Deciding to become a yoga teacher is a big step in life. Sharing your practice and wisdom with others is a worthy profession and can be extremely rewarding for both teacher and student. Once the decision is made to make the leap, the next choice is to decide which type of yoga teacher training you would like to do. There are many styles of yoga out there and many of them are what we call “hot” yoga. To become a hot yoga teacher there are many programs to look at but there is only one that certifies you as a Bikram’s yoga teacher, and that is Bikram himself!
Bikram’s yoga is an intense yoga practice that is gaining popularity world wide. This practice was developed by Bikram Choudhury and is a series of 26 hatha yoga postures structured in a way that targets every area of the body for a deeply cleansing and healing practice. Only Bikram’s certified teachers can teach classes of this style and only in certified studios which can be found world wide. These studios are designed to heat and hold the perfect temperature for the class which is 105 degrees F. It is believed that this temperature is perfect for assisting the body in the natural cleansing process that occurs during hatha yoga.
People interested in becoming a certified Bikram’s yoga teacher must take part in a special teacher training program through Bikram’s Yoga College of India. They hold two nine-week teacher trainings per year with as many as 700 students at a time. Bikram’s yoga teacher training is taught by Bikram and his staff of senior instructors. This program is incredibly intense and runs from 8 am until at least midnight 5 days a week. There is a morning practice on the 6th day and the 7th day is a day of rest.
The teacher trainings are held in different places in the world each time giving an opportunity to travel to a new place as well as change your life by becoming a yoga teacher. Check Bikram’s website for information on their next upcoming yoga teacher training.
The daily schedule includes 2 full Bikram’s yoga practices as well as posture clinics and lectures. In order to be admitted for a Bikram’s teacher training students must have been practicing Bikram’s yoga with a certified teacher regularly for at least six months and must have a letter of recommendation from their teacher. Students must also be at least 21 years of age.
The program includes teaching in yoga philosophy, theory and practice of Bikram’s hatha yoga system, allopathic physical systems, yogic physical systems, integration of medical and yogic systems, yoga therapy, marketing and special appearances from guest speakers.
The tuition for this program is $7000 USD not including accommodations. It is mandatory to stay in their housing in either a shared room for $3900 or a private room for $8000.
Bikram also offers workshops, seminars and yoga holidays all over the world. See his website for more information on those.
If becoming a yoga teacher is something appeals to you and you have been practicing Bikram’s yoga for at least 6 months, perhaps doing a teacher training is for you. If you are interested in teaching yoga but in another style, there are many options out there for you to choose from. Many styles of yoga have specific teachers you must study with such as Ashtanga, but if you are wanting to teach hatha yoga there are many schools registered with the Yoga Alliance that can provide you with an excellent education and a life-changing experience.
