Bikram Yoga Standing Series

The Bikram Yoga standing series begins with Pranayama breathing and continues through the standing postures practiced before the floor series. These poses warm the body, build strength, and prepare you for deeper work.

The standing series creates heat, focus, and stamina early in class. It helps improve balance, concentration, joint mobility, leg strength, and postural control. Because each posture builds on the one before it, the standing series also prepares the body for safer and deeper expression in the floor series.

Come to class hydrated, avoid eating a heavy meal right before practice, and wear lightweight clothing you can move and sweat in comfortably. Bring water, a yoga mat, and a towel if your studio requires it. Arriving a little early can also help you settle your breath and mentally prepare for the heat and intensity of class.

Most students do best when they avoid a large meal for a few hours before class. A light snack earlier in the day may be fine depending on your body, but practicing on a very full stomach can make the heat and compression of the standing series much more uncomfortable.

Yes. Beginners can benefit greatly from the structure of the standing series because the sequence is always practiced in the same order. That repetition helps students learn alignment, breathing, concentration, and pacing over time. It is completely normal to rest, modify, or come out of poses while building strength and endurance.

The standing series includes Pranayama breathing, Half Moon with Hands to Feet, Awkward Pose, Eagle Pose, Standing Head to Knee, Standing Bow, Balancing Stick, Standing Separate Leg Stretch, Triangle Pose, Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee, Tree Pose, and Toe Stand.

Pranayama breathing helps students settle into the room, open the lungs, focus the mind, and begin generating internal heat. It also establishes the breath awareness that supports the rest of the standing series and helps you stay calm under physical intensity.

Slow down, breathe steadily, and rest as needed. In many cases, simply standing still, sitting down, or lying quietly until your breath normalizes is the best choice. Over time, your body often adapts to the heat and pace, but it is important to listen to your body and practice with patience.

Consistency matters more than perfection. Some students practice a few times a week, while others attend more often. Regular practice helps improve balance, stamina, flexibility, and body awareness, and the repeated sequence makes progress easier to track over time.

After the standing series, the class transitions into Savasana and then the floor series. The floor postures continue the work of strengthening, stretching, compressing, opening, and restoring the body after the standing portion of class.