There are numerous styles of yoga around today and by far one of the most popular is that of Bikram Yoga. It is a style of yoga that was developed by Bikram Choudhury and a company based in Los Angeles, California. Bikram Yoga is more commonly known as Hot Yoga and is practiced in a room that is heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%. Classes are guided by a specific set of postures and dialogue including 26 postures and two breathing exercises. The classes last approximately 60-90 minutes and people of all ages and yoga experience practice and work together in this yoga class.

Choudhury is a self-proclaimed Yogi to the Stars living in Beverly Hills and teaching at the Yoga College of India in Los Angeles and he also makes the trip to Calcutta, India,to teach, as weel as other cities across the world, including San Francisco, London, Paris and Tokyo. His book Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class was best seller and consists of a sequence of 26 yoga postures (or asana) along with two breathing exercises ardha baddha padma paschimottanasana steps .

The following are the 26 Asana that make up Bikram Yoga:

# Sanskrit English

1 Pranayama Series Standing Deep Breathing

2 Ardha Chandrasana with Pada-Hastasana Half Moon Pose with Hands To Feet Pose

3 Utkatasana Awkward Pose

4 Garurasana Eagle Pose

5 Dandayamana - JanuShirasana Standing Head To Knee Pose

6 Dandayamana - Dhanurasana Standing Bow Pulling Pose

7 Tuladandasana Balancing Stick Pose

8 Dandayamana - Bibhaktapada - Paschimottanasana Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose

9 Trikonasana Triangle Pose

10 Dandayamana - Bibhaktapada - Janushirasana Standing Separate Leg Head To Knee Pose

11 Tadasana Tree Pose

12 Padangustasana Toe Stand Pose

13 Savasana Dead Body Pose

14 Pavanamuktasana Wind Removing Pose

15 Sit Up Sit Up

16 Bhujangasana Cobra Pose

17 Salabhasana Locust Pose

18 Poorna - Salabhasana Full Locust Pose

19 Dhanurasana Bow Pose

20 Supta - Vajrasana Fixed Firm Pose

21 Ardha - Kurmasana Half Tortoise Pose

22 Ustrasana Camel Pose

23 Sasangasana Rabbit Pose

24 Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana Head To Knee Pose with Stretching Pose

25 Ardha - Matsyendrasana Spine Twisting Pose

26 Khapalbhati Blowing In Firm

Bikram Choudhury has aggressively attempted to enforce claims of copyright and trademark protection, including his claim that the sequence of asanas in Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class Book all fall under his copyright. This development is very controversial within the United States yoga community as the poses are not something one can or should copy write.

Some practitioners strenuously object to the idea that Bikram seeks to have exclusive control over a series of postures that are just derived from traditional practices. It would be like a baseball pitcher attempting to copy write a curve ball or David Beckham trying to copy write his famous curving kick. Also, some object to Bikram's long term goal to create a formal nationwide potentially even worldwide franchise of studios.