Hey all- I’m looking for some advice 
Have been practising for about a year and a half- Anusara is the style that really floats my boat. Anyway- I tried out Bikram Yoga for the first time today & expected to be overwhelmed by the heat and boy was it hot. I was really surprised though with how it was taught. It felt more like a bootcamp class and not ‘yoga’! I’ve always been taught to practise with sensitivity & don’t push beyond your limits. There was none of that in this class- it was a total shouting fest-‘further further further’, ‘ignore the pain in your knees and elbows’, ‘grab your feet and pull yourself down as far as you can’ & ‘you MUST get your forehead onto your shins’. Is this the general Bikram way or did I just have a crazy teacher? If it is I think I might be shredding up the monthly unlimited pass I just bought!
That is my experience of Bikram also…did not enjoy it…
Yoga asana should not feel painful or be forced…yes push yourself and challenge yourself or there will be no change in your body…but there is a limit…it is fine if an asana feels difficult and challenging but not painful…
I did few Bikram classes as well and had also this “push,push” impression. However, I found it challenging so I’m up for it - means I can learn something. For me its sort of “yogic sauna”…
My advice would be to go for it and practice for one month sine you bought this pass (but only if the way you practice feels safe - and of course you don’t have to listen to “push,push” aspect of instruction). You will learn new things, increase endurance, strength and it will benefit other styles you practice.
And what a challenge is to work on meditative aspect of practice in such conditions!
Anusara’s tantric roots will prepare you for a lifetime of open hearted experiences and knowledge on excellent alignment practices.
I’ll refrain from commenting on Bikram.
Thanks for that- There was nothing ‘yoga’ about the class! It was 26 asanas done in a hot room with a army sergent! She actually directed us to ‘hurt your back’ and ‘lock your knees’ even though I told her that I have problems with hyper extenstion in my knees before class. I think I’ll let the studio director know about my experience there.
My first experience with yoga was with Bikram. I practiced there for 18 months. Then I decide to branch out and try other forms of yoga. Anusara is a beautiful practice. If you like Anusara, but are looking for a little more intensity, I would recommend trying Ashtanga or Forrest yoga.
Bikram is great if you like to sweat and listen to a non-stop script. Yes, it takes extraordinary concentration to meditate in that environment. I go every once in a while for a good sweat and to see my old friends.
Goody2shoes, your experience was Bikram to the letter. Yes, it is really nothing like an Anusara class.
I have done hot yoga a couple times but never Bikram. The last time I did hot yoga I almost passed out so I don’t think I will ever go back. I know a yoga instructor who said that Bikram is dangerous because it pushes people to go beyond their limits in poses. The heat makes your muscles too loose and you can overstretch.
I’ve just had my first two bikram classes… omg what was that? :eek:
PUSH, PUSH, PUSH…lock your knees, LOCK YOUR KNEES, [B]LOCK YOUR KNEEES[/B]!!! go harder, HARDER, [B][I]HAAAARDER[/I][/B]!!!
What was really strange though, yesterday’s and today’s instructor gave the exactly identical instructions with the same phrases, as if they had memorized a script they must read down in 90 minutes, no matter what.
They also spoke[I] so fast[/I] that you barely could understand them - half of the class was always looking confused around, because they had no clue what the instructor said and what should be done. Weird.
I complained to the studio, as I had unfortunately already paid for three weeks in advance, and they looked at me as if [I]I[/I] were the crazy one… right.:rolleyes:
I have never heard anyone say to lock your knees in a class before that sounds dangerous.
I do often hear Iyengar instructors and students say, “straighten your legs”. These sound like two different things to me.
Somebody please verify this for me but the trick to not hyperextending your knees is to lift your kneecaps by engaging your quads, yes?
Anusara is splendid and while I only did Bikram for a week before that studio changed to hot yoga my experience was much more pleasant. This called also be attributed to the fact that my favorite instructor had actually heard of ahimsa before.
I’ve enjoyed Bickram…it has some good points… but this is absolutely not a beginner or even intermediate class if you want to ENJOY it. I found it quite meditative, I was dare to modify as I needed and ignore “unhealthy practice” instructions:) and I stay by myself in 20 min savasana after class. resting after such a class really makes a difference.
but this is not something I want to do for my everyday practice…and this is not something I would advise to students who are not mentally and physically ripen
[QUOTE=mzgoody2shoes;65682]…Is this the general Bikram way or did I just have a crazy teacher? …[/QUOTE]
first - based on my own experience… and I do not practice Bikram at this time… I would have to say crazy teacher. The reason is that I started with Bikram (and am well aware of the “that’s not yoga” meme and the solid foundations of said meme) and only 1 of the 5 or 6 instructors struck me that way - the military way. I despised it and regularly commented on how much I despised it to my wife. The other 4 or 5 teachers were wonderful - completely NOT that way. All the same postures, the same heat and somehow it was so much more enriching than with the 1 boot camp type instructor. I really enjoyed it and found benefit.
second - and perhaps mainly to others… Understand the benefit of a boot camp type scene for some people. You may be glad you’re not them, but the them exists and somehow this is working well for them. Personally I started with Bikram and it grew my love for yoga leading to a teachers training in traditional Hatha yoga in India which was fantastic. I would be remiss to allow this engracioused (that’s right!) part of my own personal path to take such a beating, as it often doesn, here without saying something.
I’ve done Bikram for a year now. It’s nothing like you say. It’s probably the quality of the teacher. Mine is very slow paced, and non-pushy. Out of 4 teachers I’ve met in my studio, only one was a bit demanding. And that was more about working on perfect alignment, than depth.
The heat is enough to keep you going, so take postures only as far as you feel comfortable with. When breathing is laboured, my teacher advises to take a break at any point, and listen to the body. I never felt as if I’m in the boot camp on my class.
Bikram can be really great once you get used to the heat. Maybe try different studio…
Trivia,
My experience is half of the Bikram teachers are militant and/or so inexperienced that a tape-recorded session would be just as good. The other half are caring, kind and reasonable in their approach.
The “lock the knee, LOCK THE KNEE, LOCK THE KNEE!!!” is part of the memorized script that they learn. So any inexperienced Bikram teacher is going to say that and the other silly nonsense that they learn in teacher training.
You can experience a great meditation in a Bikram class if you bliss out during the nonsense parts and just follow that movement cues. I find Bikram to be relaxing because I maintain my breath, good form, and I don’t worry about the heat.