciatica, tennis elbow
• Helps relieve menstrual problems
• Strengthens the immune system and revitalizes the thyroid
• Improves flexibility of hip and shoulder joints
• Strengthens and firms abdomen, hips, legs, buttocks and arms

Fixed Firm Pose

Supta-Vajrasana(Sanskrit)

• Helps to cure sciatica, gout and rheumatism in the legs
• Helps to prevent hernia
• Strengthens and improves flexibility of lower spine, knees, and ankles
• Firms thighs, calf muscles and strengthens the abdomen

Half Tortoise Pose

Ardha-Kurmasana(Sanskrit)

• Provides maximum relaxation
• Stretches lower part of the lungs increasing blood circulation to the brain
• Good for diabetes and anemia
• Massages heart, lungs, and coronary arteries
• Increases flexibility of the hip and shoulder joints
• Firms abdomen and thighs

Camel Pose

Ustrasana(Sanskrit)

• Stretches abdominal organs and cures constipation
• Stretches the throat, thyroid gland and parathyroid
• Stimulates the nervous system
• Opens rib cage to allow for maximum expansion of the lungs
• Maximum compression of spine improving flexibility of the neck and spine
• Firms the abdomen and slims the waistline

Rabbit Pose

Sasangasana(Sanskrit)

• Maximum stretch of the spine allowing nervous system to receive proper nutrition
• Maintains mobility and elasticity of spine
• Nurtures the nervous system, helps with depression
• Improves digestion
• Helps cure sinus problems, colds and chronic tonsillitis
• Strengthens and firms abdomen and back muscles

Head to Knee with Stretching Pose

Janushirasana and Paschimotthanasana(Sanskrit)

• Helps balance blood sugar levels
• Improves kidney function
• Improves digestion
• Improves the flexibility of sciatic nerves, ankles and hip joints
• Strengthens and firms abdomen and arms

Spine Twisting Pose

Ardha-Matsyendrasana(Sanskrit)

• Increases circulation and nutrition to spinal nerves, veins, and tissues
• Improves spinal elasticity and flexibility
• Helps cure lumbago and rheumatism of the spine
• Improves digestion
• Firms abdomen, thighs and buttocks

Blowing in Firm

Kapalbhati in Vajrasana(Sanskrit)