I recently joined this facebook group: The Movement to Make Bikram Yoga Carbon Neutral.
A group of Bikram Yogis and Teachers, and Especially Studio Owners who are DEDICATED to doing all in our power to make EVERY Bikram Yoga studio on Earth Carbon Neutral through energy efficient heat, lighting, hot water heaters and other appliances and most of all SOLAR PANELS. Love the Yoga, Love the Planet…
I’ve always felt a little guilty about how much energy Bikram Yoga studios consume so it’s inspiring to see some like minded yogis getting together to raise concerns, chat about the issues and make a difference.
We can all start by making an environmental choice with our water bottle and mat.
This was the very issue that made me hesitate whether to start Bikram yoga or not in the very beginning. I was also concerned with the amount of PVC mats sold and used in many studios as well as plastic water bottles consumed in each class.
If Bikram yoga can become more ecological, I think more people would participate worldwide.
And that’s good news for all of us
🙂
Good topic! I have been thinking for a while about how much energy we consume during a 90 min class.
Let’s calculate at first!
We have 6 ceramic heaters in the room, each of them rated as 2kW. This means 12kW heating performance. In the worst case we need 18kWh energy. If there are 25 people practicing, it is only 0.72 kWh per person. And do not forget that the human body generates heat during physical activity, so this value can be far less.
A sauna for 3 people requires 4 kW of heating performance. Heating up and doing three 15 minute rounds requires 9 kWh of energy. That is 3 kWh energy per person.
Bikram yoga “greener” than sauna.