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| I am working on opening a new studio, but am waiting to see results from court, between OSYU and Bikram www.yogaunity.org . I am thinking of using a red carpet. Also would you prefer lots of window , some windows or no windows. What are your thoughts? I personally feel energized by the red but turned off from too much sunlight in the room. I opened a studio before with partners and sold my shares a year ago and now want to own my own studio without partners. Most studios are are beige. I am tired of beige. |
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| I'm with you Brian--Jazz it up with the red. I'm for the windows depending on the room's orientation, foliage around etc. Direct screaming in blazing sun would be obnoxious but natural light as opposed to overhead spots I think would be cool. LoraB is designing studios in college--she'll probably chime in before long. Good luck--I'll have to come practice sometime. |
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| I am not particular about the decor of a studio, but I do have two practical comments about where I go now.
1. I wish they had mat lockers. I imagine something that looks like a wall of pigeon holes, but big enough and deep enough to put my mat in a bag into. I have one of those 100" Manduka Black mats and it weighs 8.5 lbs and is so large I have to take great care not to bonk people on the head on the metro and bus.
2. Due to a rash of thefts, they now lock the front door once the class starts. Although I think being late is bad form, I do wish there was a way for people to get in afterwards. I was thinking once the door is locked that there could be a button outside that people could press that would light up a light that was placed so only the teacher would be able to see, so inbetween poses, she could step into the lobby and let people in (and let us catch our breaths!) |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
  
Location: A Blue State | Natural light is wonderful, but make sure that you have north-facing windows
or an overhang so that direct sunlight can't enter (and remember that the
sun's zenith angle is totally different in summer than in winter (maybe 20 degrees
in summer and 65 degrees in winter) so that the solar design has got to account
for seasons.
Red carpet sounds pretty good to me. It says your students are VIPs. 
Also, I'd make sure that whatever heat source you are using is located at floor
level. I've been in studios with electric heaters at the ceiling level, and the result
is awful. You get very hot air up by the ceiling and cold air by the floor. It makes the
standing series into a form of torture. Putting the heat source at floor level helps
the hot and cold air to mix.
For Bikram yoga --- Showers! You gotta have them. And you need enough of them
that people don't have to wait in line forever.
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| I love red! I definitely agree that you should be careful with too many windows. I went to one studio that had a lot of windows and couldn't relax in savasana because the sun was directly in my eyes. I also remember one of my instructors telling us that she went to a Bikram studio in Florida that had tons of windows, and she got sunburned! She said it was unbearable with the heat of the sun ponding down with her, in addition to the studio heater.
Good Luck, sounds fun! |
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Do keep in mind that these are merely opinions, based in study.
1. Personally, I love red, and would use it everywhere if I only could. I'd be a bit hesitant to put it in a Bikram studio though, because of the effects of color. Reds, oranges, yellows are all warm, so of course they make you feel hotter...Might not be the best idea for the actual studio itself, but maybe you could incorporate into the reception area. This would psychologically prepare students for the Bikram experience to follow, without leaving them feeling like the studio itself is 10 degrees hotter than it already is. The studio doesn't have to be beige!! The range of neutrals that exists is pretty incredible.
2. When you mention carpet, are you talking about the studio itself? Or a reception area? If you're looking at the actual studio, think about how much work that will be to maintain. Between the heat, the humidity, the general wear, and the sweat pouring off the people it's a lot of work and you'll more than likely have to replace it every 2-3 years. Do you really want to do that? if you do, fine, there's absolutely nothign wrong with that. This comes down more to a matter of personal investment, etc. If you do choose to go this route, you'll definitely need to get a carpet with strong anti-bacterial treatments - think of carpet you would find in a doctor's office or hospital..
3. Windows. Perhaps some clerestory windows to allow light to filter in but without it beating down on the poor voerheated students? Natural light is really nice in a yoga studio, and there are plenty of ways to bring it in without it being suffocating. Sheer window treatments in a darker shade - you could even bring in some of the red here to incorporate that. Then you've got all the different kinds of glass...
