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Asanas

Below is the sequence of asanas in which bikram yoga is based on.

1. Pranayama
Standing deep breathing

• Good for lungs and respiratory system
• Helps with mental relaxation
• Helps high blood pressure
• Relieves irritability
• Good for detoxification
• Exercises nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems

2. Ardha Chandrasana with Pada Hastasana
Half moon pose with hands to feet pose

• Works into the whole skeletal and circulatory systems
• Opens shoulder joints
• Good for frozen shoulder
• Reduces or eliminates pain in the lower back
• Good for abdominal obesity

3. Utkatasana
Awkward pose

• Improves overall body strength
• Opens pelvis
• Strengthens and tones leg muscles
• Relieves menstrual cramping
• Reduces fat pocket under buttocks
• Aligns skeletal system

4. Garurasana
Eagle Pose

• Works into twelve major joints of the body
• Good for central nervous system
• Facilitates lymphatic function, improving immune system
• Improves mobility of hip joint
• Improves balance
• Strengthens legs
• Good for varicose veins

5. Dandayamana Janushirasana
Standing head to knee pose

• Builds mental strength
• Improves concentration
• Unifies mind and body
• Uses all major muscle groups
• Exercises digestive and reproductive organs
• Good for diabetes
• Strengthens back muscles

6. Dandayamana Dhanurasana
Standing bow pulling pose
 

• Stimulates cardiovascular system
• Increases circulation to heart and lungs
• Opens diaphragm
• Opens shoulder joint
• Helps frozen shoulder conditions
• Improves spine elasticity
• Improves strength and balance
• Reduces abdominal fat

7. Tulandandasana
Balancing stick pose

• Increases cardiovascular circulation, especially to heart blood vessels
• May help clear blocked arteries
• May help prevent future cardiac problems
• Creates a total spine stretch Relieves stress from spine
• Good for varicose veins
• Builds strength in legs

8. Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimottanasana
Standing separate leg stretching pose

• Increases circulation to the brain and adrenal glands
• Centres nervous system
• May be good for depression
• Good for constipation
• Helps reduce abdominal obesity
• Helps with diabetes and hyperacidity
• Releases lower back
• Exercises muscular, adrenal and reproductive systems

9. Trikanasana
Triangle pose

• An excellent cardiovascular workout
• Intensely stretches each side of the body
• Opens and increases flexibility of hip joints
• Reduces saddle bags
• Good for kidneys, thyroid and adrenal glands
• Opens shoulder joint, good for frozen shoulder
• Strengthen and tones legs and buttocks
• Helps regulate hormone levels

10. Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana
Standing separate leg head to knee pose

• May be good for depression and memory loss
• Reduces abdominal obesity
• Good for diabetic conditions
• Balances blood sugar levels
• Assists in regulating pancreas and kidneys
• Works endocrine, digestive and reproductive systems

11. Tadasana
Tree pose

• Assists in correcting bad posture
• Increases hip and knee flexibility and mobility
• Stretches spine
• Releases abdominal tension
• Relieves lower back pain
• Tightens gluteal muscles
• Good for circulatory problems, arthritis and rheumatism

12. Padangustasana
Toe stand

• Creates balance and focus in body and mind
• Strengthens stomach muscles
• Strengthens joints (hips, knees, ankles and toes)
• Helps relieve arthritis in all leg joints including hips

13. Savasana
Corpse pose

• Returns cardiovascular circulation to normal
• Slows heart rate, reduces blood pressure
• Teaches complete relaxation
• Stills and focuses the mind

14. Pavanamuktasana
Wind removing pose

• Massages ascending, descending and transverse colon
• Regulates and normalises hydrochloric acid levels in stomach
• Improves and may cure conditions of constipation, flatulence and hyperacidity
• Relieves lower back pain
• Improves flexibility of the hip joints
• Firms and tones muscles of the abdominal wall, thighs and hips
• Increases peristalsis in the gut

