So what's the difference between Hot Yoga and Bikram Yoga? When I first started practicing I was pretty confused why some yoga studios would call their classes one thing and not the other. Really, it's a matter of the yoga master named Bikram Choudhury wanting to copyright his series of 26 yoga poses. He is renowned for really making the practice of Hot Yoga popular in the U.S. Hot Yoga practiced according to his style exactly is considered "Bikram Yoga," while yoga practiced with some of the same poses, or a mixture of different styles in a heated room is considered "Hot Yoga." Read below for more specifics on the difference between the two, it might help you figure out which classes to take when trying different yoga studios. Personally, I like Hot Yoga better than the militant Bikram style. There's more flexibility to the practice, and I just think it keeps it from getting boring when you don't have to stick to the same 26 poses. :]
According to about.com:
What is Hot Yoga?
Hot Yoga is a series of yoga poses done in a heated room. The room is usually maintained at a temperature of 95-100 degrees. As you can imagine, a vigorous yoga session at this temperature promotes profuse sweating and makes the body very warm, and therefore more flexible.
What is Bikram Yoga?
Living yoga master Bikram Choudhury is a Hot Yoga innovator. His method of Hot Yoga is a set series of 26 yoga poses, including two pranayama exercises, each of which is performed twice in a single 90 minute class. Choudhury, who was born in Calcutta, India in 1946, founded the Yoga College of India in Beverly Hills in 1974. He and his wife Rajashree were both yoga champions in India. Recently, Choudhury was involved in a lawsuit over his attempt to copyright his series of 26 poses done in a hot room. At the heart of the controversy is Choudhury's desire to prevent anyone teaching yoga in a heated room from calling their class 'Bikram Yoga.' He would like to reserve this title only for those teachers who are certified by his Yoga College of India and who stick to his prescribed method exactly (including not only the temperature of the room and order of poses, but also the carpet and mirrors in the room, and his approved text). The lawsuit was resolved with an out-of-court settlement in which Choudhury agreed not to sue the members of a San Francisco-based collective of Hot Yoga teachers and they agreed not to use the Bikram name. Bikram remains a very controversial figure in the yoga world.
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