4. No more free design ideas!
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| Thanks everyone. Window orientation I find important. I do not like the windows behind the front of the room so it is in the mirrors. I like it on the side. But in the space I am looking at, the yoga room would be be L shaped with windows on the side of the small part but behind half the long part. The windows face west. So I will have to use some form of blinds to cut down on the direct light in the evening. I need to decide between a wall of windows or regular windows. I am leaning towards regular windows The room fits 32 people comfortably. So is four showers for women and three for men OK. Or should I do shower rooms with many heads? Has anyone done yoga in a hot room with red carpet? Did the carpet make it seem hotter? (I did not think about that, thanks) I am a 105 and 45% humidity teacher, so it is not super hot. Thanks for input. |
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| I'm neither a psychologist nor a designer, so I will throw in just some private thoughts of mine. Though red is a fine strong colour it's also known to make people aggressive and we don't want that in a yoga environment do we? Beige gives me the creeps also. My personal taste would tend to some nice and warm earthy tones, think terracotta and the likes. Kinda redish brown would be nice. You can mix up the coolest blends with just some brown, red and orange. Maybe a bit darker for the carpet and a little lighter for the walls.
I wouldn't break my head too much over windows. You're not going to build a new building, right? So you'll have to deal with the existing layout. Natural light is a good thing to have and if it's too much, well there are shutters and other window dressings available to lock the light out.
The bikram studio I was going too only had one shower, so there were like 10 sweaty guys standing in line. Everybody with a bit of social consciense tried to keep his shower time as short as possible but nevertheless the waiting time wasn't nice. You haven't eaten for hours and just had a strenous and sweaty class so all you wanna do is go home and input food - as speedy as possible!!!
BTW, I as a client would love to find everything in a very clean, hygienic condition, especially in the "wet rooms" and wardrobe area. I think it will pay in the long run to have it cleaned and maintained very regularly. I know that Americans are a bit prudish but in many other countries you'll find one big shower room with lots of heads. We're all grown up, right? So there's nothing to see that we don't already know. I'd definately go for that!
For the reception area I always appreciate a cosy little lounging arrangement. A place to sit down and unwind, maybe some yoga magazines to browse through. Also some private lockers for mats and other gear would be nice. It could help you create a little extra income too. Rent them out for like 5 or 10$ monthly.
That's all I can think of right now.
I wish you good business and profit!
Edited by afroyogi 2004-12-09 6:57 PM
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| Hey innerline,
Check out www.yogaflooring.com I am putting it in my place. It is expensive as options go, but will save you a bundle on cleaning and carpet replacement cost over the long term. VERY CLEAN! No more smelly carpets!
Brian |
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| Since you asked...
I agree with LoraB about the red. Too hot for Bikram flooring. (I mean even the lights seem to radiate 1000' heat during class). I hate the windows in the summer in Las Vegas. They are positively cruel. And at night drunk weirdos from the strip joint down the way like to peek in. Eeewwww! Anything that looks like candlelight will make most of us happy; people look healthier in candlelight. How about something for people to focus on high on the wall or ceiling while they're lying in sivasana (sp?). I end up looking at one of the yucky flourescent lights and burning a hole in my retina. And about flooring - can something be engineered to keep feet from sliding during triangle pose?
Hey, this sounds like you're creating the perfect Bikram studio! Where can I sign up? Fifi |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
 
| Ah yes, but is it "Bikram legal?" Doesn't he insist on carpet?
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | Okay, here are a few more thoughts.
On the lights, I agree that fluorescent ceiling lights are the worst thing
that a studio can have. It's ugly light and it's in your eyes whenever you
are on the floor on your back. Track lights a bit better, although with
mirrored rooms they wind up getting reflected in strange ways. There
are Upwash fixtures, in which the fluorescent lights are covered from
below and reflect light from the ceiling. Those are nice because you never
see the bulb.
