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| I have read in quite a few threads that many people go to studios that stay at around 100-105 degrees. It is not uncommon for my local studio to be at 110-116 during the warmer months and tonight it was consistantly 116 for 2/3rds of the class. Currently I am working out the kinks from a hamstring injury so for me the heat is welcome. I am a little concerned though, having read so many threads that seem to be anti-extreme heat. So....in your experiences, how hot is too hot?
Edited by tinyone 2005-05-13 12:26 AM
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| I'm curious how you know the exact temperature of the classroom. We have a thermostat in the classroom at our studio, but it is not accurate. I'm not even sure why we keep it in there, since it seems to only distract people.
I would say that it is probably too hot in the room if you are struggling early on in the series and notice a lot of students, seasoned & otherwise, starting to sit postures out. As a teacher it is sometimes difficult to guage the heat, since we are not practicing at the time. However, watching students and getting a general consensus helps us decide whether a door needs to be cracked, fans need to be turned on/off, etc.
If you are having a day when you start to feel the heat is hampering your practice, sit out some poses. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | I taught a class yesterday yesterday where the temp gauge (which I think is fairly accurate) stated 102 w/50% humidity. It was a silent class so I practiced with the group and I found it unbearable. With lower humidity (30ish), 105 is the point at which I think it becomes too much. However, I have become much less tolerant of the heat over the past 4 years that I've been practicing Bikram (I've been an instructor for 3), to the point that next week is my last week of classes. I love my students and will miss them but I can't take the heat anymore.
I think 116 is far too hot. What is the point of it being that hot? |
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| I can see the snese in having a room warm enough to encourage the muscles to releax and for comfortable relaxation or meditation. Since hearing about Bikram, I've been wanting to ask.... why the very high temperatures/humitity?
Fee |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
 
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | 116 is worse than a torture chamber!!!! As much as I LOVE my Bikram practice, I will not do it in a room over 100 degrees, and 95 is really enough. These studios are f-ing crazy!! It is not necessary and I doubt they will stay in business that long, no one is going to tolerate that kind of heat..especially us *Pitta* Dosha Americans. I Love my home practice in the mountains with my 2 little space heaters and my hot tub! It's never too late for you to start a home practice for doing Bikram yoga you guys! |
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| I appreciate the feedback. We have many thermostats in the studio and from my favorite spot in class, it is in my eyeline during the first water break. I usually look after class as well.
As for struggling in class...I don't. I am retired dancer and used to long rehearsals in no air conditioning but I was curious if there could be any long term problems with getting this much heat.
I really wish that I could also practice at home but I live in NYC and there is barely room in my apartment for myself. 
It is interesting that out here it seems that the hottest studios are the most popular. Maybe due to the large number of dancers and performers using Bikram as therapy???? |
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| Just curious if anybody knows what Bikram's exact guidelines are regarding the temperature in Bikram Yoga studios.
Do the teachers have the flexibility of lowering the temp if they see fit? Has anybody consistently taught Bikram Yoga in lesser heat and noticed any difference?
Also what is a silent class?
Thanks |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | Here is what is says on Bikram's website in the FAQ's in response to the question "What is the recommended temperature for Bikram yoga?"
"A. The recommended temperature is 105 degrees and about 60% humidity.
The room is kept at this temperature to keep the body from overheating (contrary to popular belief), protect muscles to allow for deeper stretching, detoxify the body (open pores to let toxins out), thin the blood to clear the circulatory system, increase heart rate for better cardiovascular workout, improve strength by putting muscle tissue in optimal state for reorganization, and reorganize lipids (fat) in the muscular structure."
To me, 105 w/60% humidity is excruciatingly hot. In that sort of heat, I do not have a good experience- it becomes all "mind over matter", how I can WILL myself to stay in this room. Ugh. (And this is a total aside, but how exactly does the high heat "reorganize lipids in the muscular structure." I'm sorry- but that sounds like gibberish. Did I miss this part in TT? My Cat's Mom? Dee? Anyone?)
Anyhoo . . .like Cyndi, I prefer no hotter than 100. But if, God forbid, the temp drops that low, the students are all "It's not hot enough" and "I'm not even sweating" (which I totally don't get- how can you not sweat just standing there in 100 degree heat?!). As tinyone said, the hottest studios are indeed the most popular (I'm not in NYC but in the NYC suburbs).
