So You Want to Be a Yoga Teacher

Use the video to help you memorize and prepare to deliver the following script on Day 10.

Backward bending, everybody together.

Your back is going to hurt like hell, don't be scared.

Take a deep breath, full lungs, drop your head back as far as it goes.

Look at the floor behind you.

Arms back immediately, try to touch the wall behind you.

Bend your spine backwards from coccyx to the neck.

Lower back, middle back, upper back, total spine backward bending.

Push your upper body back, try to fall down backwards.

Maximum body weight on the heels.

Inhale, stomach, legs, hips, everything push forward towards the mirror.

Arms back, Look back, Fall back, Way back, Go back, More back.

Come up and stop in the middle.

Excerpted from Bikram Yoga Beginning Yoga Class, Authorized Teacher Dialogue

An Introduction to Yoga

This lecture explored the idea that there is no single definition of yoga. While many people today think of yoga primarily as a physical practice, this understanding is largely a modern development. Throughout history, yoga has meant different things to different traditions, and its purpose has evolved over thousands of years.

We examined how modern ideas such as "finding what feels right for you" are relatively recent and reflect contemporary values rather than ancient traditions. Understanding the history of yoga helps us appreciate how these modern perspectives emerged.

The lecture introduced several classical definitions of yoga. Some traditions describe yoga as stilling the mind, others as uniting the individual self with a higher reality, cultivating skill in action, or achieving mental discipline and self-realization. Together, these definitions demonstrate the diversity of yogic thought.

We also traced yoga's historical development from its earliest roots through the Vedic, Upanishadic, Classical, Tantric, Hatha, and Modern periods. Along the way, yoga evolved from primarily philosophical and meditative practices into the diverse forms practiced today.

Finally, we explored the origins of the word yoga, which comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning "to yoke," "join," or "unite." While interpretations vary, the idea of connection remains a common thread throughout yoga's long and complex history.

Key takeaway: Yoga is not one thing. It is a diverse and evolving tradition with many definitions, practices, and goals. As students and teachers, our task is not to reduce yoga to a simple answer, but to appreciate its complexity and continue exploring what it means.

Next is Pada-Hastasana, Hands to Feet Pose.

Bend your knees, put your hands on the floor in front of you.

Move your hips several times right and left, right and left to make sure your lower back is totally relaxed, nice and loose, comfortable, easy, flexible.

This is a U-turn from back bend to forward bending, so please be careful, your spine is not warmed up yet.

Grab your heels from behind, underneath the heels, stepping on all 5 fingers of each hand.

Little baby fingers touching each other side by side,

Elbows behind the legs on the calf muscles, throughout the posture.

Please don't lose the grip.

Pull your heels as much as possible.

Stretch your body down, from the lower spine towards the floor.

Touch your stomach on the thighs, chest on the knees, face on the legs below the knees.

From the side you should look like a Japanese ham sandwich, no gap anywhere.

Slowly push your knees back as hard as possible.

Try to lock your knees, creating a tremendous stretching feeling, pain sensation, all over, underneath your legs, inside-out,from bones to the skin, coccyx to the toes, with your smiling, happy face.

Continuously keep pulling. Pulling is the object of stretching.

Pull your heels, push your knees back, and lock your knees.

Exhale breathing, and lock your knees.

Roll forward, Jock your knees. Eyes open, touch your face, and lock your knees.

Last chance, lock your knees, lock your knees, Jock your knees.

Inhale breathing, come up, arms and head together.

Excerpted from Bikram Yoga Beginning Yoga Class, Authorized Teacher Dialogue

Your Bikram Yoga Practice today is with Jenifer Ruschell. Use the link to access her recorded class on YouTube.

AWKWARD POSE

Utkatasana

Right foot step to the right, six inches apart, heels invisible behind the toes.

Looks like a perfect "H,"

Six inches gap between·toes and heels.

Don't change your feet throughout the entire posture.

Arms up parallel to the floor.

Keep your five fingers together, touching each other.

Elbows locked, triceps muscles nice and tight, contraction. Nothing loose, nothing hanging.

Stretch your arms forward towards the mirror, you're trying to touch the mirror.

Exhale breathing.

Suck your stomach in, hold it in.

Sit down, feet flat position, until your hips touch the chair, spine straight to begin with, 100 percent body weight on the heels.

Lift your chest up and bend your total spine, backward bending, bring your upper body back.

Suck your stomach in, compression of the abdominal wall, contraction of the abdominal muscles.

Suck it in, tightening up, and hold it.

Rib cage visible in the mirror.

Open your knees, keep 6 inches between your toes, heels, knees, and hands.

Chest up. Chin up.

Lean back. Fall back. Way back.

You're trying to fall down backwards.

Inhale breathing and come up.

Keep your arms there.

2nd Part:

Concentrate and meditate.

Stand up on your toes maximum like a ballerina.

Tremendous concentration, focus one point in the mirror.

If you blink your eyes, you might lose the balance.

Stretch your spine, chest, head, whole upper body, up towards the ceiling like natural human traction.

Imagine I am pulling your hair towards the ceiling.

Sit down, On the top of the toes, spine straight position.

Start to finish throughout the posture, you should feel your hips and head touching the wall.

Sit down halfway, until your hips touch the chair, knees up, chest up, upper body leaning back, spine straight.

Come up higher on the toes, knees up toward the ceiling.

Hips should not go down below the chair, you are sitting on the chair.

Inhale breathing and come up, spine straight position, keep your arms there.

3rd Part:

Come up a little bit on your toes.

Bring your knees together.

Exhale breathing, suck your stomach in, spine straight.

Sit down, as slow as possible, at least 10 counts, all the way down, all the way down. Leaning against the wall.

Continuously stretch your spine towards the ceiling, half inch gap between the hips and heels.

Your* leaning against the wall, hips and head touching the wall, no gap anywhere.

Keep your knees together and forward toward the mirror" thighs parallel to the floor, arms parallel to the legs, spine perfectly straight, 90 degree angle, so from the side your body looks like a box.

Take a deep breath, knees together, spine straight, slowly come up.

Feet together, arms down side, and relax, don't move.

Excerpted from Bikram Yoga Beginning Yoga Class, Authorized Teacher Dialogue

In this lecture, the presenter guides listeners through the Katha Upanishad, bringing its profound dialogue to life while revealing practical insights into consciousness, purpose, and the path to inner freedom.