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New User
Posts: 3
Location: USA | Hi everyone,
I've had a regular practice of iyengar yoga for 3 years now, with general hatha yoga for a few years before that.
There is a bikram studio near my home that offers classes all day long, so I find it convenient to go there as I can always make a class.
I'm a new student to bikram and have some questions. I have a hard time going to classes as the teachers are so harsh. Now...coming from iyengar yoga I am used to hard yoga where the teachers do not allow for excuses. But some of the bikram things I don't get.
maybe you can help me understand?
1) we are not allowed to drink water in class unless it is an "emergency" and when people take sips the teacher barks at them asking them to stop and then says "well, you know, if it's an emergency then go ahead, but I doubt it is"
2) the same thing happens with wiping sweat from the face. I understand that you need to sweat on your body to cool you off, but when it is in my eyes it stings and the other day I was inhaling it into my nose while breathing which was gross and unpleasant. But yet we get called out an "scolded" for touching our faces.
3) Just the general yelling mentality of the practice. I don't understand the use of the microphone and that they scream at us for being weak like a drill sergeant.
I was in a class Sat and the teacher was all up in my face about everything and kept calling me out because I was new. It was really awful. I can do all these poses, they are not hard poses. But they are slightly different from iyengar (maybe a hand is up instead of down, etc). Yet I was ridiculed through class for being "bad" at the practice, going to early, going to late, anticipating the full pose when he didn't finish calling it out and I should be on the first step, not the end.
I am not in the habit of watching other students as is the bikram way (it's very discouraged in iyengar to watch others) so I wasn't noticing the class. But at one point I noticed I was the only one even doing the poses, and 90% of the class was just sitting down resting. Perhaps that's why I was picked on. He told me it was because I was new and towards the front (which I told him I would move but he said no) and the front has to be perfect to teach the others.
It was a miserable class and a student next to me actually told me to please not let the teacher get to me and come back. At one point the teacher told us he didn't care if we came back or thought he was a jerk or went and killed ourselves...it was our choice to learn to deal with the criticism and we would grow as people for it.
Really? Is all Bikram this way? I feel like I am the only one who doesn't like the style. And FWIW, the heat doesn't bother me. When I start sweating my body cools off and I feel just fine. It's the teachers who bother me. And while this was the worst, I've had about 5 at this studio who are about the same. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 574
 
| Ask the teacher to chill out and get some relaxation. You could suggest a few restorative iyengar postures. |
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| just practice at home.
it's the same 26 every time and if you already have a home practice it probably would be time better spent.
you probably know a couple hundred
...
that guy does sound like a dick on a power trip, though.
the other teachers at the studio might not be so poor mannered.
if you do go back, take note of the questionable alignment that is encouraged |
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| "Is all Bikram this way?" NO. Very emphatically, no.
Bikram is a kick-ass practice, but we do have some crappy teachers/studios out there. It's weird. None of those things that you describe are universal to Bikram yoga. At the studio where I teach, we don't talk about the water, we don't talk much about wiping, and we don't YELL at anyone. For pete's sakes. None of those things are productive. We do teach wearing microphones, because we do a LOT of talking and the mic can really save your voice.
If the teacher can only get through class by yelling at and berating his students, he is NOT doing his job right. Period. We are trained to teach movement, not behavior. We are trained to give precise instructions for how to do the postures. We are trained in the medical, psychological, and spiritual benefits of the yoga, and we should be sharing those things. Anything else is CRAP, plain and simple. They'll claim that it's Bikram's style, but trust me, it's not. (Bikram is basically your old-school tough-ass Indian yoga teacher with a splash of Hollywood thrown in; he'll yell at people and act stern/mean when it suits him, but he'll also be very sweet, gentle and encouraging, especially with new students.)
I agree with dhanurasana that the other teachers might be better, though teachers at the same studio tend to copy each others' style. Check it out and see.
As a general note, you DO want to try and stay with the teacher's words when you're practicing Bikram style. We really do give word-for-word, step-by-step instruction for every posture. It's not like some other practices where someone just says "standing bow!" or whatever and everyone pops into standing bow; even the people who have practiced for many years still follow step by step. It's part of the meditation (you don't have to think, you just let the teacher move your body), and it's also where the precision comes from, because a lot of the details (like the grips) are given in the step-ups.
