Bikram Yoga El Paseo

I just finished a blog regarding our  “90 minute prescription” for our beginner series of Bikram Yoga after getting inundated with questions from our students regarding Bikram Schools offering 60 minute and 75 minute classes with less heat and less sets.   If you  are interested in reading that blog go to:   https://bikramyogapalmdesert.com/blah-blah-bikram-blog-bikram-rx-keeping-the-prescription-pure/

I failed to address the other burning question regarding safety and teacher certification standards.

As most of you know our teacher  Angelina Clerkin and I just returned from Recertification of our Bikram Yoga Teaching Training.   After Bikram Yoga students complete a 9 week standardized official teacher training program with Bikram Choudhury himself and the rest of the headquarters staff, we are required to  RE-Certify every 3 years.

Recertification keeps us abreast of all the latest happenings in our yoga world, it  informs us of changes,  and it keeps us at the top of our game to continue to teach our students.

While we were at this Recertification   Bikram discussed his disdain  for the all the emergency room yoga injuries.  He even spoke to an emergency room doctor regarding said injuries.  What he understands is that the injuries  that occur most with yoga are advanced postures by unqualified “teachers” teaching these postures.  In addition to Bikram’s own ‘Advanced Series,’    there are a lot of non Bikram yoga studios out there that incorporate “advanced” postures in their classes.  If  instruction is not clear and teaching is not standardized,     injuries are much more likely to occur.

Because of the high incidence of advanced posture injuries,    he put a statement on headquarters page that the advanced series of Bikram Yoga will no longer be available.  The final advanced seminar is next month and that will be the  last.

I truly believe ALL yoga has its merits.  When taught responsibly by a CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR for  THAT PARTICULAR TYPE OF YOGA,  one should feel safe.  A good rule of thumb is to ask your instructor to see their certification for the particular yoga that they are teaching.    Also,  ask if they have liability insurance for  EVERY yoga variety they are teaching.  Without a proper certification for each yoga discipline,  one would not be able to get liability insurance.

I want the students at Bikram Yoga Palm Desert – El Paseo to know that EVERY instructor is Bikram Certified and has liability insurance.  I proudly display all my teachers certificates at the studio. Bikram Certification IS standardized so there is nothing left up to individual teachers or individual yoga studio owners.

Because the Yoga Competition involves these  “injurious” advanced postures, Bikram also mentioned on Headquarters website that he wishes to do away with Yoga Competition as well.  Senior Teacher,  Jim Kallett stated it beautifully and I agree.  “The trigger has been pulled, the bullet is now out there. You can’t pull that bullet back to the gun.” In other words there is no stopping of Yoga Competitions.  People just need to take responsibility for themselves,  their own yoga practice, AND  the qualifications of the  so called  “TEACHER” who is teaching them.

You are your own best advocate. Ask questions. Ask to see Certificates and practice with caution and a common sense.

At Bikram Yoga Palm Desert El Paseo, we only hire Certified Bikram teachers,  and we only practice the beginners series using  the proper amount of heat.  Bikram Yoga is the highest  therapeutic yoga practice around and is HEALING for the body NOT INJURIOUS!

Bikram was happy to tell us that none of the injuries the emergency room doctors mentioned came from any of the poses in our beginners  series!!!!

So know that when you step in to our hot room you are in a safe environment!!!

Hope to see you in the hot room soon!!

Namaste`