How To Become A Bikram Yoga Instructor

If you want to know how to become a Bikram yoga instructor in the UK, then you’re in the right place! Our step-by-step guide will cover:

• Step 1- Know what Bikram yoga involves
• Step 2- Get qualified as a Bikram yoga instructor
• Step 3- Make sure you have the skills required to become a Bikram yoga instructor
• Step 4- Get insured
• Step 5- Find a job as a Bikram yoga instructor
• Step 6- Progress your career

Whilst Bikram is a popular specialty, you can develop a foundational knowledge of the practice through OriGym’s Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga.

Alternatively, newcomers can also check out our guide on how to become a yoga teacher, for expert advice on breaking into the industry! 

Step 1- Know what Bikram yoga involves

Before we get into how to become a certified Bikram yoga instructor, you should know exactly what the practice is, its history and the current demand for Bikram yoga instructors in the UK. You may be surprised!

What Is Bikram Yoga?

Bikram yoga is a trademarked form of hot yoga that first came about in 1973. It was founded by Bikram Choudhury, an American Yogi who was born in India. 

It is very similar to a typical hot yoga practice. In fact, many people regard it as another name for hot yoga. But since it is a trademarked practice, there are a lot of specific rules and characteristics that you will need to know about if you want to become a Bikram yoga instructor, including:

• It consists of 26 set poses and 2 set breathing exercises- which is why it’s also known as ‘26 & 2’ yoga. 
• The poses and breathing exercises are perforated in the same order for every single class
• Every class is always exactly 90 minutes long
• The class should always be taught in a room heated to exactly 40°C with 40% humidity
• The floors in a Bikram studio must be carpeted 
• There must be plenty of bright light in the room
• There must be no music played in the class
• There should be no hands-on adjustments- all demonstrations and corrections should be vocalised rather than physically demonstrated

These specifics mean that regardless of where in the world you take part in a Bikram yoga class, you’ll have exactly the same experience.

Because of these rules, Bikram yoga has gained a reputation as one of the most difficult and strictest forms of yoga. It is often described as more than just a style of yoga, but a specific ‘experience’. 

It has gained a following all around the world, including celebrities such as Beyoncé!  

A 2013 study by Tracy & Hart showed some of the benefits of Bikram training. They found that those who practice Bikram yoga:

exhibited increased deadlift strength, substantially increased lower back/hamstring flexibility, increased shoulder flexibility, and modestly decreased body fat compared with the control group

Another study by Hewett, Cheema, Pumpa & Smith (2015) found that Bikram yoga:

may, in some populations, improve glucose tolerance, bone mineral density, blood lipid profile, arterial stiffness, mindfulness, and perceived stress.

Is there a demand for Bikram yoga instructors in the UK?

Given the benefits and popularity of Bikram yoga we have outlined above, you may think that there must be a huge demand for Bikram yoga instructors. 

There’s no doubt that back in the mid-2000s, Bikram yoga was a huge trend and it really took over the yoga market.

But nowadays, this popularity has very much died down. 

In fact, there are only a handful of Bikram yoga studios in the UK. From our research, we could only find two Bikram yoga studios and they were both in London.

When we searched ‘Bikram yoga London’ on Google, the second of the 3 results that came up was in fact a hot yoga studio. 

The fact that this result for a hot yoga studio appeared second on the list highlights the popularity of hot yoga over Bikram, and demonstrates how the two terms are often used interchangeably. 

Considering that there are over 4,900 yoga businesses in the UK according to Finder, the fact that only 2 of these offer Bikram classes speaks for itself! 

The reason for this decline in popularity is largely due to the allegations that the founder, Bikram Choudhury, came under in 2017, which led to many Bikram yoga studios moving away from the Bikram name. 

Given the similarities between Bikram and hot yoga, many studios rebranded as simply hot yoga studios.

Today, many studios don’t offer Bikram yoga, but do offer hot yoga classes. It is therefore better to get a hot yoga qualification (which we will explain how to do next), if you want to be able to teach the more popular type of class. 

In fact, hot yoga is one of the most popular types of yoga in the UK!

How much do Bikram yoga instructors earn?

