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Gyms In North London Hot For Bikram Yoga
Bikram yoga was devised by the yoga guru BikramChoudhury and is comprised of a 90 minute program consisting of twenty-six postures from the hatha yoga system, at a temperature of 40 degrees centigrade or higher. The specific exercises and their order of execution were designed to ease muscles and joints, prevent injury and aid the healing of existing injuries, as well as promoting detoxification through sweating. According to Choudhury’s official franchise in the UK, he “scientifically designed this 90 minute program to deliver total health through the balancing and strengthening of every system in the body in order to prevent illness, injury and limiting the effects of ageing”. Now, preventing any effects of ageing is a big claim, but it seems that Choudhury does not shy away from big claims as a general rule. He has claimed that his arrival in the USA in 1973, from his native Calcutta, was at the personal invitation of then president Richard Nixon, whom he claims to have treated the previous year. He also claims to have treated Indira Gandhi, Pope Paul IV, and the Beatles, in 1959. The Beatles were not yet formed yet in 1959. He also claims that NASA scientists have tested Bikram Yoga on osteoporosis patients for eight months, seeing a “100%” improvement. If we give the benefit of the doubt that the Beatles claim, made in an interview for a BBC documentary, was simply a case of muddling time lines, it makes quite impressive reading. Choudhury’s acumen as a businessman is as least as good as his skill as a revolutionary yoga guru. He has achieved copyright for his series of poses and is reputed to pursue aggressive legal action against anyone supposed to be infringing that copyright. Only certified Bikram Yoga instructors may teach Bikram Yoga and only Choudhury can certify them as such. The control of the right to teach Bikram Yoga could be argued to have increased the level of instruction, keeping standards high, and be one of the reasons that Bikram Yoga has become so popular. It has also allowed Choudhury to build up an extremely lucrative chain of Bikram Yoga gyms and franchises around the world. The gyms in North London, and the other three or four which have subsequently popped up around the city, are all a part of this franchise system and so have approved and certified Bikram Yoga instructors. The clientele frequenting the gyms in North London, one in Camden one in the City, and one on Kilburn Lane, are said to be slightly different to the usual yoga crowd. There is a slightly more athletic and male orientated bent to the practitioners of Bikram Yoga, compared to more traditional forms. That is not in any way to say it is dominated by such types and there is a wide range of people at any class, usually a lot of beginners, but there is some more tendency in that direction. You also do get a feel that the Bikram Yoga gyms in North London are a franchise, with the reception areas, cafes etc. having more the shiny feel of a chain gym than the hippy or community hall feel normally associated with yoga. It is more intense and physically challenging than normal yoga, being in such a hot temperature for a start, but also accessible to complete beginners. It’s not for everyone but if you are a fan of yoga or looking for a way to keep fit and always thought yoga seemed a little too relaxed then it is worth giving it a go at one of the gyms in North London or the others gradually sprouting up south of the river and in other large cities in the UK. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com For gyms in North London go to payasugym.com |
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