But if the teacher sucks, I wouldn't listen to them either!! And if they're not capable of giving you a simple explanation like that, then I'd like to revoke their certificate.
I am a full-time Bikram teacher and this is the kind of thing that really gets my heart rate up... grrr.... argh.... |
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| Welcome to the forums Wildflower. thedancingj is a wonderful person with in-depth Bikram experience and offers outstanding advice. Unfortunately, the business metrics prove that enough people like the abuse we see too often and settle for the convenience and precision of a Bikram practice. You can try but you will not change the instructor though you can do as I did and complain then be banned from the studio. Eventually, it's up to you to let your wallet speak--stay and endure or move on.
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| As Friedrich Nietzsche said after his first Bikram class: "Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker."1
After his second and final class he said: "Thus do I counsel you, my friends: distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful!"
1 What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Oregon | Bikram's does lend itself to an intense setting and teachers who will confront you. I have no problem with that as I think confrontation and how we deal with it a major and essential element in the “practice” of Yoga.
Yes, studios stress the following:
- stay for the full 90 minutes; don’t take a break, etc.
- wait to drink until after Eagle and then limit your intake in class
- don't wipe, it actually defeats what the body it trying to do to cool itself
- and yes, they do like a more synchronized/group energy entry/exit in postures
In my studio, you are given permission to look at other in postures if you are new, for the first 2-3 times you come. After that, it's frowned upon.
The yelling. I'm reminded of something my ex told our child. She told her we argued all the time. I brought this up to my ex as it wasn't my experience. I said, "We didn't argue.” She said, “I was always tense.” At the end of our marriage was there an undercurrent of anger and frustration? Absolutely. But we never argued so there were no solutions and nothing was resolved. Two different perspectives.
I share that because I hear people talk of the yelling in Bikrams, in my studio especially. But I do think it is our nature to *hear* some things as yelling. And again, I think that is part of Yoga. I do not react to that like I did. I am so much stronger.
However, the examples you give seem much more extreme and condescending. I've practiced at 9-10 different Bikram studios and had maybe 25 different instructors and none of them has ever come close to the experience you've outlined here. In a case like this, I'd like to be a secret shopper and show up and take a class.
My suggestion; try a different studio, even if it's farther away. |
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New User
Posts: 3
Location: USA | Thanks everyone for the input. I am shying away from bikram for the time being...I do enjoy the heat, so perhaps I will make it back after a break. I do not enjoy the instructors. I have some friends who attend a studio about 25-30 minutes away and love it. Maybe I will give theirs a shot and see how it differs. there is also one close to my work. It seems to be quite popular here!
The instructor I was with last week was the studio owner (or director or however that works with the whole franchise thing). Not all the teachers are that bad...I've been with 5 different teachers there. but in general, i find them all to be harsh like they just want us to feel bad because the intimidation adds to the work-out.
Andre, if you are ever in the midwest feel free to take a class at this place. ;) the guy was beyond condescending, he even called everyone "hon" as he spoke like a jerk. |
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Veteran
Posts: 243
| If you can, try another studio. Even just reading your post, I would have said the style of teaching is coming from the studio owner, he/she obviously has coached his/her teachers to teach this way (since you say all of them do it, and especially because that class that was so offensive was the studio owner himself!). It's a shame, because, as mentioned above, the principles are not bad. We recommend no water in class because your body doesn't have time to digest it and it will make you uncomfortable in class. We recommend no wiping of sweat because the sweat is just going to keep running and when you wipe it, you push the toxins back into your pores. Staying with the instructions are for synergy and also safety, to make sure no one injures themselves. So there is reasoning behind it, but it seems this studio has chosen a very aggressive and negative way to convey it. Try another studio- you can then compare and see if it's the style of the practice in general that's negative to you or only the studio near you. It does really sound like the studio near you has taken some of the worst choices for teaching bikram! |
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New User
Posts: 3
Location: USA | Thanks everyone.
I probably will give the other studio a try at some point, and perhaps even go back to that one and hide in the back and try to ignore the teacher. The woman who spoke to me after the last class was wearing earplugs! hahahaha.