If you’re wondering how to become a Bikram yoga instructor- or indeed a hot yoga instructor, we know that you’ll be wondering how much you can expect to earn.

Well, according to Talent, the average general yoga instructor salary in the UK is £46,118 a year. There is potential to earn even more if you teach a niche form of yoga- such as Bikram or hot yoga. This is because clients will pay more for a specialist service! 

In general, hot yoga classes cost more than normal yoga classes. For example, compare these two yoga studios in London, with a similar popularity and standard of facilities. 

The first is a studio which runs ‘normal’ (i.e. not hot), yoga classes.

As you can see, their single session price is £10.

Compare this to the price of a class at a dedicated hot yoga studio in London:

As you can see, they are charging £16 for a single class - £6 more than the general yoga class in the same location. 

This shows that if you specialise in hot yoga, you can charge more for your classes!

However, one thing you will have to account for if you run your own Bikram or hot yoga classes is the cost of heating the room. 

This should not affect your earnings too much, but it is simply something that you will have to factor into your overhead costs if you are renting a studio space, for example. 

Even once you have become a Bikram yoga instructor, there are ways that you can increase your salary even further! We’ll discuss this more in Step 6 of this article. 

Should I become a Bikram or hot yoga teacher?

Now you’re aware that there is some controversy surrounding the Bikram yoga practice, you may be questioning whether you should get qualified as a Bikram yoga teacher or as a hot yoga teacher.

Even though the practices are very similar, you may want to brand yourself as a ‘hot yoga instructor’, rather than a ‘Bikram yoga instructor’. It is simply a matter of wording, but it could make a huge difference to your success and popularity! 

For the purposes of this article, we will still take you through the process of how to become a Bikram yoga instructor, as we understand that many people are still passionate about the 26 & 2 method of yoga in particular. 

We’ve gone through exactly what a Bikram yoga teacher training involves just below, but if you’re not too set on sticking to the Bikram method in particular, then we’ll take you through the regular yoga teacher training process too, so that you can teach other types of yoga. 

Step 2- Get qualified as a Bikram yoga instructor

Bikram yoga teacher training courses vs general yoga teacher training courses

Just like Bikram yoga studios, there is also a lack of Bikram yoga teacher training courses available in the UK. Again, this simply reflects the decline in popularity of Bikram yoga. 

The content of a Bikram-specific yoga course is practically identical to a regular yoga teacher training course (which we will outline next). You will just also learn about the rules of Bikram yoga, specifically the 26 poses and 2 breathing exercises involved in the practice. 

If you’re wondering how to become a certified Bikram yoga instructor, you may think that the best option is to take a Bikram-specific qualification, but in fact, having such a specific qualification could actually restrict your employment opportunities. 

This is for 4 main reasons:

1. Lack of demand for Bikram instructors. As we have said, there are not many Bikram yoga studios or classes in the UK anymore. This therefore means that there is not a high demand for yoga instructors who specialise exactly in Bikram yoga. 

With this in mind, having a Bikram-specific qualification is arguably not that useful! 

When choosing to specialise in a specific type of yoga, you should be sure that there is plenty of demand for it!  

2. The course is not regulated. Another reason why this course from Bikram Yoga London is not worthwhile is that it is not regulated by Ofqual. 

This means that the course has not met the fitness industry standards of teaching and education.. 

We will discuss the regulation you need in more detail later in this article. 

3. The association with the name Bikram. Given the controversy surrounding Bikram, many employers may be put off by you having a Bikram-specific qualification. 

This is because many yoga studios have rebranded to distance themselves from the Bikram name. This means that many employers may have a negative perception of people who have this name in their qualification! 

4. Cost. Bikram yoga courses are typically a lot more expensive than general yoga courses.

For example, OriGym’s Level 4 Yoga Diploma costs just £999, and still allows you to specialise in a range of types of yoga - we’ll discuss this avenue in more detail next. 

The last thing you want to do is spend a lot of your time and money on a Bikram instructor course, only to find that you’ve actually limited your employment opportunities by choosing such a niche qualification.

Check out our article on how much a yoga instructor course costs for more information about the pricing of yoga courses.  

Moving into a niche further on in your yoga teacher career can be a great career move as it can increase your earnings and help you dominate a specific area of yoga. 

