Comments on: Bikram Stinks. And It’s Hot. http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2007/11/16/bikram-stinks-a/ Adventures in being sick, getting better, staying well, from the editors of Health.com Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:45:16 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: SK http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2007/11/16/bikram-stinks-a/#comment-4366 SK Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:15:04 +0000 http://localhost/wp/poked/?p=10#comment-4366 One thing really surprises me: you claim to be an experienced yogi and yet you have judged Bikram based one your ONLY experience at some Brooklyn studio. The teacher represented all the Bikram teachers in the world, and it never occurred to you to just do it once more in a different place to double or even triple check it. And this make me question your initial purposes of trying out Bikram at first place. One thing really surprises me: you claim to be an experienced yogi and yet you have judged Bikram based one your ONLY experience at some Brooklyn studio. The teacher represented all the Bikram teachers in the world, and it never occurred to you to just do it once more in a different place to double or even triple check it. And this make me question your initial purposes of trying out Bikram at first place.

]]> By: Stu R. http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2007/11/16/bikram-stinks-a/#comment-4089 Stu R. Fri, 15 May 2009 22:15:31 +0000 http://localhost/wp/poked/?p=10#comment-4089 Bikram Yoga is Advanced Medicine for the human body. The heat is required to get into the poses. It's intense and it requires that you find a good teacher. You are your best teacher. The teachers go through a 9 week course. You cannot master something in 9 weeks. If your in seattle here is a good school: www.theashramyoga.com. Stu R. Bikram Yoga is Advanced Medicine for the human body. The heat is required to get into the poses. It’s intense and it requires that you find a good teacher. You are your best teacher. The teachers go through a 9 week course. You cannot master something in 9 weeks. If your in seattle here is a good school: http://www.theashramyoga.com. Stu R.

]]> By: erica http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2007/11/16/bikram-stinks-a/#comment-2738 erica Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:53:47 +0000 http://localhost/wp/poked/?p=10#comment-2738 Im new to yoga.. I usually run to stay active.. But so far after doing my 4th class of Bikram I love it and I want to explore more types of yoga.. I did also enjoy reading your point of view of the class.. Because I can totally see where you're coming from! :) For now though, I have no complaints and im lucky the class I'm in doesn't smell! Im new to yoga.. I usually run to stay active.. But so far after doing my 4th class of Bikram I love it and I want to explore more types of yoga..
I did also enjoy reading your point of view of the class.. Because I can totally see where you’re coming from! :) For now though, I have no complaints and im lucky the class I’m in doesn’t smell!

]]> By: keef http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2007/11/16/bikram-stinks-a/#comment-1917 keef Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:15:50 +0000 http://localhost/wp/poked/?p=10#comment-1917 I think this is a funny piece. Good to see some honesty. I have done several spates of Bikram yoga and take all the push push push mentality with a healthy dose of salt! Yes it's definitely got something and you feel great after a few sessions, but not it's not the only exercise high you can get. Try martial arts, try boxing, pilates whatever floats your boat. I think this is a funny piece. Good to see some honesty. I have done several spates of Bikram yoga and take all the push push push mentality with a healthy dose of salt! Yes it’s definitely got something and you feel great after a few sessions, but not it’s not the only exercise high you can get. Try martial arts, try boxing, pilates whatever floats your boat.

]]> By: J.S. http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2007/11/16/bikram-stinks-a/#comment-1084 J.S. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:02:58 +0000 http://localhost/wp/poked/?p=10#comment-1084 After trying (and loving) Bikram yoga, but doing reading about the experiences of others, I can't help but think that so much of this relies on the studio and the teacher. Strange considering that they are all bound to a specific script and taught this routine with the same curriculum. I would agree that it's probably a love it or hate it thing and each person's experience is different. I personally couldn't sleep the first night I did it because I had so much energy. I guess I'll just be happy with loving it and consider myself lucky not to belong to a stinky studio. :) After trying (and loving) Bikram yoga, but doing reading about the experiences of others, I can’t help but think that so much of this relies on the studio and the teacher. Strange considering that they are all bound to a specific script and taught this routine with the same curriculum.

I would agree that it’s probably a love it or hate it thing and each person’s experience is different. I personally couldn’t sleep the first night I did it because I had so much energy.

I guess I’ll just be happy with loving it and consider myself lucky not to belong to a stinky studio. :)

]]> By: Tiger Beaudoin http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2007/11/16/bikram-stinks-a/#comment-683 Tiger Beaudoin Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:32:50 +0000 http://localhost/wp/poked/?p=10#comment-683 Bikram is yoga for the Type A personality. Good thing, too, as it has attracted a number of new converts to yoga - particularly ones who at first saw yoga as "all chanting and candles." There are some pretty inspiring testimonials at http://www.bikramfinder.com, the social network for hot yoga fans. Bikram is yoga for the Type A personality. Good thing, too, as it has attracted a number of new converts to yoga – particularly ones who at first saw yoga as “all chanting and candles.” There are some pretty inspiring testimonials at http://www.bikramfinder.com, the social network for hot yoga fans.

]]> By: Jen http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2007/11/16/bikram-stinks-a/#comment-651 Jen Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:41:23 +0000 http://localhost/wp/poked/?p=10#comment-651 I have found many of the Bikram Yoga teachers tend to bark their orders of demand to you from almost what feels like a heartless space and when you tell them your "F'n knee" IS LOCKED but not hyper-extended then its war and they are going to nit pick your asanas to death. Perhaps many of the teachers have never experienced any other type of Yoga and as Bikram clones only do as told? In Bikram's latest book it says for Dandayamana -JanuShirasana "until a person can correctly lock the knee you will never reach self realization". I wonder if he wrote this in his little bannahammock perched upon his almighty holeyerthanthow throne? I have found many of the Bikram Yoga teachers tend to bark their orders of demand to you from almost what feels like a heartless space and when you tell them your “F’n knee” IS LOCKED but not hyper-extended then its war and they are going to nit pick your asanas to death.

