Trefor

Thank you for the response,

In my area there are 3 studios where you can practice the 26 and 2 series.   1 I will probably never go again as the studio can get dangerously hot. Last time was 115° and at the end only 2 people were still practicing. I talked with the teacher and she said it’s traditionally practice at 115° I was in shock at the response. I don’t know if she thought that for the last thousand years they lit fires in huts in Kolkata… Or that back in the seventies Bikram raised the temperature that high. None of the teachers are trained by Bikram or by somebody that should be doing teacher training. I follow the dialogue and as a result we have disagreements on postures and timing. They have fans but don’t use them as it “cools the room down” the other 2 are very modern studios as a result they have opportunities to control the room temperature.  They have fans and one has a fresh air exchange. I have had a regular practice for 8 years. I have also sought out great teachers. I have found the 26 and 2 series to be a giant game of telephone and now only listen to one teacher on technigue. He is a 5th generation Ghosh teacher and has worked with Bikram.  His best advice was always what does the dialogue say. As a result I know the dialogue and know when teachers aren’t following it and or don’t understand it. I don’t want to be dogmatic about it but I’ve been injured by following bad instruction.  I seek out good teachers and now there is only 2 times a week where I can go to a practice knowing the teacher is skilled enough.  I find it funny that many teachers care more about getting the room to 105°   something Bikram never said and an arbitrary number then following the dialogue. I have a very strong practice. I travel a lot and have been to many studios that use the heat responsibly. I try to hide in a back corner because my practice can be distracting to others and I hate watching people hurt themselves to have the appearance of getting deeper into an Asana.  I have also found many teachers need to somehow correct my postures and when I don’t listen to them or don’t accept there assist or when I start to ignore them and do a self practice because the timing and dialogue are wrong, that many have attacked me with heat. I have also found many great teachers that know the timing and the dialogue and use it to push me “body down, kick up”.

I found your website a few years ago when I started to sweat more in everything I did and wanted to find answers. The best answer I have found is like Pavlov’s dogs but the other being heat exhaustion and needing to rest a week after and not doing it. I realize the answer is to find a better studio and teacher but it’s not a perfect world.  I feel like giving it up because the one bad teacher or the inexperienced teacher that let’s the heat get out of control is hurting me. I’m not talking about the one time but the culmination of years of this. I’m an man and have a lot of muscle and I could reference studies done on hot yoga classes where men’s core temperature gets dangerously high. Mainly as a result of more muscle mass and the heat generated by it.

In the end I guess this is just a rant…

My dilemma today do I go do yoga by a teacher that is trained by someone who should not be doing teacher trainings and will create dangerously high heat index or do I just not practice.

I wouldn’t mind going to a class that was 105° 40% humidity in a well ventilated room. The fans blowing air helping my bodies cooling system to work.