Original hot yoga is the name for the fixed sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises once sold as Bikram yoga. The class runs 90 minutes at about 40°C and 40% humidity, led by a spoken script. The name describes an unchanged sequence. It doesn't point to a person or a brand.
What Original Hot Yoga Means in Plain Terms
When a studio says original hot yoga, it makes a narrow promise. You get the same 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, in the same order, every class. That is the whole definition.
The class opens with a standing breathing exercise. A standing series follows, then a floor series, then a closing breathing exercise. Nothing is added, swapped or sped up. So, because the order never changes, you can compare Tuesday with last month and see real progress.
- Sequence. 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, always in the same order.
- Length. 90 minutes from the first breath to the last.
- Room. About 40°C and 40% humidity, held steady.
- Delivery. A spoken script, with no music and no teacher demonstration.
That fixed order makes original hot yoga easy to measure. For example, if your balance fails in the same posture every week, you know exactly where to work. Your teacher can see it too, because they're watching the same postures in the same order.
Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, has taught more than 12,000 hours of this sequence. So the details in this guide come from a teacher's chair, not a marketing desk.
Why the Name Exists: A Relabel, Not a New Style
The practice behind original hot yoga is not new. It is the same sequence many people still search for as Bikram yoga. What changed is the label on the door, so the class itself is the same one.
That matters because a label can point to a person, a place or a method. The word Bikram pointed to a person. The names Original Hot and Hot 26&2 point to the method. For teachers who want a class to stand on what it contains, a descriptive name is simpler to explain.
We cover the wider naming story in our guide to what Bikram yoga is called now. The style differences sit in Bikram yoga vs hot yoga. A UK-focused look at the same label is in this studio timetable guide to the name.
This page sticks to lineage. That means where the sequence came from, who taught it to Mr. Ian, and what it means for you.
One caution. Original is a description, not a guarantee. A studio can print it on a timetable and still teach something shorter or different. So check what is actually in the room.
Original Hot Yoga Timeline: Five Dates Behind the Name
Five dates explain most of the story. The table below puts them in order and says what each one changes for the name.
| Year | What happened | What it means for the name |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises appears in a book by Bikram Choudhury, Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class. | This is the fixed order that the word original refers to. |
| 2014 to 2019 | Mr. Ian Terry trains for five years with the founder of the method. | His teaching lineage runs straight to the source of the sequence. |
| 8 October 2015 | The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rules the sequence is an idea, process or system, not a copyrightable work. | Any qualified teacher can teach it, and the name can describe the method instead of a person. |
| 2017 | YogaFX begins training teachers in Bali. | The method gets a home built around the 26&2 sequence. |
| October 2023 | Massachusetts General Hospital researchers report an eight-week trial of Bikram yoga for depression symptoms. | A fixed class is easy to study, because every participant does the same thing. |
Notice what is missing from the table: any date when the sequence itself changed. So the rename happened around the class, not inside it. That's why the sequence you practise today matches the one in the 1979 book.
The 2015 Court Ruling That Let the Name Change
On 8 October 2015 the Ninth Circuit decided Bikram's Yoga College of India v. Evolation Yoga. The question was simple. Could the sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, developed by Bikram Choudhury and described in his 1979 book, be protected by copyright?
The court said no. In its words, "the Sequence is an idea, process, or system designed to improve health" (read the full opinion). It concluded the sequence falls within the exclusions from copyright protection under US law.
As a result, the door opened. Any qualified teacher could teach the sequence, and a class could carry a name that described it. We explain the wider legal and trademark picture in our Bikram yoga history guide. This is general information, not legal advice.
Mr. Ian's Lineage: From the Source to Bali
Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, trained for five years, from 2014 to 2019, with the founder of the Bikram Hot 26&2 method. That is the lineage behind everything YogaFX teaches. He is also a Master Trainer for the Republic of Indonesia Yogasana Sports Federation.
Since then he has taught more than 12,000 hours and trained 1,500+ graduates from 80+ countries. The graphic below shows the numbers that matter most.
Why does lineage matter in a scripted class? Because the teacher does not demonstrate and there is no music. The spoken dialogue carries the room. Lineage tells you who taught the teacher how to deliver it.
What a Real Original Hot Yoga Class Looks Like
Our full 90-minute class breakdown goes posture by posture. Here is the short version, so you know what to expect from any studio that uses the name.
The standing series
The class opens with standing deep breathing. Then comes the standing series, where balance, strength and focus build fast. Awkward pose is a good example. You sit back as if into a chair and hold it, while the dialogue talks you through every adjustment.
The floor series
The floor series follows, with short rests between postures. Wind removing pose is an early one. Spine twisting comes near the end. Each posture is held for the same time in every class.
The room and the script
At our Seminyak and Canggu studios in Bali, the room reaches about 40°C with 40% humidity. The heat comes from the tropical climate, not electric heaters. The teacher reads the dialogue and does not demonstrate. There is no music.
That structure is the point. You are not following a performance. You are doing the work, and the script keeps you moving through it.
What Students Say After Training in the Method
More than 550 student reviews and video testimonials are public across Google, Yoga Alliance and YouTube. Three of them speak to the lineage and the teaching.
Mr Ian and Miss Ivara are the true essence of what Bikram Yoga should be. I have practised for over 10 years and this was truly one of the highlights of my journey thus far.
Pete, Google review, 2026
Donna shared her story on camera at the end of her training. She told us she had never travelled alone before. Here is the video, from our own YouTube channel.
I feel like I've just blossomed into the person I really want to be.
