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An Open Letter to Bikram Yoga Instructors About the Heat
Bikram Choudhury has always said the ideal temperature for a Bikram Yoga class is 105 degrees and his web site confirms that with this statement: "The recommended temperature is minimum 105F degrees and about 40% humidity." Bikram's wife and partner, Rajashree, once told a group of teacher trainees that a range of 100 to 105 is sufficient. So why do so many studios consistently crank the heat up to 110 or higher?
As a seven year studio owner, I know it's not always possible to control the heat the the nth degree. There are many factors that make it hard to control the room conditions with any exactitude. Humidity is one such factor that is as important as, and has as much effect as the temperature. The truth is that temperature alone isn't an appropriate gauge of the proper conditions for a hot yoga practice. We have to keep the humidity level in mind and Bikram has prescribed that to be "about 40%." But neither number can be considered alone -- it is the corelation of 105 degrees with 40% humidity that is the desired room condition.
At my studio, we have large floor-to-ceiling windows that render us vulnerable to changing external conditions. In the summer our humidity rises significantly and in the winter it falls. We compensate by using de-humidifiers or humidifiers as neccessary but it's a constant struggle to get things just right. It's easier and faster to to adjust the temperature up or down a few degrees than it is to lower or raise the humidity. It is therefore reasonable to allow some variance in temperature to accommodate for humidity. Frankly, 110 degrees isn't always inappropriate if the humidy level is low. Similarly, 100 degrees may be more than sufficiently hot when the humidty is high. It is the combined attributes of temperature and humidity that should always be as close to Bikram's stated ideal as possible. Unfortunately, a lot of studios don't understand this.
I've practiced in studios that were not lacking appropriate humidity levels where the temperature was allowed to exceed 115 degrees and I've heard of studios going as high as 120. Those conditions are extreme and bring no added benefit. In fact, such conditions only increase the risk potential, especially for people who aren't fit or experienced in athletic activity -- one significant group of people we're supposed to be attracting.
Bikram claims that his yoga was designed for everybody. "Never too old, never too bad, never too sick, never too late, to start from the scratch again," is one of his mottos. "Anybody can do it," is another. It is called "Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class," after all. One of the greatest things about the Bikram Method is how it was constructed to allow people of all ages, shapes and conditions to practice together. Extreme conditions make that less likely or practical.
Yes, the heat is supposed to add to the challenge. No, Bikram Yoga is not supposed to be easy. Most new practitioners, no matter what shape they're in, will find practicing in a room heated to 105 to be a challenge. For the first several classes, perhaps weeks or months, learning to work with the heat can even be the primary challenge but with time, persistence and experience, almost everybody will acclimate and learn to transcend the uncomfortable aspects of the heat and be able to focus on the yoga. If the whole of one's class is spent merely trying to survive the heat then some of the most significant aspects of a hatha yoga practice are missing.
Among instructors, one might argue that during our nine week training program we were "tortured" with temperatures much higher than 105. We were also required to attend two classes a day and otherwise subjected to an intense regimen of long hours in the studio and little sleep. We were expected to push ourselves beyond our normal capailities and limits to an extreme degree. But we were training to be instructors! At no time during the certification program were we told that we were expected to say one thing and do another or to expose our students to such extremes. We were told "105 degrees" so often that it almost became a mantra.
Go to any Bikram Yoga studio web site or call one and you will see or hear those two words. There is no reasonable argument to be made for raising the temperature much higher than that in most circumstances. I can only speculate that the studios who regularly exceed the recommended temperature are operating in an unspoken competitive manner -- what looks to me like a kind of "how hot can you stand it" machismo. That's not yoga.
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Bikram Yoga Decatur
Eric Jennings, Director
1549 Clairmont Rd #206
Decatur, GA 30033
404-329-1006
Comments
I disagree with the premise of this article
I feel like a bigger issue is studios that are not hot enough. Studios that keep it under 105. I have practiced all over the world in studios, yours included, and I find that many, many more studios err on the side of too cold than too hot. That's my experience anyway. I do like the heat though and don't have a prob with 110 or 115. So, personal preference enters the equation and you can't please every personal preference when we are practicing as a group. Overall, it's part of the equation that we have to deal with and not let steal our peace. Hot or cold, we have to concentrate, breathe, listen to the dialogue and KILL OURSELVES!!!!!! :).
