The 26 Bikram Yoga postures and their benefits

Pranayama Series - Standing Deep Breathing

• Good for lungs and respiratory system

• Helps with insomnia, nervousness, and irritability

• Increases blood circulation throughout the body

Ardha-Chandrasana with Pada-Hastasana - Half Moon Pose with Hands to Feet Pose

• Increases flexibility of the spine

• Improves core strength and trims the waistline, hips, buttocks, and thighs

• Improves blood circulation

Utkatasana - Awkward Pose

• Improves overall body strength, and hip flexibility

• Increases circulation to the knees and ankles

• Aligns skeletal system

Garurasana - Eagle Pose

• Flushes out the kidneys

• Brings blood to sexual organs, improves sexual vitality

• Improves flexibility of the 12 major joints of the body

• Good for varicose veins

Dandayamana Janushirasana - Standing Head To Knee

• Good for mental strength, improves concentration, determination and patience

• Improves flexibility of the sciatic nerves

• Good for diabetes

Dandayamana Dhanurasana - Standing Bow Pulling Pose

• Increases circulation to heart and lungs

• Flushes out kidneys helping to eliminate toxins

• Good for frozen shoulders, improves elasticity of spine

Tuladandasana - Balancing Stick

• Increases blood flow all throughout the body and arteries of the heart

• Strengthens the heart muscle

• Stretches the capacity of the lungs

• Provides total spine stretch, helps relieve back pain

Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimotthanasana - Standing Separate Leg Stretching

• Cures and prevents sciatica

• Increases circulation to brain, good for depression

• Releases tension in lower back

Trikanasana - Triangle Pose

• Exercises cardiovascular system

• Revitalizes nerves, veins, and tissues

• Increases the strength and flexibility of the hip joints

Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana - Standing Separate Leg/Head To Knee

• Helps depression, loss of memory

• Balances blood sugar, helps diabetes

• Stimulates thyroid and improves metabolism

• Exercises endocrine, digestive and reproductive systems

Tadasana - Tree Pose

• Corrects bad posture

• Increases flexibility of the ankles, knees and hip joints

• Helps to prevent hernia

• Improves balance

Padangustasana - Toe Stand Pose 

• Builds patience and mental focus

• Helps cure gout and rheumatism of the knees, ankles and feet

• Helps cure hemorrhoid problems

• Good for hip stretching

Savasana - Dead Body Pose

• Returns blood circulation to normal

• Slows heart rate, reduces blood pressure

• Stills and focuses the mind

Pavanamuktasana - Wind Removing Pose

• Good for constipation, flatulence, and irritable bowel syndrome

• Improves flexibility of hip joints, relieves low back pain

• Improves digestive system

Sit-Up

• Strengthens and tightens the abdomen

• Increases the flexibility of the spine

• Re-energizes the system

Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose

• Increases spinal strength and flexibility

• Helps cure hunchback, scoliosis, and arthritis of the spine

• Relieves menstrual problems

Salabhasana - Locust Pose
(same as Cobra)

• Good for low blood pressure

• Helps with sciatica, scoliosis, hunchback, tennis elbow

Poorna Salabhasana - Full Locust
(same as Cobra and Locust)

• Clears out cholesterol in veins

• Strengthens the immune system and revitalizes the thyroid

Dhanurasana - Bow Pose
(combine all of the benefits of Cobra, Locust & Full Locust)

• Increases strength of the entire spine, relieves backache

• improves functioning of the large and small intestines

• revitalizes and increases circulation to spinal nerves

Supta Vajirasana - Fixed Firm Pose

• Strengthens and improves flexibility of the lower spine, hips, knees and ankle joints

• Good for lower back pain, helps varicose veins

• Helps prevent hernia

Ardha Kurmasana - Half Tortoise Pose

• Normalizes blood pressure

• increases blood circulation to the brain

• increases flexibility of hip joints, and muscles of the shoulder joints

• Relieves neck and shoulder tension, helps with anorexia, and diabetes

Ustrasana - Camel Pose

• Provides maximum compression of the spine

• Stimulates the nervous system

• Improves flexibility of the neck and spine

• Excellent for good postural alignment

Sasangasana - Rabbit Pose

• Provides maximum extension of the spine

• improves nervous system, good for depression

• increases the mobility and elasticity of the spine and back muscles

• Stimulates all glands and organs of the body

Janushirasana with Paschimotthanasana - Head to Knee with Stretching Pose 

• Balances blood sugars, good for diabetes

• enhances the proper functioning of the kidneys

• Increases flexibility of the last five vertebrae of the spine

• Improves immune and lymphatic system

Ardha Matsyendrasana - Spine Twisting Pose 

• Increases circulation and nutrition to spinal nerves, veins, and tissues

• Improves spinal elasticity and flexibility

• Calms the nervous system, helps rid the body of toxins

Kapalbhati in Vajrasana - Blowing in Firm Pose

• Helps to detoxify

• Strengthens all the abdominal organs and muscles

• Improves oxygenation to body

Savasana - Final Dead Body Pose

• Returns blood circulation to normal

• Slows heart rate, reduces blood pressure

• Stimulates peacefulness