Yoga and Physical Culture

Bikram states in his book, that Westerners "ruin their bodies by blindly running around 'exercising' and playing sports...I tell my students no barbells, no dumbells, no rackets...Games are okay for children, for recreation and to teach them sportsmanship. But after that you must give up trying to put a little round ball in a hole all the time".

• Yoga is better than anything else for fitness
• all other styles of yoga are junk (bogus yoga)
• tried to trade mark yoga (lost)

Physical Culture & Science

• VITAL CAPACITY (1900)
• ability to breath deeply (good measure of fitness at the time) 'vital index'
• the maximum amount of air that an individual could exhale after a deep inhale
• foundation of metabolism
• expression of the human spirit and the soul 
• (fanned the body's metabolic flames)
• Gune and pranayama as vital capacity
• gave lungs, chest and abdominal muscles a comprehensive workout
• improved flexibility of the ribcage
• aptitude for deep breathing
• Vigorous sports
• improved the performance of virtually every tissue in the human body
• jogging
• cross training
• challenging CARDIO
• How does yoga measure up? 
• 1970s and 1980s science began to study yoga as it became popular
• poor aerobic conditioning
• self reporting
• subjects feel better about themselves
• enhanced sleep, energy, health and flexibility
• better moods
• looked better
• social benefits reported

Modern Styles which claim "total fitness"

• UC Davis studies (poor peer review)
• Rigorous styles (Ashtange/Vinyasa)
• YogaFit/Hybrids

Ashtanga as a model. Still no real aerobic benefits according to scientific studies.yet the myth persists.

• METABOLIC studies still show that yoga SLOWS your metabolism which runs counter to wait loss
• may make people eat less because they are burning fewer calories in their efforts
• more efficient metabolism?
• slows heart rate

How to explain weight loss/etc?

• yoga has ancillary benefits which may contribute to an overall HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE.
• daily exercise
• improved self-image
• interest in healthier eating
• interest in plant-based diet
• heightened mood