However, if you don’t have any experience teaching yoga, we recommend starting with a general yoga instructor course to make it as easy as possible to land your first job in the industry. This will keep your career options open without ruling out your opportunity to focus on Bikram. 

How to get qualified 

You might be wondering, how can you become a Bikram yoga instructor if you don’t take a Bikram-specific yoga course?

Well in fact, you can indeed teach Bikram yoga with a general yoga qualification- in particular a Level 4 yoga instructor course. 

We will outline what this course involves in more detail next, but in summary, a Level 4 course qualifies you to become a hot yoga teacher. Since Bikram is essentially a type of hot yoga, you will therefore be able to teach Bikram too. 

But the important thing is, that you can also do so much more with a general yoga course, compared to a Bikram-specific course! 

With this in mind, let’s go through the 2 main levels of yoga instructor courses we offer here at OriGym and how they can help you become a Bikram yoga teacher.

Level 3 Diploma In Yoga

This is an entry level course which will give you a strong foundation of skills and knowledge to become a yoga instructor. 

OriGym’s Level 3 Diploma In Yoga course involves over 400 hours’ worth of both essential theoretical and practical work, covering: 

• Anatomy and physiology for yoga
• Health and safety during yoga 
• Planning a yoga class
• Delivering group yoga classes
• Delivering 1-on-1 yoga classes
• How to teach yoga to special populations 

Compared to a Bikram yoga course which only teaches you the 26 poses and 2 breathing techniques used in Bikram, OriGym’s Level 3 yoga course provides you with a strong foundation of all yoga poses and techniques. 

Plus, because a Bikram class is taught without music and always follows the same structure, you won’t learn how to build your own routines or switch up your classes - something that can be really important in keeping your students coming back to you!

Fortunately, this is something that you will learn during a Level 3 yoga teaching diploma.

Here at OriGym, our Level 3 yoga course is taught via blended learning. This means that you will complete the theory work in the comfort of your home with the support of our qualified e-tutors, as well as attending practical workshops at weekends.

Students complete this course in 3-4 months on average, however, the amount of time it takes to get qualified depends on factors such as:

• How fast you study 
• Whether you pass your assessments
• What yoga knowledge or experience you have to begin with

Whilst this course is a great entry point into the industry, if you want to specialise in a particular area of yoga- such as hot yoga, you should go on to take a Level 4 specialist yoga course, which we will discuss next.

Level 4 Diploma In Teaching Yoga

OriGym’s Level 4 Diploma In Teaching Yoga allows you to specialise in a particular area of yoga, including hot yoga.  

During this course, you will expand upon what you learn in your Level 3 course, as well as topics such as:

• The legalities of teaching yoga and setting up a yoga business
• The philosophy and history of yoga
• A wider range of asanas (poses)
• Planning yoga classes for a wide range of abilities and fitness goals
• The different types of yoga 

Plus, there is a specific module on hot yoga. 

Like our Level 3 course, we also teach this course via blended learning. Again this takes an average of 3-4 months to complete. 

Both OriGym’s Level 3 and 4 yoga teacher courses are regulated by Ofqual, which is the official regulating body for vocational qualifications in the UK. 

In fact, OriGym is the only course provider in the UK to offer an Ofqual-regulated Level 4 yoga course! 

Having this regulation means that our course has met the industry standards of teaching, and that you will receive the highest level of education. 

It’s for this reason that the cheap or even free yoga courses which are not Ofqual regulated are simply not worth your while if you want to land a job as a yoga instructor as there’s no guarantee that these qualifications will provide you sufficient knowledge to succeed in the industry.

Step 3- Make sure you have the skills required to become a Bikram yoga instructor

Having the right qualifications is one thing, but there are also some key skills and traits that will help you to really become successful as a Bikram yoga instructor- or any type of yoga instructor for that matter! 

We have a whole article on what makes a good yoga teacher, but here are some which are particularly important if you want to become a Bikram yoga instructor.

#1- A passion for yoga

Seeing as you’re here searching ‘how to become a Bikram yoga instructor’ we can only assume that you’re a keen yogi wanting to turn your passion into a career!

