I am responding to the recommendation regarding Bikram yoga.
I respectfully disagree, as one who is a yoga teacher, and teaches people with a variety of health conditions and injuries.
I think that Bikram yoga is NOT suitable for all levels. It is really for people who are fit, dont' have any medical problems or injuries. It is very easy to overdo it. Certainly not for anyone with any kind of cardiac problems.
From an energetic perspective, Bikram yoga is extremely yang, done in a VERY HOT room, very active and intense. I'd be concerned that an overly yang person would be drawn to this, and perpetuate there condition, OR someone too yin would find it too extreme.
I think that yoga is very similar to macrobiotics; the purpose of the practice is to help one be more fully alive. As in macrobiotics, yoga should be tailored to one's individual condition at a given point in time. For both yoga and macrobiotic eating, one should ask: "what do I need today to support my condition, and help me to do what I want to do?" Yoga practice may be very restful, very powerful and intense, somewhere in the middle, or some balance, but always include some relaxation. I think that it is very challenging to take this into consideration in a Bikram class; there is one sequence of practice that is done every time; I would not have confidence that many Bikram teachers would modify the class for individual issues.
I'd welcome any replies, to this list, or to me directly.
-Rick Frank
Boston, MA
rickfrank@rcn.com