Thank you for a great site, studio and teachers.
Waylon
you're right about that
You're absolutely right that we can't please every personal preference. That's why our approach is to choose a standard (the one established by Bikram) and try to stick to it as close as possible.
Thanks for the comment and recognition.
Thank you for this insight,
Thank you for this insight, Eric. Since I have practiced in several cities, I have often wondered about this... I have been to a studio that regularly boasts 115+ temps. I am glad that you have not only an interest, but also a good understanding about the heat vs humidity during class. For me, the heat does provide a challenge, but also a comfort, since I am very cold-natured. Thank you for your continued efforts in increasing our understanding and appreciation of the practice, while also making sure that we are practicing safely and effectively.
Jada
Too Hot to Be Healthy?
Another point to consider is that many of us hope to be practicing Bikram Yoga for many years, perhaps for the rest of our lives. This is a long term life style choice. If the heat is excessive, will we find out down the road that it's actually been harmful to our health?
The whole point of the heat, I thought, was to warm up the muscles and improve our flexibility, so that we could practice yoga. I don't think it was ever meant as a macho challenge as to who could stand the most heat. As an older practitioner (58 years old - for 2 years - 5 times a week) who has some problems breathing when the heat is excessive, I mostly attend early morning classes when the heat tends to be more moderate.
What about retention rates of new students? Is excessive heat turning people away from Bikram Yoga? Owners may want to consider this if their retention rate is one out of every hundred new students (as quoted to me by one studio owner). If moderate heat allows more people to practice this yoga and does not compromise its essence, why not consider it?
I'd like to see more people benefit from both the heat and the yoga, rather than have it become an insurmountable obstacle.
John Dorig
Exactly
John, you nailed it. Bikram says his yoga method was designed for everybody and we take him at his word. There will always be some people for whom the heat isn't desirable but a typical Bikram Yoga class ought to have a variety of body types and ages.
In addition to the benefits the heat brings it should also bring an added challenge to the practice but it shouldn't become the primary challenge for the average practitioner once they get past the initial period of acclimation.
Thanks for the reply.
Don't Scare!!
Another angle to this, is that I am also SLOWLY coming to the realization that I can do a lot to increase or decrease my discomfort/anxiety around the heat. As you say, the heat does bring an added challenge to the practice and for me that added challenge is as much mental/emotional as it is physical.
Lately, I've had some success in calming the mind and focusing my attention on the three antidotes to agitation around the heat, which are: normal breathing, stillness, and relaxation. I come to class a half-hour early and do a little mental ritual that helps me let go of my apprehension/irritation and helps me get more benefit out of my practice.
John Dorig...
Your heat is not my heat
Once again, another blog about the heat in the studio. Yes, the ideal has always been 105 degrees with 40% humidity. But I do not know of a single (affordable) heating system that can achieve such conditions on an everyday, every single weather circumstance. It depends on the type of system you have to heat the room. I see that you use radiant heat, which I assume are the radiant panel mounted on the ceiling. You might as well call it a microwave. It "radiates" heat down onto you, basically cooking you from the inside out. These systems generally always feel HOT. But take a forced-air gas heating system, with constant air circulation, and the room will feel a bit cool. The air passing over sweaty bodies will cool them, and depending on the humidity, it may not feel hot enough. I can run my gas heat around 120 degrees. does it feel hot, no, not usually. But if i dropped it to 105, i would freeze. We do not have that competative edge as you call it. We simply understand that different systems run differently. So to write this letter bitching about the heat at some studios, you are basically saying you are the best, and the rest of us suck. Why even mention this? Dont you have better things to do running your studio? If a student tells me it is too hot, i tell them that it is different every single day. if you want consistency in this life, well, you will be sorely dissappointed.
Feeling a little defensive, are we?
I acknowledged in my post that it's difficult to maintain consistent ideal conditions so we're agreed on that. I also suggested that it's reasonable for the temperature to be higher when humidity is low (and vice versa).
