I came across this article today written by a fellow Bikram teacher Gina, who I recently met at the Phuket Teaching Training and I thought it was quite well expressed. As a Bikram teacher I find that other teachers or practitioners from other styles of yoga quite often offer such resistance when they come into the hot room, or have some preconceived notion when they heard that we teach 'hot' yoga. I remember a friend and fellow teacher who participated in a yoga CPR course, and when she introduced herself as a Bikram teacher, a Vinyasa teacher made a face and said to her "you will never see me in a Bikram room".
I understand that Bikram is quite a different style of yoga to others, and one of the big things is that we don't demonstrate, instead there's step by step precise instructions and commands which offers everyone a chance to try everything the right way. So why not just try the right way? At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what style of yoga you practice, if you resist, and insist of doing things YOUR way, then your body and your mind are what's affected, it certainly doesn't affect the teacher at all.
Bikram aside, let's address ALL yoga styles... It takes a lot to be humble, to take your ego down several notches and not walk into ANY yoga room thinking you know better. I have to say, personally I prefer Bikram classes, however when I walk into an Ashtanga class, or a Yin class, I don't think 'why don't you do it like this', or 'it's better this way', or 'I'm just going to do it my way', instead, I listen and try to do it the way I've been told or shown, as it simply comes down to respecting that particular style of yoga. Who cares if the Bikram Trikansana is different from the Ashtanga style, in a Bikram class do it their way, in an Ashtanga class do it their way.
In saying that, it's also important as teachers to teach the right style for the students . If you're in a Bikram studio, despite whatever other trainings you have, teach Bikram. If you're in Ashtanga, don't throw some Iyengar postures into there because you think it's 'cool' or want to mix it up. The students who pay to learn, to give you their time, their trust, as teachers, let them have a honest chance at that style of yoga.
So whether you practice or teach, stay true to the form, stay present, be humble and just try the right way.
Bikram aside, let's address ALL yoga styles... It takes a lot to be humble, to take your ego down several notches and not walk into ANY yoga room thinking you know better. I have to say, personally I prefer Bikram classes, however when I walk into an Ashtanga class, or a Yin class, I don't think 'why don't you do it like this', or 'it's better this way', or 'I'm just going to do it my way', instead, I listen and try to do it the way I've been told or shown, as it simply comes down to respecting that particular style of yoga. Who cares if the Bikram Trikansana is different from the Ashtanga style, in a Bikram class do it their way, in an Ashtanga class do it their way.
In saying that, it's also important as teachers to teach the right style for the students . If you're in a Bikram studio, despite whatever other trainings you have, teach Bikram. If you're in Ashtanga, don't throw some Iyengar postures into there because you think it's 'cool' or want to mix it up. The students who pay to learn, to give you their time, their trust, as teachers, let them have a honest chance at that style of yoga.
So whether you practice or teach, stay true to the form, stay present, be humble and just try the right way.
