Bikram Yoga is a highly specialized style of yoga that requires special training. To teach Bikram Yoga, you must be attend Bikram Yoga teacher training administered by Bikram Choudhury, his wife Rajashree, or their staff. Training lasts nine weeks and is typically held in the spring and the fall in locations such as Las Vegas or Los Angeles.
About Bikram Yoga
Bikram Yoga consists of a specific series of 26 postures that are always executed in the same order. Choudhury, a four-time yoga champion from India, designed the sequence in a precise order that he believed would deliver the maximum benefits to the entire body. Perhaps the most identifying feature of Bikram Yoga is that it is performed in a room heated to at least 105 degrees F. According to the Bikram's Yoga College of India website, this helps the body become more flexible and increases circulation so that toxins can be flushed from the body more effectively.
Qualifications
To qualify for Bikram Yoga teacher training, you must be at least 21 years old and have been practicing Bikram Yoga regularly for at least six months at an affiliated Bikram Yoga studio. You must also have a recommendation from the studio director. Special considerations may be made for students who have home practice experience only.
Curriculum
Curriculum for the nine-week course includes foundational study in Eastern yogic philosophy, including the eight commonly recognized types of yoga and the eight limbs of yoga as outlined in Patanjali's "Yoga Sutras." Significant time will be devoted to Bikram's theory and practice, including the basic system and the complete system of 84 postures. Human anatomy and physiology, nutrition, pathology, the chakric system, and the integration of Eastern and Western medicine will also be discussed, as well as opening and running your own yoga studio. Bikram Yoga teachers must also memorize the precise 90-minute dialogue used in Bikram classes.
Daily Schedule
The daily schedule for Bikram Yoga teacher training consists of two daily yoga classes, one at 8:30 a.m. and one at 5 p.m. Class is held every day Monday through Saturday with a free day on Sunday. Posture clinics and lectures are held in the afternoon and evening. A typical day of classes and training lasts until midnight.
Expert Insight
The best way to prepare for teacher training is to have an established practice of four to five classes a week, says Bikram Yoga instructor Jessica Johnson, who teachers at Kansas City Bikram Yoga. "Study the dialogue and get as much of it memorized as possible before training," she says. "That way you can more or less take it easy when you're there -- make connections and focus on your personal development and the other aspects of teacher training."
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