15. Sit-up

• Strengthens and tightens the abdomen
• Open mouth exhalation stimulates diaphragm and eliminates toxins from lungs

16. Bhujangasana
Cobra pose

• The arching of the spine increases flexibility and strength
• Rejuvenates spinal nerves enriching them with a rich blood supply
• Improves flexibility and tone of spinal muscles, massages, works and tones back muscles
• Helps relieve and prevent lower backache
• Helps cure or relieve lumbago, rheumatism, arthritis and menstrual problems
• Helps cure loss of appetite

17. Salabhasana
Locust pose

• Same benefits as Cobra pose and even more effective in helping conditions of slipped disc and sciatica
• Firms buttocks and hips
• Increases spinal strength, flexibility and circulation
• Improves flexibility and tone of spinal muscles
• Helps cure or relieve lumbago, rheumatism, arthritis and menstrual problems

18. Poorna Salabhasana
Full locust pose

• Firms muscles of the abdomen, upper arms, hips and thighs
• Increases spinal strength and flexibility
• Improves flexibility and tone of spinal muscles
• Helps relieve and prevent lower backache
• Helps cure or relieve lumbago, rheumatism, arthritis and menstrual problems Helps cure loss of appetite
• Helps correct bad posture
• Improves function of liver and spleen
• Strengthens deltoids, trapezius and triceps

19. Dhanurasana
Floor bow pose

• Increases circulation to heart and lungs, improves oxygen intake
• Opens diaphragm and expands the chest region - improves respiratory conditions
• Opens shoulder joint and helps frozen shoulder conditions
• Increases spinal strength and flexibility and tone of spinal muscles
• Revitalises spinal nerves by increasing circulation to spine
• Strengthens, compresses and opens lower, mid and upper spine

20. Supta Vajrasana
Fixed firm pose

• Helps conditions of sciatica, gout, varicose veins and rheumatism in the legs
• Slims and tones thighs, firms calf muscles and strengthens the abdomen
• Strengthens and improves flexibility of lower spine, knees and ankle joints
• Lubricates and increases circulation to joints
• Strengthens and lengthens abdominal muscles

Ardha-Kurmasana

• Cures indigestion
• Stretches the lower part of the lungs
• Increases blood circulation to the brain
• Firms the abdomen and thighs
• Increases flexibility of hip joints, scapula, deltoids, triceps, and latissimus dorsi muscles

22. Ustrasana
Camel pose

• Compresses spine, relieving back problems
• Opens rib cage, lungs and digestive system
• Stimulates nervous system
• Great for lungs and many bronchial problems
• Strengthens back and shoulder muscles
• Improves flexion of neck
• Stretches throat
• Flushes fresh blood through kidneys
• Helps eliminate toxins

23. Sasangasana
Rabbit pose

• Provides maximum longitudinal extension of the spine
• Stretches the spine to increase proper nutrition to the nervous system
• Improves the mobility and elasticity of the spine and back muscles
• Stimulates thyroid and parathyroid glands through compression, helps balance and regulate metabolism
• Balances hormones
• Improves flexibility of scapula and trapezius

24. Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana
Head to knee pose

• Head to knee pose helps balance blood sugar levels and the metabolism
• Improves flexibility of sciatic nerve and ankle, knee and hip joints
• Enhances kidney function
• The intense stretching pose increases circulation to liver, spleen and pancreas
• Stimulates thymus gland, digestion and immune system

25. Ardha Matsyendrasana
Spine twisting pose

• Compresses and stretches spine from the bottom to the top
• Increases hip and back flexibility
• Improves digestion
• Firms the buttocks, thighs and abdomen
• Improves elasticity, flexibility, circulation and nutrition to spinal nerves, vessels and tissues
• Increases synovial fluid of the joints

26. Kapalbhati in Vajrasana
Blowing in firm pose

• Detoxifies and cleanses body by removing stale air and toxins from lungs
• Brings mental clarity
• Strengthens abdominal organs and wall
• Normalises bowels
• Energises body
• Improves oxygenation to the body