What is Hot Yoga Teacher Training (Bikram Method)?
Quick Answer
Hot Yoga Teacher Training, based on the Bikram Method, teaches you a precise sequence of 26 postures and two breathing exercises in a heated room (approximately 105 °F / 40 °C with 40% humidity). Evolation’s program offers both a foundational RYS 200 (two-week intensive) and more in-depth RYS 300 (four-week immersion), delivered in flexible formats (in-person, live-online, or self-paced)
Hot yoga teacher training, particularly in the Bikram tradition, is one of the most physically and mentally demanding paths a yoga practitioner can take—and also one of the most structured. This training is not just about mastering postures in a heated room. It's about deepening your understanding of the human body, the nervous system, breath control, and the specific sequence of 26 postures and two breathing exercises that have helped millions build strength, flexibility, and resilience.
But what exactly does this training involve? And why do so many yoga professionals still pursue certification in the Bikram method, despite the controversies associated with its founder?
Let’s unpack what hot yoga teacher training really is—and why it still matters.
The 26+2: A Sequence with Purpose
The original hot yoga sequence consists of 26 postures and two breathing exercises, performed in a heated room (around 105°F or 40°C with 40% humidity). Every class follows the same sequence, which works the body systematically: compressing and releasing every major muscle group, organ system, and joint over 90 minutes.
The structure is intentional. This isn’t a freestyle flow. It’s a fixed routine, repeated daily—often twice a day—during teacher training. The heat plays a dual role: enhancing flexibility by warming connective tissue and increasing cardiovascular demand through sustained exertion in a high-temperature environment.
What You Learn in Hot Yoga Teacher Training
A certified hot yoga teacher training program (based on the Bikram sequence) is more than learning to instruct poses. A high-quality course includes:
Anatomy & Physiology: How heat affects the muscles, fascia, and cardiovascular system.
Postural Technique: Detailed alignment cues and corrections for all 26 postures.
Teaching Skills: Learning to lead the class with energy, precision, and verbal clarity—often from memory.
Yoga Philosophy & Ethics: Understanding yoga beyond the poses, and how to teach responsibly and inclusively.
Voice, Presence, and Timing: Developing the ability to command a room while maintaining a sense of calm.
Addressing the Bikram Legacy
To understand hot yoga teacher training in the Bikram tradition, we must separate the sequence from its founder, and contextualize both within a larger lineage of yoga that stretches back over a century.
Bikram Choudhury, the controversial figure behind the global hot yoga movement, didn’t invent the postures. He systematized and popularized a particular sequence derived from the teachings of Bishnu Charan Ghosh, his guru in Kolkata, India.
From Bishnu Ghosh to Bikram Choudhury
Bishnu Ghosh was not just Bikram’s teacher, he was a pioneer in his own right. As the younger brother of Paramahansa Yogananda (author of Autobiography of a Yogi), Bishnu Ghosh brought a more physical, therapeutic approach to yoga. In the early 20th century, he founded the Ghosh Yoga College in Kolkata, where yoga was taught with an emphasis on physical health, posture, and breath.
Before him, Lahiri Mahasaya, the spiritual master of Yogananda’s lineage, had passed down advanced yogic techniques that included kriya yoga, pranayama, and meditative focus. These practices emphasized internal transformation, discipline, and spiritual integrity.
And before Lahiri Mahasaya, his teacher was Mahavatar Babaji, a mythical and revered yogi said to be immortal, who exists in oral tradition as a guardian of the ancient science of yoga. Whether literal or symbolic, Babaji represents the idea of timeless wisdom passed down through earnest seekers and disciplined masters.
Reclaiming the Method, Not the Myth
While Bikram’s personal conduct has rightly been challenged and criticized, including serious allegations of abuse and misconduct, the hot yoga sequence he propagated is still practiced worldwide for one reason: it works.
Today’s hot yoga schools have largely de-branded from his name, while continuing to teach the 26+2 sequence because of its physiological benefits: improved joint health, enhanced circulation, detoxification through sweat, and increased focus through repetition and discipline.
Modern programs, like ours, retain the science, structure, and intensity of the method, but emphasize inclusivity, ethics, trauma awareness, and a deeper understanding of yoga's roots.
This is not about idolizing a man, it’s about honoring a lineage, learning from history, and choosing to evolve the practice with integrity.
Who is Hot Yoga Teacher Training For?
This training is not for the faint of heart. It demands stamina, consistency, and often, a willingness to break down physical and mental barriers. But it’s also uniquely rewarding. Many graduates report improved posture, reduced pain, and greater emotional resilience.
It’s ideal for:
Students who love structure and thrive in routine.
Yoga practitioners who enjoy intense physical challenge.
Those with an interest in teaching a highly specific and proven sequence.
A Final Word
Hot yoga teacher training using the Bikram sequence is a powerful rite of passage. It builds teachers who are precise, articulate, and grounded in the body’s mechanics. When taught with awareness and ethical responsibility, this training creates more than yoga instructors—it builds leaders with a strong internal compass, ready to guide others through discomfort and transformation.
And that’s the heart of it: not just enduring the heat, but evolving through it.