Without passion for what you are teaching, you will struggle to motivate and engage your students. Yoga should be a big part of your life, and you should want to share your passion with others! 

It goes without saying that if you want to become a Bikram yoga instructor, you should be particularly passionate about this kind of yoga. 

More so than a lot of other areas of fitness, yoga is not just physical- there is a whole spiritual and philosophical side to the practice. You should therefore be just as passionate about this aspect as the impressive-looking poses and postures.

#2- Strong communication skills 

Part of being a good yoga instructor is being able to stand up in front of a group of students and lead a class, which requires a high level of communication skills. 

This is particularly important if you are teaching Bikram or hot yoga, as it is a fairly high intensity class. You’ll therefore need to be able to clearly communicate with your students during your classes so that they can understand your instructions and take part in the class safely. 

If your students don’t quite grasp what you’re trying to tell them, they’ll get frustrated and the chances of them coming back to your studio will be pretty slim.

But it’s not just about being able to instruct your clients during a class, your communication skills should extend beyond your teaching. 

You might not have thought it, but being able to communicate well can be a great way of marketing your yoga business if you are working as a freelance yoga instructor.  

For example, you need to be able to reach out to new people, network with other instructors, and deal with any enquiries in a professional manner.

Good communication skills will really help you to sell your services to new students, and keep those students practicing with you.

Don’t forget that communication isn't just about the way that you speak to people - listening to your students is just as important. You should speak to your students and get feedback from them, so that you can improve your services and retain your loyal clients! 

#3- Organisational skills

If you want to be a successful yoga teacher, you’ll need to be organised in all aspects of the job. 

For example, you’ll need to plan your classes in advance. This is particularly important if you want to become a Bikram yoga instructor, as you’ll have to make sure you include the 26 poses and 2 breathing techniques. 

If you work as a freelance yoga teacher or run your own yoga business, organisational skills are even more important as you’ll be responsible for organising your own working schedule, scheduling classes, and managing your enquiries.

#4- Patience 

Patience is a quality that any good yoga teacher should possess, but particularly if you are wanting to become a Bikram yoga instructor. 

As a yogi yourself, you should be very much familiar with how to practice patience and the benefits of doing so.

Within every class you teach, you’ll find students of all different levels. Even in your advanced classes, you’ll have students who struggle to keep up.

Especially when teaching a specific type of yoga such as Bikram, you can’t expect everybody to pick it straight away! Be prepared to be faced with the same problems over and over again, make a lot of the same corrections, and answer a lot of the same questions from your students. 

This is just part of the role of a yoga instructor. If you want to be successful in this career, you’ll need to learn to be patient with your students, continuing to persevere even if you get tempted to give up!

Step 4- Get insured

Once you have the qualifications and skills, you’ll need to get insurance before you can start working as a yoga instructor.

Many people assume that you’ll only need insurance if you’re thinking of starting your own business. But in fact, a lot of employers will require that you have your own insurance, too. 

You might think that the chances of someone making a claim against you are fairly slim. But in the event that someone gets injured in your class, for example, the last thing you want is to be caught in that situation without insurance!

Insurance gives you financial security and covers the costs should someone make a claim against you. 

So, exactly what kind of insurance do you need as a yoga teacher? 

The number one policy yoga instructors need is public liability insurance. This will cover you for any claims from third parties, for example an injured student, or a studio owner who claims that you have damaged their equipment.

But it doesn’t end there, there are a couple of other insurance policies that are pretty important to know about if you want to become a Bikram yoga instructor.

Step 5- Find a job as a Bikram yoga instructor

So, now you are qualified and insured, it’s time to find a job as a Bikram yoga instructor! 

As we mentioned, it is very unlikely that you will find a job for a ‘Bikram yoga teacher’. 

If you really want to become a Bikram yoga teacher specifically, then your best option is to approach a Bikram yoga studio directly and inquire about jobs there. 

Otherwise, you should broaden your search. For example, try searching for ‘hot yoga teacher jobs’. As we have said, this is the type of yoga which is most similar to Bikram. 