As several people have said, nothing is more disgusting that a dirty, smelly,
hair covered carpet. Barf!! Some people use that indoor/outdoor stuff,
which gets furry and can easily give you a scrape. Yuk! I'm not a great fan
of hardwood floors because they are HARD (and slippery if people are sweating),
but at least they can be kept hygenic. Studios with carpet almost never clean
them often enough.
On color, I'm trying to remember something about Bikram and color. I think
that it was that green is his favorite color for studios? Or maybe that he doesn't
like green? Anyway, green would be a very peaceful color with all that heat.
And by the way, 105F and 45% RH is not "cool". It's at the edge of human
endurance during strenuous exercise. My advice is to cut both the heat and
humidity so that you don't have students falling over from heat stroke (or worse).
They'll do better yoga if they aren't fighting off nausea and dizziness while practicing.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 338
| My studio has very pretty lavendar walls with a little bit on marbling in them. I really appreciate the subtlety of the colors, especially as the class progresses and my energy mellows. I agree that smelly carpets are bad, but I can't imagine working on a wood floor. I would see about a good regular cleaning service, the kind that such the dirt out in a big vacuum cleaner hose with steam. I think it would be worth it.
I'm interested in the heat issue, I though that 105 was about minimum for Bikram.
Peggy :lol: |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | I vote against red for the studio carpet . . . I am getting hot just thinking about it (and, no, not THAT kind of hot!) I like the suggestion of terra cotta but I like wood floors even better. They are so much more aesthetically pleasing and easier to keep clean.
Regarding the heat, I don't think there's an "official" minimum/maximum. Some studios really like to crank up the heat and then members get used to that and think they are working so much harder while they are really just in survival mode.
In my class 105 heat/45 humidity would be the absolute maximum. Especially if it is a large class, it is ass-hot with the temp at those levels. I prefer humidity to be around 40% with a maximum heat of about 102 (I actually prefer it closer to 100 but that's when the "it's not hot enough" complaints start). I wouldn't go to a studio/class that was consistently above 105. |
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| It has been around 110 degree at the studio I practice at, with humidity around 10%. Coming from Key West, where the humidity is usually around 80%, 110 feels cool. I have to say that they do a super job with the carpet, it is always totally clean and doesn't smell at all. |
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| I am definitely not in favor of the wood floors. Not only would people slip when they start sweating (especially during Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose and Triangle Pose), but wood floors gross me out! They put wood floors in our 24 hour fitness, and it collects so much hair and dust. I am sure they don't clean it enough, but I still remember the dusty hair ball that landed in my face when I laid down on my mat. Eeeeek! The carpet in our Bikram studio doesn't gross me out. The owner cleans it very often and it always *appears* clean and vacuumed. I would assume that it is the same carpeting as they have at the Bikram headquarters, since the owner is chummy with the Bik-Man. Did you not like that type of flooring? |
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| yogabrian - 2004-12-09 5:12 PM
Check out www.yogaflooring.com I am putting it in my place. It is expensive as options go, but will save you a bundle on cleaning and carpet replacement cost over the long term. VERY CLEAN! No more smelly carpets!
Brian
Hey Brian, I checked out that site, and the flooring seems pretty interesting. There wasn't much info about it, but I just e-mailed the company asking for more info. As someone who already is putting it in your own place, can you shed some more light on this stuff. It seems really cool, but I have concerns about people being put off by this stuff because it's really different from what they're normally used to. What can you tell us about "P.E.M. Flooring?" |
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| I think the number one thing that would entice me to come and stay with a particular Bikram studio is for the owner to get rid of the idiotic expiration dates on class cards--don't care what color the carpet is, don't care how many showers--just don't make it a chore for the customer to have to remember how many days are left on something that shouldn't have a ****ed expiration date anyway. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State |
The only expiration date that would make sense to me would be the
on a monthly-unlimited pass or a yearly membership.
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| I can tell you what I know.
