Six or seven years ago, I embarked on my yoga journey by way of Bikram, and was hooked. Although my…read morecurrent home studio isn't a Bikram studio, I've had the good fortune of practicing at studios from the East to the West coasts with many excellent instructors and varying degrees of studio amenities. I don't mind a stripped-down space, sweat-perfumed carpet, or a hot room, and was happy on a recent conference visit to discover that the best-looking yoga studio in Corvallis just happened to be a Bikram studio.
Classes are offered at standard times during the week (a couple in the morning and a couple at night, with a modified weekend schedule). The room itself is larger than others I've practiced in, with nicely marked lines and plenty of mirror space. The instructor sits elevated, the better to see you! There is a small changing room with a bathroom and (I think) just one shower stall, so efficiency is key before and after class.
The instructor was quite friendly on my check-in...but once class started, things switched up a little, in a way that left me with a slightly negative impression (at least of this particular instructor in this particular class). I've always heard stories of Bikram instructors who encourage students to work to the point of pain (not simply discomfort, but actual pain in sensitive places like the lower back, the neck, the knees, and the hamstrings), but I'd been fortunate to never encounter one in all my years of practice.
Until now. This instructor shouted to "Lock your knees!" and "Feel the pain!" more times than I can count, and publicly questioned people who were making modifications that their body might have required. As a more experienced yogi, I know that instructors should challenge their students to work hard and push boundaries, so I'm open to tough love (and I did work hard!). But at the same time, as someone who has experienced knee/hamstring/lower back injuries over the years, I've educated myself enough on physiology to know that some asanas are not mindful nor respectful of the body given certain conditions. Not once did I hear any mention, as part of the dialogue, for people to listen to their bodies and modify if needed. That, to me, is problematic as it's a recipe for injury for students who are either new, or worried about defying the barked commands of an instructor, or both.
Since I don't know the studio well, the instructor may have been encouraging, in their own way, students they were familiar with. But there were at least two new students in the class, and it concerns me that there wasn't therefore more attention to mindfulness instead of to full expressions of poses. Hopefully this is idiosyncratic to the particular instructor, and not a part of the studio's general ethos, as it's a nice spot and I'm glad to see a Bikram studio thriving in a town that doesn't really have any other hot yoga options. Go, but listen to your body first, and only then listen to the instructor.