You can search this on Google, or use job boards such as:

• Indeed
• Glassdoor
• Leisurejobs
• Well To Do Careers

If you can’t find any hot yoga teacher jobs on these websites, you could approach a hot yoga studio directly. Many studios will have a section on their website under something like ‘careers’, ‘opportunities’ or ‘work with us’, such as this one:

As you can see, this hot yoga studio has an enquiry form where you can insert a cover letter and yoga teacher CV. 

As well as dedicated yoga studios, there are lots of other places to look for work as a yoga teacher, such as gyms and local leisure centres. 

For example, Elevate Fitness is a gym in Liverpool that is advertising for a yoga instructor:

This shows that you need to be open-minded when it comes to finding a job as a yoga instructor. 

Don’t limit your search to just yoga studios - think about all of the other places you could teach yoga, such as:

• On a cruise ship
• Health clubs
• Yoga holidays and retreats 
• Exercise referral schemes

However, a full-time contracted role as a yoga teacher can be hard to find. That’s why many qualified yoga instructors choose to work freelance. 

Being a freelance yoga instructor essentially means that you are self-employed and can teach in several different places, rather than working under a contract for one company. 

Many yoga studios, gyms and fitness centres will hire for freelance yoga instructors, such as this one:

With this type of freelance role, you arguably have a lot more freedom and variety than a contracted role. For example, you could work here for a certain amount of hours a week, as well as teaching at another studio. 

You could even run your own classes on the side as well, for example by renting out a space such as a hall or a studio within a gym. 

If you’re feeling apprehensive about finding a job as a yoga teacher, don’t worry! If you take your yoga teacher training course with OriGym, you’ll have access to our award-winning careers support when you qualify. 

Our friendly careers team will be on hand to give you expert advice on how to find your dream job, whether you're looking to go down the employed route or start your own yoga business. 

You’ll also have access to our exclusive jobs board and our network of health and fitness employers all over the UK!

Step 6- Progress your career

If you came here asking how to become a Bikram yoga instructor in the UK, it’s likely that you’re wondering about what kind of career progression you can expect. And we don’t blame you! 

Here are some of the most popular career paths for Bikram yoga instructors, and yoga instructors in general.

Start your own yoga studio

As we mentioned, one of the most popular career routes that yoga teachers take is to go freelance and start their own yoga studio.

There are lots of benefits to starting your own yoga studio, including:

• Freedom to run only the types of classes you want
• Higher earning potential - how much you earn is up to you
• Flexible hours - you can dictate your working hours
• Creative freedom- creating a brand identity, logo, studio decor etc.
• You can choose your own team of instructors  

If you are struggling to find full-time work after you qualify, then there is no reason why you can’t take this career path as soon as you qualify!

However, most people prefer to gain some experience working as a yoga teacher for a studio or gym first, before taking the leap to start their own business. 

This is perhaps a particularly good option for aspiring Bikram yoga instructors, given the lack of demand for Bikram yoga instructor jobs. 

In fact, one of the most important things to remember when starting any kind of fitness business is to find your niche, so that you can stand out and dominate a particular target market. With this in mind, Bikram or hot yoga could be your niche for your yoga business!

Become an online yoga instructor

Another popular career path for yoga instructors is to become an online yoga teacher. 

The demand for online yoga instructors has increased in recent years, given the rise in people working from home, or wanting to exercise from the comfort of their own home. 

Advances in streaming and filming technology have also made this form of yoga teaching even more popular and accessible! 

The benefits of becoming an online yoga instructor include:

• You won’t have to pay studio overheads or rent.
• You can take on more clients, as you won’t be limited by postcode- you can technically teach remotely to people all over the world! 
• You won’t have to spend on equipment such as yoga mats and blocks.
• You can save money by not having to travel to a studio. 
• Freedom to work from the comfort of your own home. 

The easiest way to start online yoga instruction is to start filming the in-person classes you are already teaching. You can do this by simply putting a camera at the back of the class, and either live streaming your class via Zoom, or posting it online at a later date. 

Of course, the only downside of online teaching is that the student would not have the quite the same experience, as they wouldn’t be in a professionally heated studio. 

However, if they want a similar experience, you can simply suggest that your students turn the heating up in their homes, or practice in a small room with a plug-in heater or radiator!

Most yoga studios will now have a different pricing structure for studio and online classes, such as this:

Alternatively, this yoga studio posts videos on their website that are available only to members:

Another popular way to offer online classes is by starting your own yoga YouTube channel.