1. The flooring is the same rubber that stick mats are made of.
2. It contains a anti-aicrobial, that guards against the growth of mildew, fungi and bacteria. No More smelly carpets!!
3. It is easier to clean then carpet.
4. It is tough stuff. I am teaching martial arts and do have people with shoes working out and I would tear up a carpet in six or seven months of practice.
5. It softens up in heat!
6. It looks a little strange.
7. Ron Cordas who sell the stuff is a great guy!
8. The owner of the Bikram studio on his website loves the flooring!
I will be installing the stuff in my place as of next weekend so I will give you an update next week!
Brian |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | I taught for a while at one of the studios that has the flooring that yogabrian is installing. It is pretty cool! I never got involved in cleaning it (I only taught one class per week at this studio and for a short time but I can see where it would be ALOT more sanitary than carpet without the hazards of wood flooring. Anyway, I liked the flooring and the students who practiced there seemed to like it as well. |
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| That yoga flooring website is really great. I'm so glad there are people out there filling an unusual need. Love that. By the way, on the website it showed a Bikram class where they are doing triangle pose on their yoga mats. The 3 Bikram teachers I've had always made us push our mats aside and do triangle on the carpet. My extended leg always slips during the pose and I feel like I don't do triangle very well. If I my legs were stronger would that make a difference in slipping regardless of using a mat? Thanks ~ Fi |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | I personally have never liked that peculiarly Bikram thing of making
you get onto the slippery carpet for Trikonasana and Separate Leg
Stretching. Perhaps it's because I pulled a thigh muscle doing what
I was told when I was first starting out. I do not buy the argument
that you are somehow doing better yoga by putting yourself at risk
for an injury, and because the extended leg does want to slip out, you
wind up leaning way forward over the other leg to stay balanced.
You can do strange things with the alignment of the pelvis as well.
I suppose that greater leg strength makes it easier to use the carpet,
but in general the instruction seems to be
one more area in which Bikram instructors favor machismo over
safety and common sense.
What's interesting is to compare Virabhadrasana II, done with Iyengar
alignments, to the Bikram Trikonasana. You go from the one to the other
just by bending over to bring the arm to the floor. But in the Iyengar
version, the pelvis is turned to lie the plane of the legs. The torso
alignment has a much different feel as well. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 338
| This is a diversion from studio design, but I agree, doing the Triangle on carpet is very
anxiety producing. I have never had an instructor inssist that it be done that way. When it
comes time, I just turn my mat. Even with the mat, it's pretty scary if balance is an issue.
peggy |
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| Maybe most Bikram instructors feel that the carpet is less slippery than your sweaty mat and gives you better balance coz it's not as wobbly. But - as always - let's keep in mind that yoga, not even bikram, isn't a competition. So, whenever you feel your legs slipping just keep your feet a bit closer together. However, in a properly aligned trikonasana you shouldn't slip at all. Period.
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| Very true afoyogi! |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | afroyogi - 2004-12-14 1:46 PM
Maybe most Bikram instructors feel that the carpet is less slippery than your sweaty mat and gives you better balance coz it's not as wobbly. But - as always - let's keep in mind that yoga, not even bikram, isn't a competition. So, whenever you feel your legs slipping just keep your feet a bit closer together. However, in a properly aligned trikonasana you shouldn't slip at all. Period.
It's interesting that I never feel any slippage at all in either the Iyengar or Ashtanga
versions of Trikonasana or Parivrtta Trikonasana. Or in Virabhadrasana II.
Slippage seems to go with the Bikram Trikonasana on the rug. For that matter, I've done
the pose on a mountaintop in bare feet, with no slipping. No slipping on the towel on the
mat, either.
This was a problem for a lot of people in the Bikram classes I used to take, but it's
probably also a function of what kind of rug is on the floor. Some are grippier than
others. The instructors always told us that we would build "the strength in our feet"
by working on the rug rather than the towel.