The use of radiant heat doesn't preclude the use of air circulation. We use our furnace's ventilation system along with our radiant heat panels. In fact, we also use forced air heat in addition to the panels in the coldest part of Winter. I find it curious that you feel radiant is somehow hotter than forced air -- my experience is the opposite of that and I have received some feedback saying the same. Still, it's probably subjective and not worth debating.
Frankly, I think 120 degrees is excessive, no matter the humidity level. However, it's possible your system is inefficient to the degree that your room isn't able to hold the heat well and the actual heat index (temperature and humidity combined), coupled with good air circulation, may result in conditions approximating the 105/40% balance. On the other hand, it's possible you're needlessly raising the temperature higher than it ought to be.
Why did I mention it? Good question. I'm not sure why except I like to write about my experiences and I have been to some studios that have been excessively hot. I suppose I thought I might be able to influence some people by reminding them what we were taught.
Your final sentence is humorous, presumably coming from a Bikram Yoga studio owner. The consistency of the Bikram method is exactly what I seek when visiting other studios and exactly what Bikram says he wants us to maintain. As professionals we have an obligation to provide the most consistent teaching we can, albeit within the framework of imperfection and constant change. Funny, ennit?
heat in decatur
I've practiced Bikram in many cities...i used to be blessed to live right down the street from your studio...now i am in the hinterlands of marietta...yours is still the best...the best instructors, the best energy, the cleanest studio, the friendliest instructors...i could go on and on but suffice it to say, BYD is the best!
Thank you
Thank you
HEAT up or down
I am very interested in the heat aspect of Bikram Yoga. I have been practicing for a year and have experienced many unexpected benefits. I have been in the habit of taking my body temperature with an electric themometer. The temps have ranged from 100.4 to 102.9 (highest ever). I have researched the benefits of fever. There are many. Fever kills or inables bacteria, funguses and viruses. Fever also stimulates the immune system to produce white blood cells and T-cells. And, an increase of heat speeds up most chemical reactions. Basic chemistry. I have had the challenge of Hiv for 20 years. T-cell count had been 6 at one time. Two months ago, no virus was detectable and T-cell count had increased 114 points. I have a new excitement about life, what the future holds and how I can share my experience with others. Thanks you Eric. Really grateful for your dedication. Craig
Body Temperature
This is interesting. I've always believed that our body temperature does not rise significantly during a Bikram class and a couple of instances of monitoring someone's temperature during class bore that out. Since Rebecca told me you were seeing some temperature rises I decided to do some more testing of several students to see if your situation is an anomaly or typical. We're just getting started but we are seeing a small rise in almost everyone we've tested so far. We've mostly tested in the morning and since our body temperature is generally a little low in the morning's anyway it's not surprising that there's a slight increase during class. I'm really curious to see what happens when we test more people at evening classes.
It's too bad there haven't been any major clinical trials done with Bikram Yoga. Bikram says he's trying to arrange some so hopefully it'll happen soon. Practitioners know that there are amazing benefits but the only thing we have to prove it is our own personal experiences. I've heard enough anecdotal evidence over the years to be a believer but it would be great to have some science behind us.
Congratulations on your success with staying healthy. Keep us posted on your progress and I'll let you know what we find out with our own tests.
heat and such
it entirely depends on the school as to what is 'appropriate'. I as a teacher and owner am constantly trying to find the right balance between heat, humidity, and the right 'feel'. when I take class, it should be hot enough to make me suffer a bit. If I find class not hot and easy, then the heat/humidity is off. If a lot of 'seasoned' practitioners are on their knees halfway through standing series, then the heat/humidity if off as well. Good air circulation, lots of oustide air coming in for O2 are both key ingredients. Our school tends to be hotter if only measured by temperature, though with the air circulation it never feels like you are in someones hot shoe, know what I mean?
Heat is a hot issue, indeed!
Eric, thanks for taking the time to write this piece...now I can cross doing the same thing off my to-do list.
For BYD blog readers, by way of background: I am a yoga studio owner, too. Before we disaffiliated from the Bikram organization this year, my husband and I had been the directors of (the former) Bikram Yoga Bloomington in Minnesota since 2002. In fact, Eric and I attended Bikram's teacher training together back in Fall 2001.