At my studio, we do have the ability to lower the temp to a certain extent. We have supplemental heaters in addition to the regular heat. I have practiced in really hot rooms (teacher training- ugh) and in rooms in the high 90s/maybe 100 and my practice is tons better and more enjoyable in lower heat.
A silent class is one where the teacher practices with the students rather than delivering the "dialogue". It's not totally silent, because the teacher will indicate how long to hold the poses and when to change. It's also criminal per Bikram himself (my bad!)
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| Hot yogi.
Here is Bikram recommendation from his website.
A. The recommended temperature is 105 degrees and about 60% humidity.
The room is kept at this temperature to keep the body from overheating (contrary to popular belief), protect muscles to allow for deeper stretching, detoxify the body (open pores to let toxins out), thin the blood to clear the circulatory system, increase heart rate for better cardiovascular workout, improve strength by putting muscle tissue in optimal state for reorganization, and reorganize lipids (fat) in the muscular structure.
While I teach do not teach Bikram yoga, I do teach a series that has the same original base (84 Classic asanas). I teach in temp ranging from 85-90 degree and see the same results. I believe that the extreme heat is not neccessary, it is the asanas and how you practice them that gets you the benefits. I personally like a warm to hot room, but not over the body temp.
As a side note, Bikram himself when first started teaching yoga in the Us and Tokyo kept them room around 85-90. I believe it was not until the mid 80 did he start pumping up the room temp. |
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| Thanks jackiecat.
It''s great that you lower the heat and you can take a break from the "dialogue" and actually demonstrate to your students.
Like you, i can't understand how anybody can say 100 is not hot and they don't break a sweat. Heat junkies, I say.
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| Thanks Yogabrian. 80-90 sounds like an optimal temperature range.
Based on some of your earlier posts, I presume you teach Tony Sanchez's method. Do you teach the Yoga Challenge I system or have you modified Tony's series.
I had actually sent Tony an email a few months ago asking, if one wanted to introduce inversions (plough, shoulderstand and fish) as part of the Yoga Challenge I series, at what point in the sequence is it best to be done. I guess he was relocating to Mexico at that time and shot me a quick note saying he would get back. He's probably forgotten, but in his note he told me to to get the Yoga Challenge II tape 
ANy thoughts on inversions in the Yoga Challenge I system? |
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| I like heat, but when it becomes about just hanging in there to get through the class, I draw the line too. I want to enjoy the poses and feel like I can work on them or what's the point? Perhaps some people do have a higher threshold, but I've noticed, unfortunately, that some of the complainers about the temperature at my place seem to be in there more for the calorie burning than yoga.
As far as Yoga Challenge 2 - I have the tape and he doesn't do shoulderstand or plough in it. The only inversion I recall, though it's been a couple of weeks since I've done it, is camel into rabbit, like Bikram. It's a good tape; but I just have to look in awe at his lotus series though since it's so way beyond me right now. |
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| I have been doing Bikram Yoga for seven weeks now, and I actually like the heat. When the temperature is 105-110, I start sweating during the breathing excercise and am usually drenched when I start doing the padahastasana posture. On some days, when the room is clearly cooler (~ 100), I don't sweat as much and I start noticing the difference during the fourth (Eagle ) posture, when I am not able to get my legs wrapped around. On hotter days, it does not seem to be a problem. We could probably debate forever about the ideal temperature range, but for me, even 100 degrees is not hot enough for flexibility.
The Swami |
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| Setting the thermostat at 105 is one thing. Keeping it there during a Bikram class is another thing. The classes are usually crowded and 105 feels like it soars to 120'.
Also, what is the rule about having live plants in the room? I get a little freaked out by all the stale air being exhaled. Maybe the plants wouldn't like it so hot.
fifi |
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| Plants in the room? I have never seen that. |
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| I find it perfect at 104 at 45%. I have a theory on the heat. The mind runs a constant charge through the body in the waking state. When the temps in yoga class get high, that charge can not run through the body the same. The base energy of the mind will determine at what point the heat start to be overwelming. The mind, wanting to keep its false hiearchy and control, will put people into a panic or anything to get it from being discovered. Every class I watch peoples minds freak out with a lot of negative energy being released. And the students klinging onto this negative energy for dear life subconscouisly thinking their dying. It is like the mind starts to decouple from the body and if the person is heavily identified with the mind then they have a hard time.
