Difference Between Moksha and Bikram Yoga

Moksha vs Bikram Yoga

“Yoga” is a Sanskrit word which denotes a physical, mental, and spiritual way of leading a disciplined life. The concepts of yoga originated in India. Many different forms of yoga have been devised in the modern world. Moksha and Bikram yoga are the two most popular yogas among the various forms of yoga.

Bikram Yoga
Bikram yoga was founded by Bikram Choudhary, an Indian who was born in the year 1946. It is a popular form of yoga where the room is heated up to 104-1050 F. There is no escape from the heat, and yogis must adapt to the temperatures. The style of instruction of the Bikram yoga classes is a bit demanding. The sessions are scripted, and the instructor follows it to perfection. The instructor constantly announces the poses. This is done so that the attendees concentrate and remain focused during the entire session.

Bikram yoga has a complex 26 postures of hatha yoga. The class starts with the pranayama or standing deep breathing following 24 other postures and ends with Kapalbhati in Vajrasana or the Blowing in Firm Pose. These 26 postures are repeated twice in a fixed 90-minute class. Bikram yoga calls its sessions “Torture Chambers.”

This type of yoga focuses on achieving perfection in the poses. The teachers for Bikram yoga have a motto that says “99% right = 100% wrong.”

Moksha Yoga
Moksha yoga is also another very popular yoga founded by Ted Grand and Jessica Robertson in the year 2004 in Toronto. This stream of yoga propagates the message of social consciousness. In Moksha yoga, the temperature of the room is a bit lower. Here the room is heated to approximately 950 F. The reason behind heating up the room may be that heat relaxes the muscles and joints which makes the stretches and motions more efficient.

The atmosphere of the class in Moksha yoga is different from that of Bikram yoga. In this type of yoga, the sessions are calm and composed. The speech of the instructor is gentle and less demanding. The class is not scripted and has a greater variation.

Moksha yoga has 40 poses with a few options as Ashtanga yoga, karma, vinyasa, silent moksha, etc. Every session begins and ends with Savasana. A typical session is a 90-minutes in duration while shorter versions are also available.

Summary:

1.Bikram yoga has 26 postures while Moksha yoga has 40 postures.
2.Bikram yoga starts with Pranayama while Moksha yoga starts with Savasana.
3.A class of Bikram yoga is set at a 90-minute duration while Moksha yoga has classes ranging from 60 minutes to 90 minutes depending upon the level.
4.A typical Bikram yoga class is hotter than a Moksha yoga class.
5.A Bikram yoga class is scripted while a Moksha yoga class is a bit lenient.
6.The tone of the instructor in a Bikram yoga session is authoritative and intense while that in a Moksha yoga class is soft and gentle.

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