The title Bikram Yoga comes from the name of the yoga Master, Bikram Choudhary who came up with this form of yoga. He was born in Calcutta, India in 1946 and in 1974 he founded the Yoga School of India in Beverly Hills. Bikram and his wife, both were yoga champions in India. Bikram Yoga is a 26 posture and a two pranayama exercise based yoga sequence designed by Bikram Choudhury. This sequence is practiced twice in a ninety minute class. Each pose affects a specific part of the body. Bikram Yoga is known for its miraculous healing power as it activates each and every blood vessel and muscle in the body, bringing the body in balance and intoxicating it. It also brings flexibility, strength and tones your body. All Bikram Yoga Studios are maintained at 104°F or 40.6°C. This is basically done to warm up your body as a warmed up body is more flexible. You need to prepare yourself for Bikram Yoga, as it is a form of a vigorous exercise which involves a lot of stretching and movements. You are certainly going to drown in sweat, therefore you will need to wear those outfits which don't make you uncomfortable in sweat. You will have to be particular about the fabric of your outfit and its fitting too. Let's see what all can you wear. Outfits You Can Wear for Bikram Yoga Different outfits are meant for different purposes. When you dress right, you feel right and you perform better. For Women 1. Shorts or thin cotton leggings and leotard 2. A singlet, sports bra and a tank For Men 1. A pair of shorts or bathing trunks 2. A sando or shirtless How Should You Choose Your Clothing Consider the factors described below to choose your Bikram Yoga Outfit. Light Material - Preferably Cotton Bikram Yoga Exercises are synergistic and also the room temperature will make you sweat a lot. Hence, you need to wear outfits that can prevent sweat and also allow your skin to breathe and not suffocate you. Cotton or cotton based clothing are the best fabrics to wear for a yoga class. Do not wear heavy clothing. Stretchable Your Bikram Yoga outfit should be extremely stretchable so that you can comfortably workout without being distracted about the fit. Your outfit should not be very loose and not very tight. Not Baggy Never wear baggy clothes for Bikram Yoga as it slows down your movements. Baggy clothes can also make you extremely uncomfortable when it gets wet with sweat and sticks to your body. Not full length outfits Full sleeved tanks, T-shirts and tops are advised to be avoided while practicing Bikram Yoga. This is again because these outfits don't allow free movements while stretching. Hair While you dress up for Bikram Yoga, your hair also plays an equal role in giving you a comfortable and an undistributed yoga session. Tie your hair high and tight so that your hair does not get loose and fall in your eye. Also you can use a sweat band, if required, as these yoga sessions are very sweaty. Footwear & Socks No footwear is required while performing Yoga. In fact you don't have to wear socks too. Bikram Yoga has to be performed bare feet as socks prevent you from getting a good grip while performing different poses and stretches. Accessories These are other things you must carry with you for every Bikram Yoga class.

• Extra Pair of Clothes: Carry an extra pair of clothes to change after you are done with your sweaty class. You certainly don't want to go out like that!
• Mat: Carry a non-sticky mat or a mat cover with you. A mat cover is made up of a thin towel like material and it prevents you from sliding off your mat when you sweat.
• Towels: Carry a big towel as you will sweat a lot. You may want to carry different towels to wipe your face and for other parts.
• Water Bottle: Carry at least a 1 liter water bottle and refill. Drink plenty of water throughout to prevent dehydration.

The tip is to dress up, like you would in summer. Your outfit should be such that it prevents sweat, does not stick to your body and allows you to breathe. Also it has to be sufficiently stretchable, made of a light fabric. Drink a lot of water and healthy food and get ready to intoxicate your body and soul with the power of Bikram Yoga.