Bikram Yoga Decatur

No. Anyone may come to any class, any time. Drop-ins are encouraged. Just be sure to come 15-20 minutes on your first visit.

Bikram Method Yoga is a beginner’s yoga program and all classes are suitable and appropriate for everyone, regardless of experience.

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Yes. Emory students may use their Fitness Emory punch cards at Bikram Yoga Decatur. It is two punches per class.

No, I’m sorry we do not.

No. All classes are operated on a first-come, first-served basis. In order to guarantee admittance you should plan to arrive at least 15-30 minutes before the scheduled class start time.

OUR DOORS ARE LOCKED 3-5 MINUTES BEFORE THE SCHEDULED CLASS START TIME.

Yes. We don’t have a way to do this automatically so you have to ask at the front desk when you are signing in. We will extend your expiration date for the same number of days that we had to close.

The 6:00 am classes on M/W/F are usually the least crowded. Next are the 3:30 pm on T/T and then the Noon on M/W/F.

Evening and weekend classes can get crowded so it’s always a good idea to arrive early.

Yes, but with some limits. People leave so much stuff here that we have to purge once in a while. Here’s what you can generally expect:

Valuables: we will hold a long time.

Yoga Mats, Towels, Water Bottles: we keep them for about two-three weeks after which they will be sold, given away or thrown out (depending on their condition).

Clothes: we keep these indefinitely, depending on how valuable they appear to be. Once a  month we will donate clothes to charitable organizations.

I wish it were consistent enough to give a reliable number but it’s not. By tracking attendance and doing some quick math I can show that we currently average 13-14 people per class but that can be misleading. Some classes may have as few as 4 or 5 people while others may have more than 20. Generally speaking, weekday morning classes are smaller, weekend classes are larger, and weekday evenings can go either way. It’s a crap shoot.

No. Bikram Yoga Decatur is independently owned and operated.

There are three reasons with the first one being the simplest and most easily understood: the purpose of water in class is simply to keep your mouth and throat moist – nothing works better than water for that. The second reason is also pretty straightforward and logical: bottles sometimes get knocked over and spill their contents onto the carpet. Even a thorough cleaning of juice or a sports drink is likely to leave residue. We strive to maintain a very clean studio and water is easily cleaned up. Finally, if we allow anything besides water, some people will bring in power or energy drinks and many of those have high sugar content as well as caffeine and other additives that could have a detrimental effect on their practice. Simple, plain water is second only to air in importance to overall health and well being.

No. Anyone may come to any class, any time. Drop-ins are encouraged. Just be sure to come 15-20 minutes on your first visit.

Absolutely. Anybody can do it.

Absolutely. Anybody can do yoga.

All Hatha Yoga is, in a sense, a form of meditation. Our approach is very basic with an initial emphasis on the body but our teaching recognizes the importance of the connection between mind and body. In fact, Bikram has described what we do as a kind of forced meditation — what he means is that the mental efforts required to hold the physical postures requires a natural meditation, which is really just a strong and disciplined focus of the mind.

We don’t stare at candles or chant and much of the class time is spent on physical challenges of flexibility, balance and strength but the benefits of our practice are as much in our mental capacity as in the physical. Increased concentration, a reduction of stress levels and an improved sense of well being are some of the many rewards you will discover through Bikram Yoga.

Bikram Yoga is suitable for ages 15 and up. Some children may be ready to practice at a younger age only if they have been approved for practicing by the Studio Owner or Manager.

• Children under the age of 17 must have a parent sign their liability waiver.
• We will not approve any child under 16 that is not well known to us.
• Children under the age of 15 must have a parent or guardian in the class with them.

Most people start to feel some benefits almost immediately but the most profound and long lasting benefits are cumulative. That is, they will continue to accrue as long as you continue to practice. Yoga is not a quick fix for what ails you nor is it a cure-all but many people report feeling positive effects after only a few classes. The best way to know is to try it and see for yourself.

This is something everyone has to answer for themselves. We encourage you to attend class as often as possible when getting started. One of the best things you can do for your overall health and well-being is to create positive, healthy habits. Practicing yoga on a regular basis will not only exponentially increase the benefits but it will help you get to know your body and it’s needs well enough to do what’s right for your unique situation and lifestyle. When you have successfully incorporated your yoga practice into your life your body will tell you when it wants to go to class. All you have to do is listen to it.

Maybe. If and how much depends on your physical condition, your lifestyle and how much effort and commitment you put into it. Yoga is not a weight loss program in itself but many people find that a regular practice, as part of an overall healthy lifestyle, helps them achieve their ideal body weight.

Yes. Any activity that raises the heart rate or is intended to improve the efficiency of the cardiovascular system in the absorption and transportation of oxygen is aerobic. During a typical 90 minute Bikram Yoga class your heart rate should reach it’s target exercise zone for at least 20-25 minutes, depending on your level of effort.

