Welcome to Bikram Yoga Liverpool!

Welcome to Bikram Yoga Liverpool, the original and only authentic 'hot yoga' experience.

Bikram classes run for 90 minutes and consist of a sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises practised in a room heated to 105°F at a humidity of 40%.

We're committed to supporting you to realise and release your own potential and welcome men and women, of all ages and abilities, to condition their body and mind at the studio.

Come and see what all the hype is about - free your mind, body and soul in 90 minutes! You've already got it so it's time to learn how to use it.

Smile, stretch and sweat it out at Bikram Yoga Liverpool and leave refreshed, rejuvenated, detoxed and unwound.

Featured Posture - Standing separate leg stretching

Dandayamana-bibhaktapada-paschimotthanasana – Standing separate leg stretching

First take a big step with your heels in one line, at least four feet apart. It’s essential to make sure you have complete control of your legs and don’t rely on your flexibility and let them slide too far into splits. This posture is about control and strength.

This pose is amazing for the spine and fantastic for conditions such as sciatica. If you have any existing back issues, it is best to keep your feet parallel to begin with and ease gently into the stretch. Those of you lucky enough to have no back problems, slightly pigeon-toe your feet to help your inner thigh contraction and stability :0)

Keep the spine is strong & long in this pose and take care not to round down with your chin to your chest. As you bend, lead with the chin in order to maintain a straight spine and look into the mirror for as long as possible with your neck lengthened. Contract the thigh muscles as you enter the pose with a perfectly straight spine.

Pulling is the object of the stretch and the key to the posture is having the correct grip so you can use your strength to create flexibility. Ideally you want to be stepping your heels on all five fingertips and use your bicep strength to pull your body down. If you’re having trouble grabbing underneath your heels, try grabbing anywhere on the outside edge of your foot - even if it is just with the edge of your fingertips – to enable you to pull your body down.

Once you have a strong grip, bring your body forwards from the lower spine. This posture is excellent for stretching the last five vertebras of the spine so aim to be aware of this area of your body and focus the beautiful stretch here. If you are not quite there yet, you will be one day soon :0)

The objective is to touch your forehead on the floor with your hands hooked beneath your heels and your elbows behind the calves. If you can't touch your forehead on the floor, open your legs more and more to bring your head further down. If you lose the contact between the hands and the feet, or you feel your knees bending, grab the big toes with your index finger and pull. Although not in the pull expression of the posture with your hands under the heels, this will enable you to maintain a strong grip and lock out your legs which is integral to the posture and will provide the perfect foundation for your progression. Always try the right way: as your posture develops, you can reach your hands to the side of the foot and then for the heel. Remember, Bikram Yoga is not a race. Patience and persistence will serve you better than insistence to rush ahead in the posture in the incorrect way.

It is essential to push the body weight into your toes throughout the posture in order to keep the pressure off the hamstrings and allowing them to stretch gently without pulling on them too vigorously. You should never allow your knees to bend in this pose, keep the legs ‘locked’ with your thigh muscles contracted.

The timing of this posture is cleverly placed at this point in the series to cool and calm you down by lowering your heart rate. Make sure you do not hold your breath in the posture and instead let the breath guide you deeper into the pose. On the inhale breath, stretch your body down and relax in to the posture, use the exhale breath to tighten your grip and use your strength to stretch further. Strength creates flexibility :0)

Also remember that there is always somewhere new to go in your practice. My Dandayamana-bibhaktapada-paschimotthanasana was a long and challenging journey: my hamstrings (like most of us!), were very tight and it took months for me to touch my forehead on the floor using the correct grip. If you lose the grip but manage to touch your forehead to the floor, you’re missing out on the entire spine stretching whilst the dreaded hammies are lengthening and releasing. Perseverance will get you there…

For my development in the posture, I am working on getting my elbows exactly behind the calf muscles using my upper body strength (see picture). As always, I am trusting the process - there is always somewhere new to go: Enlightenment!