I do agree that bringing your feet closer alleviates the problem, but it also compromises
the alignment that one is seeking. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 338
| I agree that bringing your feet closer together compromises the alignment and makes it difficult to lower your hips. The primary problems with slipping on the mat comes from the puddles of set that are on the mat. I may try more towels. peggy |
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| I just know that Saddam Hussein used a lot of red in his torture chambers as it makes people mad and feel unsettled. I have to tell you that in trying to bring my forehead to the floor, and sweating alot and seeing red, may not be the best feeling. I know my mother-in-law has red carpet in her guest bedroom, and I get an awful nights sleep in there. Is that due to red carpet??? Who knows, but it is definitely not a calming color. Other than that -- I wish you luck. What law suit are you waiting on to settle. Are you certified to teach bikram yoga, or just want to open a hot yoga studio on your own? |
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| I haver decided to not use red carpet and go with terracotta. The yoga flooring suggested is a great idea but will have to look at pricing. Thanks for input everyone. Hope everyone is have a peaceful holiday. I am waiting for the results of a court date between Bikram and open source yoga unity about what his copyrights actually can protect. I am a certified bikram instructor. I opened a yoga studio in Boulder, CO in the begining of 2002 with two others and had to leave because what I was teaching, conflicted with what the other teachers were doing, about eight others teachers. I feel what Bikram is teaching is dangerous. The way it is being taught has many misalignment that breakdown joints over time. It leads to struggle and strain. So since I teach a Bikram class very differently than it is being taught I want to open a hot yoga studio.
Triangle for beginners on carpet is dangerous. As one progresses, what you do it on does not matter. At the advanced stages it can be done one ice. The trick is to put enough downward force through the feet so that you do not have sideways forces coming through the feet. You will not need to depend on the static friction with the floor. I have done it on ice and it made no difference in the posture. You must be supremely aware of your core and how it relates and functions with the core of the earth to do this safely. Not recommended. The average persons adductors (inner thighs) can be so weak that triangle can be a very hard posture. The back of the spine will try to make up for it causing mis alignments and holding in the back and neck, causing the breath to be held and struggle as a result. Good weight distribution through the feet should help alot.
For those that have put alot of time into this yoga and want to get the most out of your practice. You owe it to your self to seek teachers that have been highly trained. Their are not many in Bikram's world. But there are many more in other forms of yoga. Bikram himself is an amazing yoga practitioner with great adjustments on advaced postures. He has great personal power but has gone so far in hatha yoga himself that he can not teach beginning yoga well at all. He never had to experience the issues that the average Joe has , so it is understandable that he just thinks everyone can push and strain to get to were he is. He does not relize how deep internally the avarage american has to change their perceptions of themselves to do successful hatha yoga. Otherwise distortions in actions will be the norm. That is how I see Bikram yoga being done today by the vast majority. Distorted intentions that deform the body over time. Having a big catharsis does not mean your healing yourself. One of the many illusions in Bikrams world and society in general.
Australian Aboriginal Elder Lilla Watson:
"If you've cme here to help me, you're wasting your time. But if you've come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."
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| Fair assessment of many Bikram teachers I think. Luckily, the good ones (like you) see the light sooner rather than later and make the necessary adjustments. I've seen it first hand locally and have also seen the opposite--some NEVER get it--I don't go to them and encourage others to avois them as well. I enjoyed the hell out of the local Hot Body studio--former Bikram teacher who has other training as well and has tailored it to her students and her knowledge.
Bon chance! |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | innerline - 2004-12-27 6:00 PM
I am waiting for the results of a court date between Bikram and open source yoga unity about what his copyrights actually can protect.
I feel what Bikram is teaching is dangerous. The way it is being taught has many misalignment that breakdown joints over time. It leads to struggle and strain.
Triangle for beginners on carpet is dangerous. As one progresses, what you do it on does not matter. At the advanced stages it can be done one ice.