Perhaps many of the teachers have never experienced any other type of Yoga and as Bikram clones only do as told?

In Bikram’s latest book it says for Dandayamana -JanuShirasana “until a person can correctly lock the knee you will never reach self realization”.

I wonder if he wrote this in his little bannahammock perched upon his almighty holeyerthanthow throne?

]]> By: jess http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2007/11/16/bikram-stinks-a/#comment-7 jess Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:56:41 +0000 http://localhost/wp/poked/?p=10#comment-7 I loved your post-Bikram description. My husband used to go to class with me, and he finally threw in the (wet, stinky) towel after one particularly grueling session. Personally, Bikram reminds me of the Camus quote "The only way out is through". I feel like I really work through all of the stresses and am better off for it (although I don't get that zen like feeling after class that I have with vinyasa, with B-ram it comes a little later). I loved your post-Bikram description. My husband used to go to class with me, and he finally threw in the (wet, stinky) towel after one particularly grueling session. Personally, Bikram reminds me of the Camus quote “The only way out is through”. I feel like I really work through all of the stresses and am better off for it (although I don’t get that zen like feeling after class that I have with vinyasa, with B-ram it comes a little later).

]]> By: Meredith Haberefeld; http://www.meredithhaberfeld.com http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2007/11/16/bikram-stinks-a/#comment-8 Meredith Haberefeld; http://www.meredithhaberfeld.com Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:54:22 +0000 http://localhost/wp/poked/?p=10#comment-8 How refreshing to hear the truth with humor and some healthy irony. And all in a yoga blog - which could have such high chances for well intentioned positivity - a la fakeness all dressed up in a pseudo-spiritual mask. Namaste & Rock on. Meredith <a href="http://www.meredithhaberfeld.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.meredithhaberfeld.com</a> How refreshing to hear the truth with humor and some healthy irony. And all in a yoga blog – which could have such high chances for well intentioned positivity – a la fakeness all dressed up in a pseudo-spiritual mask.
Namaste & Rock on.
Meredith
http://www.meredithhaberfeld.com

]]> By: Jen Fink http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2007/11/16/bikram-stinks-a/#comment-9 Jen Fink Fri, 23 Nov 2007 14:52:01 +0000 http://localhost/wp/poked/?p=10#comment-9 My boyfriend and I are big devotees of hot yoga, not Bikram per se and there IS a big difference. We thought we had seen and done it all when it comes to yoga until we went to an official Bikram class on Thanksgiving morning. #1 complaint - the smell. It's definitely the carpeting. When we do hot yoga normally we do it on a wooden floor which definitely helps the stinkiness factor. We quickly came to realize that a lot of what we have done at our hot yoga studio is in fact "Bikram like," without the vile smell. We were lucky enough to be in a small room on turkey day, as opposed to the giant smellier area. When we left our class however and walked through the big studio it smelled like urine - the class didn't make me want to throw up but the smell that assaulted my senses afterward did! A new yoga studio that has the right attitude just opened in Forest Hills, Queens on Queens Blvd called Bamboo Moves. This studio keeps the room at a nice warm, not HOT temperature. The 85 degree temp in this studio is the perfect balance of warmth for cold muscles and just enough heat to get a good sweat going. Andrew Tanner the owner has his own unique mix of martial arts, tai chi, qui gong and yoga. His energy flow techniques also complement his instruction. Every time we go there we are greeted with a mix of flexibility, strength training and spiritual/energy balancing. Yoga should not be boot camp. Yoga should not be smelly. Yoga should be about restoring and honoring your mind, body and spiritual well being. Jen, you are not alone in your feelings about Bikram. I won't say that I will never do it again, however there are better options out there for yogis like us. My boyfriend and I are big devotees of hot yoga, not Bikram per se and there IS a big difference. We thought we had seen and done it all when it comes to yoga until we went to an official Bikram class on Thanksgiving morning. #1 complaint – the smell. It’s definitely the carpeting. When we do hot yoga normally we do it on a wooden floor which definitely helps the stinkiness factor. We quickly came to realize that a lot of what we have done at our hot yoga studio is in fact “Bikram like,” without the vile smell. We were lucky enough to be in a small room on turkey day, as opposed to the giant smellier area. When we left our class however and walked through the big studio it smelled like urine – the class didn’t make me want to throw up but the smell that assaulted my senses afterward did!

A new yoga studio that has the right attitude just opened in Forest Hills, Queens on Queens Blvd called Bamboo Moves. This studio keeps the room at a nice warm, not HOT temperature. The 85 degree temp in this studio is the perfect balance of warmth for cold muscles and just enough heat to get a good sweat going. Andrew Tanner the owner has his own unique mix of martial arts, tai chi, qui gong and yoga. His energy flow techniques also complement his instruction. Every time we go there we are greeted with a mix of flexibility, strength training and spiritual/energy balancing.

Yoga should not be boot camp. Yoga should not be smelly. Yoga should be about restoring and honoring your mind, body and spiritual well being.

Jen, you are not alone in your feelings about Bikram. I won’t say that I will never do it again, however there are better options out there for yogis like us.

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