Certainly. Bikram has a book, Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class, which is obviously recommended. We sell the book in our studio but you can also buy it online from BikramYoga.com or Amazon.com. You may also want to buy his audio CD. It’s worth investing in a good space heater and humidifier to realize some of the benefits of working with heat but yoga can be practiced anywhere and anytime by anyone. I encourage home practitioners to try to get to an official studio when possible for a deeper understanding and to get some personal attention but I would never discourage anyone from practicing wherever and whenever they choose.

That’s hard to know with any certainty. The estimates range from 350 to 650 calories per class. It really depends on too many factors to make any kind of blanket prediction. I let somebody bring a body monitoring device into a class and it showed that he burned 748 calories — clearly he was working hard. The key is to think of calorie burning as simply one small benefit of practicing yoga. There are far more benefits than that.

Probably, but always check with your doctor. We have many students with spine conditions such as scoliosis, herniated disks, fused disks, degenerated disks and more.

Absolutely.

Yes, but get permission from your doctor first.

Yes, but…

It’s fine for you to practice with a cold and you will probably feel better after class. The practice can help reduce symptoms and boost your immune system.

On the other hand, you have to think about your fellow practitioners. Colds and other viruses can spread easily so it may be a good idea to stay home during the first couple of days and/or when your symptoms are at their worst.

If you do come to the studio with a cold make sure to wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth when sneezing (it’s best to sneeze into the crook of your elbow if you don’t have a hanky). Cold viruses can be transmitted by air but they are more often transmitted through the hands.

Yes, it’s possible that Bikram Yoga can cause heat rash, usually in people who are new to the practice. It’s not common but I know of a few instances.

First I must emphasize that I am NOT a doctor nor am I qualified to give medical advice. What follows is from my experience as a yoga instructor and is only my personal opinion.

Heat rash is caused by blockages in the sweat glands. The exact cause is unknown but high heat and humidity can be contributing factors as can any activity which results in intense, heavy perspiration. It usually occurs in parts of the body that are covered by clothing.

Some contributing factors to look for are: clothing that doesn’t allow your skin to breathe (cotton is not good in class — it’s best to wear workout clothes that allow wicking), bacteria and heavy or greasy skin creams. There are also medications that have been linked to heat rash.

Heat rash should go away on it’s own in a few days — providing you avoid high heat and humidity — so it’s a good idea to take a break from your practice to see if the rash will clear up on it’s own. If it persists much longer than that or if it gets severe (swelling, pus, fever, or swollen lymph nodes) then you should see a doctor.

One student, who also happens to be an MD, told me that he found a vigorous scrubbing of the area with a a dry brush to be helpful in speeding up the healing process.

This is nothing to be alarmed about. The ammonia smell could be a sign of kidney failure if it occurred in your sweat and breath all the time but if it’s only associated with vigorous exercise it’s almost certainly diet related. It’s common among marathon runners and usually comes from having a low carb/high protein diet. You may want to include more complex carbohydrates in your diet.

If you have serious concerns about this or any other health issue you should always seek advice from a doctor or other health care professional. Our preparation as Yoga instructors does not include medical training.

Talk to your doctor!

However, it is my understanding that heat is contraindicated for people with MS. This is one of the few conditions for which I suggest people seek another style of yoga.

It depends. If you’ve never done Bikram Yoga then we don’t recommend starting while pregnant. After delivery you may begin as soon as you feel ready to exercise (get permission from your doctor or midwife). If you have been practicing Bikram Yoga regularly before your pregnancy then you may continue to practice during your pregnancy. Some women have continued to practice right up until delivery.

The high heat should not pose any risk to you but if it makes you feel uncomfortable we recommend setting up near one of the fans and resting as often as you like.

There are some pregnancy modifications that you will need to learn as your abdomen grows.

Usually, but not by a lot. We have done a couple of informal tests to monitor body temperature during class and we had some inconsistent results but there was a slight rise in most people. Here’s what we found:

Two pregnant women took their temperature before class, at three different times during class and once more after class. Neither of these women saw a noticeable rise in temperature and one of them said her temperature was slightly lower during class than it had been at other times during the day.

On another occasion we took the temperature of twelve people before and after class and we saw an average body temperature rise of 2.8 degrees. Those who we measured in the morning classes saw a greater rise: 4.5 degrees, but their starting temperature was lower than normal by a couple degrees (most people’s body temperature drops a little during sleep and it takes a little while to normalize after waking). Those who were monitored at evening classes saw a rise of 1.7 degrees.

The highest body temperature recorded immediately after a class was 101.5 with an average post-class temperature of 99.7, which is only 1.1 degrees above “normal”.

None of this scientific and these were very small sample sizes but it fits with our overall experience and expectations. If you are pregnant or have any health concerns you should always get permission from your doctor before practicing Bikram Yoga.

No.