One of the reasons we decided that the Bikram brand was no longer a good fit for our business was what we saw as an alarmingly obsessive focus on the physical environment, specifically the temperature of the practice room. And as Eric points out, that focus generally skewed towards "MO HOTTAH, MO BETTAH" -a rigid, non-negotiable dogma whose adherents are usually the younger, physically more agile practitioners. Can you spell "exclusionary," kids?
An interesting bit of trivia is that during our 2001 teacher training, the room temperature in our classes which were taught by Bikram himself (and his wife Rajashree, as Eric mentions) was seldom excessively hot. The only thing I actually remember Bikram ever saying about the classroom's heat level was "turn it DOWN - I don't care about you guys, it's too hot for me in here!" However, when Bikram's glassy-eyed, fanatic "disciples" were teaching, it could never be hot enough. Their m.o. was to kick up the heat till half the room had either thrown up or passed out...then boast afterwards how they'd "killed 'em today" in class. Eric makes a good point that in a teacher training environment, extreme challenges can occasionally have their place in the scheme of things. But if you're running a health-oriented business open to the general public, abusing your paying customers is a very poor strategy.
So now, 30 years or so after Bikram introduced the "hot yoga" concept to the West, and a decade or so since it really caught fire (hah!), heated-room yoga classes in several different styles are widely available in health clubs and yoga studios alike. This once-radical notion has steadily become more mainstream, and for good reason. Moderately heated rooms for yoga practice just make good body sense: the heat warms the muscles for deeper stretching, the sweating accelerates detoxification. But hey, folks...just because SOME heat is good, does it follow that MORE heat is better? Say you're baking a cake, and the recipe says to put it in a 350° oven for an hour. Why not just bake it at 475° for 40 minutes, then? Well, why don't you give it a try...and let me know how that works out for you.
At our studio, we now offer two heated yoga class formats: a "hot" class where the temperature range can vary from 98°-105° (depending on humidity-temperature ratio), and a shorter "warm" class with a heat range between 85°-95°. Not only is the recently added "warm" class attracting a whole new group of clients, we've been welcoming back many former students who couldn't take the higher heat, but had enjoyed their experience of yoga with us enough to return as soon as we began offering another option. By the way, that warm class isn't just for "wimps" who can't take the heat. Many of our veteran hot-room fans have been telling us that they are now enjoying the warm-room class on its own terms, as a complement to their hot-room practice. They've discovered there is joy in actively creating agni (fire, or internal heat) from within via mindful breathing and focus, rather than merely being passively heated by a mechanical system.
So thanks, Eric, for damning political correctness and saying what has needed to be said for a long time. You and I may be thousands of physical miles apart nowadays, but once again, your process parallels mine. Right on, my brother.
In closing, for those who insist there's "only one right way" to practice hot yoga, here's a radical thought: No matter how flexible one's body may be, when the mind is inflexible, life is still out of balance.
Laiki Huxorli
Director
The Yoga Pioneers of Bloomington
www.theyogapioneers.com
Pioneers?
Just what are you pioneering? You are all Bikram certified, stole his series, his heat, his philosophy, and now can't hack the requirements. there is a reason that branding works. You go to a McDonald's anywhere in the world, and you know exactly what you are gonna get. You go to a "hot yoga" studio, just what is that, and what does that mean? Now you have your own teacher training, to teach teachers who are only certified to teach at other "hot yoga" studios. If you want the real thing, go get it. Go to a real Bikram studio. Avoid the fakers
about the heat
What a brilliant letter! I have been to studios that are all about 120 with high humidity, and it is just a macho thing. I worry about the brain and the kidneys in particular, as they do not respond well AT ALL to that level of heat/humidity/overheating. God bless you for your intelligence and compassion.
Thank you.
Thank you.
excellent point
Yes, you're certainly correct and make a good point about the humidity. The heat/humidity ratio is definitely not understood, sometimes I wonder if Bikram himself understands the correlation between the two. So you bring up a good point and all studios owners should read and understand your post. I also think the reason some studios crank up the heat is because they mistakenly believe higher temperatures = more sweat, a logical assumption but not true--you need the proper humidity!
Remember...
It's not the heat. It's the humility!
Amen!
Indeed, NOT yoga! So glad to be a part of your studio! Thanks Eric!
ego
Guess everyone needs a reminder about managing ego, even yoga instructors. Great article.
