The official Bikram Yoga website reports that there are more than 3,000 certified Bikram yoga instructors worldwide. This statistic may seem astonishing given that Bikram yoga is a two-cycle series of 26 yoga poses and two breathing exercises typically practiced in a room where the temperature is set to 105°F. However, Bikram trainings are held twice a year, so there is definitely demand for certified teachers.
About the Founder
The man behind Bikram yoga is Bikram Choudhury, a life-long yoga practitioner and former National India Yoga Champion. At 20, he sustained a debilitating injury while weightlifting. Undeterred, he worked with his guru, Bishnu Ghosh, and designed a series of yoga poses that helped him regain his health and vitality.
Origins of Bikram Teacher Training
In the early 1970s, Bikram went to Japan to open two yoga studios. Here he melded Eastern and Western medical knowledge with specific yoga poses that, he maintains, increase tissue oxygenation throughout the entire body and help alleviate symptoms of chronic ailments such as diabetes, arthritis and heart disease.
In 1974 Bikram opened his first American yoga studio in Beverly Hills, where his style quickly gained in popularity. To accommodate the increasing demand for classes, he handpicked a few highly proficient students and asked them to teach in studios he was opening in other neighborhoods.
In 1994, his wife, Rajashree, convinced him to teach accelerated training courses to accommodate more students in a shorter amount of time: nine weeks as opposed to three years.
Training Prerequisites
Not just anyone is accepted into Bikram yoga teacher training. According to the 13-page teacher training agreement, a person must be at least 21 years old and have practiced Bikram yoga continuously for a minimum of six months. A letter of recommendation by a certified Bikram teacher must accompany the application.
In addition to submitting a medical release form, prospective students must be capable of practicing two, three- to five-hour Bikram yoga sessions per day, six days a week over the entire nine-week program. Students are required to fully participate in all lectures and clinics, and self-study an additional one to two hours daily.
Training Sessions
Class sessions typically run from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Students learn the 26 postures of the Bikram series through lecture and practice, and are taught the theories, practices and philosophy of Bikram's system, in addition to elemental body systems and therapeutic practices. They also learn the Bikram business model for setting up and successfully marketing a yoga studio,
Certification & Recertification
Completion of the Bikram yoga teacher training program does not automatically guarantee certification. Students are rated on participation and proficiency in practicing the postures. They must pass an anatomy exam and satisfactorily recite the official dialogue associated with each yoga pose. Any student not meeting the certifying standards have additional occasions to meet these criteria.
Instructors must recertify every three years, which can be done during a biannual training course or at specific seminars presented by either Bikram or Rajashree.
References
- Bikram Yoga: Official site
- "Bikram Yoga- The Guru Behind Hot Yoga Shows the Way to Radiant Health and Personal Fulfillment"; Bikram Choudhury; 2007
- Yoga Journal: Yoga's Bad Boy - Bikram Choudhury
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