Donna, YouTube review, 2026
Joanne spoke for her group on the last day. She thanked everyone for an "amazing opportunity and eye opening experience" in her YouTube review (2025).
What Research Says About the Original Hot Yoga Sequence
A fixed class is easy to study, because every participant does the same thing. That is one benefit of a name that never changes the content.
The best-known example is a trial from Massachusetts General Hospital. In the eight-week trial, 80 adults were randomized to Bikram yoga or a waitlist. Sessions were 90 minutes in a 105°F room. 59.3 percent of yoga participants had a 50 percent or greater drop in depression symptoms, compared with 6.3 percent of the waitlist group, according to the Harvard Gazette report on the trial.
The study appeared in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
The room in that trial sat near 40.6°C. Our rooms run close to 40°C. So the conditions are similar, but they are not identical.
What does the trial tell you, and what does it not?
- It suggests a benefit. Heated yoga may help some adults with depression symptoms, according to the researchers.
- It is a small trial. Eighty people is a start, not a final answer, and a waitlist group is not a placebo.
- It is not treatment advice. Yoga does not replace care from a doctor or mental health professional.
If you live with depression, anxiety or any health condition, speak to a healthcare professional before starting hot yoga. Tell your teacher too, so they can watch how you respond to the heat.
Original Hot Yoga vs Hot Yoga: Where the Words Part Ways
Hot yoga is a broad term. It covers any yoga practised in a heated room, from flowing vinyasa to slow yin. Original hot yoga is one specific class inside that wider group. So every original hot yoga class is a hot yoga class, but the reverse isn't true.
That's why the difference matters when you book. A heated flow class changes every time, because the teacher picks the postures, the music and the pace. In original hot yoga, the sequence makes those choices for you.
- Hot yoga in general: the order, length and temperature vary by studio and by teacher.
- Original hot yoga: 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, 90 minutes, about 40°C, every time.
- Why it matters: a fixed class gives you a steady benchmark, while a changing class gives you variety.
Neither is better in every case. Some students love variety. Others want a test that never moves, and that's the student original hot yoga was built for.
Three Ways People Get the Name Wrong
We hear the same three mix-ups at the front desk. Here they are, with short answers.
Original means hotter
It doesn't. The word describes the sequence, not the thermostat. A room near 40°C is normal for original hot yoga, and extra heat doesn't make a class more original.
Original means the oldest studio in town
Also no. A new studio can teach the full sequence, and an old studio can teach a shortened one. Age tells you little, so ask about the class itself.
Original means licensed
This one matters most. After the 2015 ruling, the sequence is free to teach, so no one needs a licence to use the label. That means the name can't prove quality on its own. Training, lineage and what happens in the room do.
How to Check a Class Is Really Original Hot Yoga
Because the label is a description, a two-minute message saves you money. Before you buy an intro offer, ask these five things.
- Is the full sequence taught? Ask for all 26 postures and both breathing exercises, in order.
- Is it a spoken script? The original format uses dialogue, with no music and no demonstration.
- How long is the class? Under 90 minutes means a shortened version, whatever the timetable says.
- What does the room read? Ask for the temperature and humidity, not just a promise of heat.
- Who trained the teacher? Ask where they certified, and who taught their trainer.
A good studio will answer without hesitation. If the replies feel vague, trust that instinct, because original hot yoga should be easy to describe. Also, speak to a healthcare professional first if you are pregnant, have a heart condition or struggle in hot weather.
Train in Original Hot Yoga with Mr. Ian in Bali
If you want to teach this sequence, the lineage in this guide is the one you would join. The Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training MasterClass is a six-day hybrid, with online pre-course study and an intensive in Bali. The next batch checks in on Sunday 24 January 2027 and checks out on Friday 29 January 2027 at Soham Wellness Center in Seminyak.
Graduates earn Yoga Alliance RYT 200-Hour certification plus a Bikram Hot 26&2 200-Hour International Yoga Certification. See our guide to Bikram yoga teacher training dates, cost and formats for the full breakdown. Or message Mr. Ian on WhatsApp with your questions.
FAQ
What is original hot yoga?
Original hot yoga is a fixed class of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, taught in the same order every time. It runs 90 minutes in a room at about 40°C and 40% humidity, led by a spoken script with no music or demonstration. It is the sequence once marketed as Bikram yoga.
Is original hot yoga the same as Bikram yoga?
In sequence, yes. Original hot yoga, Hot 26&2 and Bikram yoga all point to the same 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. The difference is the label. Studios choose a descriptive name so the class is defined by what it contains. Always confirm the length, heat and script with the studio.
Did Bikram invent hot yoga?
Bikram Choudhury developed the 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises sequence, which a US appeals court said in 2015 was described in his 1979 book. That is not the same as inventing every heated class. Many hot yoga styles use other sequences, so check which one a studio teaches.
How hot is an original hot yoga class?
A standard class holds the room near 40°C with about 40% humidity for 90 minutes. At YogaFX in Seminyak and Canggu, the heat comes from Bali's tropical climate rather than electric heaters. If you have a heart condition, are pregnant or struggle in heat, speak to a healthcare professional first.
Is your teacher training an official Bikram Choudhury training?
No. YogaFX training is independent, not an official Bikram Choudhury teacher training. Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, trained for five years, from 2014 to 2019, with the founder of the method. Graduates earn Yoga Alliance RYT 200-Hour certification plus a Bikram Hot 26&2 200-Hour International Yoga Certification.
Still have questions? Message Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team on WhatsApp and we will answer them personally.