Again, the key to starting an online yoga business or Youtube channel is to have a niche. So if you want to become a Bikram yoga instructor, this could be the gap in the market that you can target! 

Teach yoga abroad 

If you like the idea of combining your career with travelling the world, another great career option is teaching yoga abroad.

Again, this is a good career path to take once you have gained a few years experience teaching yoga in the UK. 

If you are working for a yoga studio, you will find that many studios run their own retreats- which you could then teach at. 

Yoga is practiced all over the world, so there are plenty of yoga teacher jobs abroad. According to Yoga Basics, of the countries where yoga is most popular are:

• India
• Canada
• Singapore
• Australia 
• Hong Kong
• Norway 
• Costa Rica

As you can see, yoga is popular in a wide range of countries. This means that there are potential clients waiting for you all over the world! 

If you like the idea of teaching yoga abroad, there are lots of online job boards dedicated to listing yoga jobs abroad, such as Yoga Travel Jobs:

As you can see, you can refine your search by the employment type (paid, volunteer or even business opportunity), the location, and even the type of yoga. 

So for example, you could use this to search for hot yoga teacher jobs specifically, so you find exactly what you are looking for! 

Run yoga retreats 

Another great way to take your yoga teaching career abroad is to run your own yoga retreats or yoga holidays. 

It may sound daunting, but this is one of the most rewarding and lucrative career routes to go into as a qualified yoga instructor. 

This is because it is a fairly niche market, and many yogis are willing to pay a high-end price for a yoga retreat. 

The price you charge for your retreat will depend on factors such as:

• Location 
• Duration 
• What is included (e.g. food, accommodation, excursions etc.) 
• The level of teaching offered (i.e. beginners or advanced)
• The amount of classes included in a day 
• The type of yoga (i.e. you could charge more for a more niche type of yoga retreat such as Bikram!) 

However, the average yoga retreat in the UK is anywhere from £200-600, whilst yoga retreats held abroad can be from £1,000 to as much as £3,000! 

There is therefore huge potential for you to increase your earnings by running a yoga retreat! 

Even if you start with a small retreat in the UK with just a few clients, as you build more experience and a stronger brand identity, in a few years time you could be running successful retreats abroad with hundreds of yogis!

For example, this yoga studio in Liverpool is running a retreat for their members:

So if you have your own yoga studio, you could run your own Bikram yoga retreat! This is a great way to expand your business and increase your earnings. 

Specialise in yoga and nutrition 

You may not have thought it, but yoga and nutrition actually go hand in hand!

Nutrition is a big part of the spiritual side of the practice, with many yogis following a yoga diet, in line with the principles of Ayurvedic medicine.  

If you are interested in this side of yoga, then why not increase your knowledge and become a specialist in nutrition. With OriGym’s nutrition training, you will be qualified to give nutritional advice and create meal plans for your yoga clients. 

Having this qualification means that you can offer a wider range of services to your existing yoga clients. 

For example, if you run your own yoga business, you could also offer nutrition consultations, or workshops where students can learn to make Ayurvedic recipes. 

Here is an example of a yoga studio in Liverpool that runs a ‘Bend and Bowl’ event, combining a yoga class with a smoothie bowl! 

In general, most yogis are also interested in healthy, vegan food! So this is a great example of a yoga business that has thought about and capitalised on the interests of their existing clients.

Before You Go!

So, we hope that you now know how to become a certified Bikram yoga instructor, but also the benefits of taking other types of yoga courses to increase your career prospects! 

Start your journey to becoming a yoga instructor today by taking OriGym’s Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga. You can also download our free course prospectus to browse the full range of fitness courses we offer. 

References 

1. Hewett, Z. L., Cheema, B. S., Pumpa, K. L., & Smith, C. A. (2015). The Effects of Bikram Yoga on Health: Critical Review and Clinical Trial Recommendations. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015, 1-13. doi:10.1155/2015/428427
2. Tracy, B. L., & Hart, C. E. (2013). Bikram Yoga Training and Physical Fitness in Healthy Young Adults. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(3), 822-830. doi:10.1519/jsc.0b013e31825c340f