Monitoring the heat?
Fab discussion, Eric, thanks so much. You've sparked a question from this very new Bikram lover: is there a standard protocol your teachers are asked to follow in order to monitor the temperature in class? I have noticed that some teachers (Decatur Bikram) include monitoring and adjusting throughout class while others don't check even once.
The monitored classes have felt like the temp is consistent beginning to end, while the classes without monitoring have felt excessively hot, with increasing temp beginning to end, and I've noticed that the experienced practitioners are resting more during these classes.
As a newbie, I rest from time to time no matter what, but when I see the pros in a puddle on the floor, it certainly seems to validate my ponderings that the temp might be too hot when the teachers who don't monitor are teaching.
Otherwise, sure am loving you studio, teachers, and vibe, Eric, thank you.
It's Tricky
To be honest, Bikram Lover, the closest thing to official policy at our studio is this: Instructors should keep an eye on the heat to make sure it is close to 105 but not spend too much time during class adjusting the thermostats.
I wish it were a simple matter to maintain consistent heat and humidity levels but the reality is that the room conditions are always going to fluctuate according to several factors (which are addressed in the main post).
If an instructor is constantly walking over to and tweaking the thermostats it can be distracting (to themselves and to the students) as well as ineffective. Our heating system doesn't respond quickly to thermostat changes. It can take 30-40 minutes for the temperature to drop (or rise) noticeably after a change in setting. Also keep in mind that it is possible to monitor the room conditions without actually looking at the thermostats. We are in the room with you and we can see the effects of the heat on the students, especially when they are sitting down. Our job isn't to make it more comfortable for the students but to help them find the balance between challenge and struggle.
Part of the Bikram practice is learning to adjust and adapt according to the changing heat levels. The instructors role in this regard is to monitor and adjust the heat level when possible but also to adjust the pace and energy of the class as appropriate. The students role is to pay close attention to how their body feels in class and adjust their practice accordingly. As you've seen, even advanced practitioners need to sit down once in a while.
I appreciate your observations and feedback and will be putting this topic on the agenda for our next staff meeting. All of our instructors should be paying close attention to these things.
heat levels in Bikram Class
The truth is that although 105 and 40 percent is the guide, that is equivalent to a 122 degrees F "heat index". There is a lot of science behind comparing subjective sensations of heat under different temperature and humidity situations. one thing is very clear: discussing heat in terms of temperature only is not adequate. certainly there is a process of heat acclimatization. this process is well understood in athletes, and involves changes in blood proteins which osmotically draw more fluid in the bloodstream (first 2 weeks of enough exposure) so the athlete (or yogi) will have enough blood volume to go to brain, muscles, and cool skin. afte a few weeks of exposure, other changes take place which are adaptations to exercising in the heat. these changes mainly involve circulation changes which maintain blood volume.
another reality is that in every type of physical practice, such a a gym, martial arts, or any other exerciise program, most people will get interested a while but then after a few weeks they go back to baseline and forget all about it (this is true for weight loss or any type of self help program u can name). of course they may say it wass too hot and that is why they quit bikram yoga! catering to non-yogis by making the yoga cooler is not the answer if the studio wnats to cater to commited students and yogis who seek out bikram practice because ofthe benefits.
i went through the heat acclimatization process, and it was not easy. Bikram Yoga is not easy. living with infirmities is not "easy". there is no gain without effort.
105 and 40 percent is 122 heat index. the index changes inside any given class based on a host of factors including students. Best appoach i have experienced is to make SURE it is at least 122 heat index. if it egins to go too high ust a crack of the door and not much fiddling with thermostat works best.
with 7 year of qvid Bikram ractice in many studios, i can relate that my obsevation is the hotter studios with more discliplin retain more long term students, while those who cater to the students looking for something easier than bikram yoga do nothing but water down the practic eby not having their studio up to standard. my experience? Alpharetta is consistently hottest. Decatur and Ponce about the same but as little cooler. Marietta: the koolest classes - lowest heat.
students need to recognize their limits, honor their own practice, and not interpret a yogi who wants heat as come kind of machismo competitor. have the courage to slowly acclimatize, stick with it, and u will c the benefits