Facing the Heat

I am a yoga teacher and studio owner and my first training was Bikram however I do not teach it today. To Bikram's credit, my training was eye opening in many ways. The room at the training did not have a high humidity and the heat was probably 105 (on some days it felt higher). Bikram teachers are trained to teach 26 postures period. The dictator mentality is an interesting phenomenon but I believe independent of Bikram himself. Bikram was playful himself and at times came across "barking" cues and was even crude but never once stopped anyone from leaving the room or drinking water. When I returned home after my training I realized that the harsh controling behavior of the teachers and owners was not just in my home studio but in other studios all over the country. Intimidating and humiliating students was expected. Now mind you , I did experience many Bikram studios where this wasn't the case, however they were few. It is my belief that the teachers are trying to imitate Bikram and poorly at that. I myself remember thinking I needed to sound and act like him and when I realized my perception was from my ego it came out badly so it was quite short lived.

As for the heat, about six months after my training I noticed the humidifiers popping up in the studios. They weren't there when I started nor right after I came back. It has spread like wild fire and I'm not so sure the B man is condoning this but he may. All I know is it has become an unconscious hazard and a competition as to who's studio is the hottest between studio owners. Finally, all one has to do is look at the teachers and owners and get a clue. Many of them are gaunt and sickly looking. The way it is practiced today with the humidity it is quite addictive. When I finally quit and left the Bikram world I went through withdrawls. It was frightening. Today I own my own studio and teach yoga in a warm room (85degrees) and in a warmer room (90 degrees, no humidity unless natural and even then we watch it).

Its nice to see others speaking up.

Yogafan-- if another studio is doing that sequence but not calling themselves Bikram, getting ready for them to be sued and close. The dialogue and postures/sequences are copyrighted (upheld by the Supreme Court).

There are numerous factual errors in this article, but here are the ones the writer should've researched/known better:

* Bikram's standard is actually 105 degrees and 40% humidity, not 60%.

* Drinking "water, water and more water" can further DEPLETE electrolytes, which are removed with the toxins through sweating. Juices, juicy fruits and powder supplements added to water replenish better.

I have been teaching Bikram yoga for over seven years and I appreciate the suggestions given here, however its important to note water alone will not replenish all the mineral you lose when sweating. Students need to supplement with more than just water, they need to be taking things like EmergenC or gatorade to supplement the minerals and even the B vitamins which will enable the body's ability to use stored energy from fat, not just from the sugar in their blood and digestive system... Too much water without the right amount of minerals like potassium and magnesium can be counterproductive to hot yoga practitioners...