Bikram Yoga, also known as Hot Yoga, is a style of yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury and a Los Angeles, California based company. Choudhury claims that his method is the only true hatha yoga practiced in the West, though this claim is not accepted by many other schools. Bikram yoga is generally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) and accompanied by specific dialogue. People of all levels, ages and body types usually practice together with a teacher acting as a guide, taking the class through the ninety-minute series. While the postures and the dialogue should be consistent in every studio practicing Bikram Yoga, you may find significant variation in the heat and humidity levels from one Bikram Yoga studio to another.

At Sunstone Yoga, we accept that all forms of yoga are hatha. Whether you choose to practice Bikram Yoga, other Hot Yoga styles, Power Yoga, or any of the other yoga forms, you have the opportunity to experience improvements in your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

At Sunstone Yoga, we offer our students the variety of 5 unique and dynamic series, including a Hot Yoga series, 2 Power Yoga series, a meditative hatha yoga class, and a core strengthening fitness yoga program. The Hot Yoga series practiced at Sunstone Yoga has some postures in common with the Bikram Yoga series, but is practiced in a well controlled, heated environment at 98.6°F and 60% humidity, allowing the muscles to be warm and pliable, stimulating the cardiovascular system, and cleaning toxins from the body. This is an ideal heat index range to provide the Hot Yoga practitioner a safe, challenging environment in which they can be successful. With Sunstone Yoga franchise studios opening across North America, every Hot Yoga student can enjoy the same safe, ideal conditions every time they practice Hot Yoga at a Sunstone Yoga franchise.

Our Power Yoga classes take place in a warm environment, 90°F and 50% humidity, which is very comfortable and allows the body to strengthen without getting overly fatigued. While Bikram Yoga instructors and followers are generally taught that the Bikram Yoga postures are the only postures you need, many Hot Yoga students appreciate some variety in their practice, and combining the benefits of the Hot Yoga series with Power Yoga classes on a regular basis increases the physical benefits of a regular yoga practice.

More important than the style of yoga you enjoy is the level of experience and expertise of the yoga instruction you receive. A highly educated and certified hot yoga teacher or power yoga instructor is better prepared to assist you in correct and safe alignment and execution of the yoga postures. In the West today, most large gyms offer some form of fitness or power yoga practice, and independent studios offering Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Power Yoga, and many other yoga styles can be found in every major city. However, the majority of instructors are not certified. Bikram Yoga instructors receive 500 hours of training at the Bikram Yoga training facility in Los Angeles, California, but Bikram Yoga training is not recognized by the Yoga Alliance, the largest organizing body in the United States using established standards to recognize and register yoga schools and instructors. In the Sunstone Yoga teacher training program, instructors are required to complete in depth training and certification requirements recognized by Yoga Alliance at the 500 hour level. This gives them an excellent foundation for teaching our Hot Yoga and Power Yoga classes with a solid understanding of anatomy, yoga history, teaching techniques, and adjustments required to get students in and out of their postures safely and efficiently.