I understand that drinking water while practicing yoga is generally frowned upon. But I think that when you are in 105 degree room for over 90 minutes you should drink something. Not a ton, or you could get sick, but small sips of water during class just makes sense to me for health purposes. I don't think trying to be tough and go without water is logical or healthy. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Love Love Love the earplugs...great idea, why didn't I think of that,  Best wishes in finding the right place for you Wildflower. I have my home practice for this very reason. Cheers! |
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Regular
Posts: 69
| It sounds like that guy is totally uptight teacher - too bad! the yelling/drill sergeant thing, i think, is the way Bikram was taught. but it is totally rare to have "yelling" and negativity at Bikram studios. "Scoldings" are totally, totally rare. I have practiced hundred and hundreds of times in dozens of studios from Beijing to Paris to Mexico City and all points in between. (although there have been some wild horror stories documented on this site.) Mostly the teachers are firm but nice. They get it. They practice too. They are there to kick your ass, to make you go far, to shatter the mind's limits .. to "kill yourself" is how it is put a lot of the time. The best teachers are really sweet while they take you to the edge!
The wiping/drinking thing has logic to it that will come to you in time. Just ignore that jerk if he scolds you. That is so lame. (I believe it is good to not drink water and wipe in class, doing those things is less meditative that not and forgoing them is another way to exercise my determination.)
I hope your experience gets better and you start to love and benefit from Bikram as so many people from all walks of life, all over the world do! |
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Member
Posts: 24
| Wildflower, I suggest you either find a different yoga studio or practice at home. I found Bikram to be a great workout for certain parts of your body. If you are looking for a workout you might try swimming, cycling, going to a gym. If you want yoga plus the added benefits of a workout you might try to find an Ashtanga or Vinyasa class. Obviously you enjoy the hear so if you could find a heated Vinyasa class I think you might be happier. |
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Member
Posts: 7
| Wildflower,
I have been practicing Bikram for 4 years. I also practice several other styles of yoga (Anusara, power, and vinyasa flow) I have never had a teacher act so condescendingly. However, I have had a few Bikram teachers that are not very nice. My experience outside of Bikram is so different. Most yoga teachers are very kind, compassionate, and loving. While some Bikram teachers act this way, others have more of a drill sergeant attitude. The whole Bikram dialog does not encourage love and compassion. It is designed to push the student. I have found that I can have a moving meditation while doing Bikram yoga, but it took me a while to figure out how to do it. Here are some suggestions that may help:
1. If you decide to go back to the nearby Bikram studio, arrive early and take time to let the instructor know that you are new to Bikram and that you would like their advice. This is a great way to break the ice with an instructor.
2. Take the approach of a total beginner. You may be experienced at other forms of yoga, but Bikram is a different animal. Carefully follow the instructions and move at the exact pace of the instructor.
3. You don't need a drop of water in the class. I know that may sound crazy, but it is true. Water is a distraction. Drink up after class. Hydrating about an hour before class is also a good idea, it will also help dilute the salts in your sweat so that they don't sting your eyes.
4. Deep breathing is essential to a good practice, if you begin to feel hot, tired, annoyed, etc. Return mindfully to your breath.
5. Don't stand on the front row for at least the first 20 classes or so. Find a spot where you can see yourself in the mirror.
6. Try not to annoy the teacher - let me tell you what annoys Bikram teachers the most. When you use the alignment from other styles of yoga in a Bikram class. Don't ask me why this is the case, but it drives them crazy. Most Bikram instructors would much rather have you lying flat on your back on the floor than to deviate from the specific instructions that they are giving.
7. Practice at other yoga studios and home to experience the freedom of movement and spontaneity that are available outside of Bikram.
You probably wonder why I continue to even bother with Bikram. Five Reasons:
1. It is the closest studio to my home.
2. I like the heat, especially in the wintertime
3. My wife loves Bikram and we can do it together.
4. It is better than other forms of yoga for working out overworked muscles, tension knots, etc.
5. I have found that I can actually find a deeper meditation in a Bikram class than most other forms of yoga. I know that sounds crazy, but it is true. Part of the reason is that the poses never change. Another reason is that I can just follow the teachers cues. Lastly, it is so challenging that it keeps my mind from wandering.
I will never be a Bikram instructor. Some days I think you could play an audio CD, the instructors sound so much the same. It is not my favorite form of yoga, but I have to say there is something to it. So try it again, you may find the same benefits that I have found.
Edited by fernmanus 2010-12-25 12:55 AM
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Help me Love Bikram!!