For those that have put alot of time into this yoga and want to get the most out of your practice. You owe it to your self to seek teachers that have been highly trained. Their are not many in Bikram's world. But there are many more in other forms of yoga. Bikram himself is an amazing yoga practitioner with great adjustments on advaced postures. He has great personal power but has gone so far in hatha yoga himself that he can not teach beginning yoga well at all. He never had to experience the issues that the average Joe has , so it is understandable that he just thinks everyone can push and strain to get to were he is. He does not relize how deep internally the avarage american has to change their perceptions of themselves to do successful hatha yoga.
Having a big catharsis does not mean your healing yourself. One of the many illusions in Bikrams world and society in general.
Innerline ---
I agree with all of this. OSYU, well, so far I have not been impressed with their legal work,
although it did improve once the woman with Stanford ties joined them. Bikram's "sequence"
copyright is weak and probably invalid. His dialog copyright is airtight, IMHO. His trademarks,
well, unless someone can demonstrate abandonment (unlikely, IMHO), those will hold up
too. Bottom line: don't say "bikram", don't use his dialog, and teach whatever sequence
you like.
On Trikonasana, I really wish that I had spent time on pelvic alignment in Virabhadrasana II
before I started worrying about Bikram's Trikonasana. I would have had a much better sense
of what was required. Also Parsvokonasana first. Your comment about adductors nails me.
I've been told that I have none.
On yoga teachers' qualifications, enough has already been posted here. As for Bikram
himself, what you say about his gifts disconnecting him is sounds true. I'd also wonder
whether he has any desire to understand the average person. It's interesting to contrast
him with Iyengar in this regard. Iyengar had to struggle for years to perfect his yoga. He
was very sick as a youth. He brings this perspective to his teaching. He's also very well
known for trying to understand all the things that his students are doing wrong, so that he
can correct them and teach them better. He places heavy emphasis on props for this
purpose. A Bikram instructor told me that Bikram referred to Iyengar's teaching
as "furniture yoga" during the training. There's a difference in attitude here.
I *love* that comment about the "big catharsis". 
Edited by Bay Guy 2004-12-27 10:21 PM
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Yes, when I read about BKS's early years and the struggles he had, I understood why his yoga is so well suited to us in the west! Very inspiring  One of the reasons I like to teach is because I am a fairly "typical" person body-wise. I read a comment once about the fitness levels of the various superstar yoga teachers. Basically the commentator said you could give those people hula hoops and they would stay fit - they have athletic, flexible bodies and the drive to keep them that way. I have more of an attitude of "if a normal person like me can do it, you can too" and I think students see that and can identify with it. Iyengar teachers are encouraged to try to imitate what a student is doing if we can't see the problem from the outside. BKS tells us to take their problem inside our own bodies and work with it to find answers. Obviously we mere mortals can't do it to the extent that he can, but even just imitating what I see in a student's pose can give insight into how to help them change and improve. Definitely light years away from the Bikram approach. |
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| Back to the subject at hand!
It just finished installing the PEM flooring. First thoughts.
IT LOOKS GREAT! I heated the room to help flatten the floors and my studio is currently warmer then ever! Practiced about an half hour and the floor are SUPER grippy! Triangle no problem! Bay guy please come and check it out for yourself! I think you will love the flooring. First class is tomorrow at 9:00 am. Will let you all know the feedback!
Brian
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| Ok the floors ROCK to practice on. Students love and after doing my practice on it I love it too. PEM is highly recommended by myself. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State |
Sounds very cool, Brian. Glad it's working out for you.
Bay Guy
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| Great Brian. I will have to make this a priority to get. The floor is very important. Thank You very very much. What color did you get? I am also Brian. |
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| Well, my requirements for the floors are a little more demending then most. I also teach Martial arts and do personal training so I need to have shoes on the flooring. In order to get the floors from getting back scuff marks from the shoes we use I went with black. It looks real tight. However if was just yoga I would have gone with the sandstone. When you talk to Ron tell him I said hey!
just as a note the floors we SUPER easy to install, but make sure that you get the seam glue. Ron can tell you more.
Btw (shameless plug) check out my website. www.yogicmotion.com
Brian
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| Great site Brian! Wish you well and hope to visit one day. |
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Need help on studio design