“Bikram Yoga is hot yoga, but ‘Hot Yoga’ is not Bikram Yoga”
[quote from Brandon Keitzman, with permission]
Comparing what most people call “hot yoga” to real Bikram Yoga is the biggest mistake in understanding what Bikram Yoga really is. All “hot yoga” is derivative of Bikram Yoga and compromised, or made to be done without safety, accessibility, and effectiveness as the primary emphases (including adding “advanced” postures). The motivation for the changes are almost always business related, not Yoga or even health related. They are made with the interest in the studio (and it’s financial benefit) being primary, before the student. At our school, the student’s health and safety, and the accessibility of the Yoga for anyone comes first. The Yoga doesn’t change, you change. Yoga is Balance, Union, putting opposite forces into states of balance. By changing the Yoga to fit the imbalances of people, it’s not Yoga anymore. By putting the unbalanced person into states of balance, into the balance of Yoga, the person (in time, with consistent practice) becomes balanced. That’s Bikram Yoga.
Carpet – Hygiene
Use of carpet has always been mandated for a proper Bikram Yoga school.
Reasons for carpet vs. hard wood or surfaces like “Flotex:”
1). Safety: better grip for standing-separate leg stretches; no slipping on wet surfaces.
2). Hygiene: using the right kind of anti-microbial carpet (the backing is the key), and maintaining it properly not only keeps it more hygienic than other surfaces, but also will keep the whole environment non-toxic and germ-free. Odor is caused by bacteria, not carpet. By use of safely applied sterilization techniques (such as Ozone or Hydroxyls), used at night in the vacated room, bacteria, germs, viruses, and mold are eliminated and the room is left with fresh O2. Cleaning of the carpet is done by non-chemical (non-toxic) 90% hot water extraction. It’s still better than walking through puddles of people’s sweat — that’s unsanitary.
3). better sound absorption for being able to hear the “Dialogue” (instructions) clearly, the most non-understood and important key to the way Bikram Yoga is taught.
Bikram Yoga has always been mandated to be offered on carpeted surface as part of the definition of what it is.