I do beleive anything above 105 is taking away from the yoga and is then a sauna experience, which is good, just not HATHA yoga. The mind would have to get real riggid to do it and becomes very competetive, holding the body to do the yoga. Fighting the heat.
The heat use to drive me nuts in the 110 and up studios. I would have to sit down alot. It culminated to an amazing experience. Over time I would reduce the mental fighting and just let go. One day while standing I went into a complete blackout with out the panic. In the blackout, my sense a space expanded and I could feel the earth much more. But I felt like I was brain dead and fully awake at the same time. I did not feel like I was my body anymore as an experience , compared to just a belief. And since then I have had increased ability to be spiritually centered. What ever that means. It is like my etheric template (centered in the neck) was reformed to be organized around spirit insted of the human social template it was formed into, growing up. 
Edited by innerline 2005-05-13 3:05 PM
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| me either |
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| I've never seen plants either. I do think the oxygen levels must go down quite a bit, especially the second class of the evening. I suspect it's one reason why people have noticed that hiking tougher terrain is easier, though that's just a guess. Since I'll be backpacking this summer in Wyoming at a high elevation, I'm hoping Bikram will help me train a bit for it in that regard. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Ooh, plants love tropical humid heat. Anyone ever been to a butterfly house?? There is one down in middle Ga at Callaway Gardens...talk about humid and hot. The plants flourish along with the butterflies and the tropical birds in there. My Yardbird loves this kind of heat...not I. However, I often wonder what it would be like to do Bikram in South America down in the Rainforest??? Save lots of $$$ on electricity bills 4 sure. Course, we would have to learn how to not use our mirrors  |
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| Innerline, in a 110 degree heat induced black out, you were probably hallucinating
I think it is just a matter of time before somebody trademarks the term Sauna Yoga  |
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| I have been to a butterfly house on Kelley Island just across the Canadian border/Lake Erie Area, I think. It was amazing. The experience made me committed to searching out activities that made me feel free. |
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| Innerline, do you suppose that some people adapt better to inense heat than others?
I know I would much rather be hot than cold and if I had my choice, I would be living in a tropical climate. Mentally, I am not bothered too much by the heat...I seem to be pretty calm and in a zone during my yoga practice (it is my time away from the world, ya know?) I just recognize the effects on my physical self. My cheeks are the color of tomatoes and my skin stays pretty warm even hours after my shower. |
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| What is hallucinating? What is reality? What is NOT REAL? Thoughts and dreams are just as much apart of reality. Just some people don't think their real, but they have them everyday. Go figure.  |
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| Hot yogi,
Much of the series is I teach does resemble the Yoga challenge 1. I do edit as I see fit according to general class ability and skill level. The core of the class will be the same but there may be variations of the asanas added. I no longer just stick to strict series.
I absolutely would not introduce inversions to the beginner series. The chance of injury at the beginner level is too great. The inversions in the Yoga challenge system and in the 84 asanas comes are considered very advances poses and come at the end the systems.
Before you mix and match, I would purchase all of Tony's videos. Try them all out starting from #1 and moving to #4. When you can do the #4 with a good degree of skill then try mixing and matching.
Brian |
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| Cyndi,
Is a Yardbird a tropical plant? If so, thanks for the suggestion. Can you imagine doing Bikram in a greenhouse with all that O2? Oh my gosh! Talk about getting high...
3 years ago when I began my committment to Bikram I used to like the high it gave me, which was different from a runner's high. More like a Whirling Dervish high. Since I'm a bit more seasoned and more grounded, Bikram feels like a sweatlodge high to me now. Sometimes there are really uncomfortable moments in Bikram and I think of it partly as growth and partly as atonement of my sins (or bad karma). Then, like Innerline mentioned, I just let myself be hot. Just be hot. I tell myself it's ok to be uncomfortable. Freaking out makes it worse. I'm a bit of a fraud, though, b/c I hate being cold and I have a hard time telling myself to just be cold. Just a mind-thing, I suppose. Have a great weekend everyone
fifi PS - what's a butterfly house? I'm going to feel really stupid if it's a house for butterflies |
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Too hot?
