The Original Hot Yoga Association (OHYA) is a small US trade association. It approves teacher trainings in the Original Hot 26&2 method. Its seal asks for a 240-hour course and a later internship. But when we checked public records, we found no recognition of it from Yoga Alliance, any government or any sports federation.
That’s the short answer. The rest of this page is the full YogaFX report on the Original Hot Yoga Association. We wrote it for one reader: you, comparing trainings and wondering what the OHYA label really means.
We used public records only, and we name no individual studio or trainer. Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500 and founder of YogaFX, reviewed the findings. That’s because applicants ask him about this label almost every week.
What the Original Hot Yoga Association Is
The Original Hot Yoga Association is a non-profit corporation based in Pasadena, California. The US Internal Revenue Service lists it under section 501(c)(6), the category for business leagues and trade associations. Yoga Alliance holds the same tax status, so the legal form is normal and not a criticism.
OHYA says it formed in 2016 with former studio owners who taught the original 26-posture sequence. It became a non-profit in 2018, and the IRS determination letter followed in February 2019. Its stated purpose to the IRS is “to establish a set of standards for the yoga teaching method”. It also approves programmes that train teachers.
The money behind the seal
The association is small. Anyone can read its tax returns on ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer. They show revenue of about 21,000 to 51,000 US dollars a year from 2019 to 2025. In the 2025 fiscal year it reported 50,802 US dollars of revenue and net assets of 18,589 US dollars.
- One officer appears on every return, working about 5 hours a week.
- No salaries appear in any year.
- Most spending goes on professional fees and contractors, plus one annual meeting.
- The returns describe a single programme: approving teacher trainings.
Who runs it
The Original Hot Yoga Association website lists five directors and no board of advisors. All five are studio owners who first qualified as teachers of the original hot sequence. We could not find any of them in the Yoga Alliance teacher directory. So the association is, in plain terms, a group of studio owners setting a shared standard for their own method.
What it claims and what we counted
The Original Hot Yoga Association’s public figures don’t line up with its own directories. Its About page claims more than 120 studio partners, 950 teachers and over 40 approved trainings. We counted the entries in its own studio database, teacher directory and training calendar on 14 October 2026.
| Item | Claimed by OHYA | Counted in OHYA’s own pages |
|---|---|---|
| Member studios | More than 120 | 120 entries in 13 countries, 105 of them in the US, including one studio that closed in June 2026 |
| Teachers | 950 | 284 named teachers: 123 at Level 3 and 163 at Level 2, with no Level 1 or intern listed |
| Approved trainings | Over 40 | 26 listings from 20 providers since February 2024, with 6 current or upcoming |
| Revenue (IRS returns) | Not stated | About 21,000 to 51,000 US dollars a year, 2019 to 2025 |
The gap on teachers is the largest. If 950 teachers were all paying the directory fee, teacher fees alone would exceed most years of total revenue. So the 950 most likely counts everyone who ever joined, not active members. That’s our estimate, not a reported figure.
What the Original Hot Yoga Association Seal Certifies
To its credit, the Original Hot Yoga Association publishes its standards. A training becomes “OHYA Approved” when four things are true:
- The host studio holds OHYA membership.
- The lead trainer is OHYA Level 2 or higher.
- The content is 100% Original Hot 26&2, with the original dialogue.
- The course has at least 240 contact hours: 150 hours of posture lab and teaching skills, 80 of practice and 10 of professional development.
Then the studio applies by email. It pays a one-off approval fee of 299 US dollars. We found no published audit or site visit. As far as the public record shows, approval rests on the application, a signed statement and the payment.
The Original Hot Yoga Association in six numbers
240 hours
Minimum contact hours for an OHYA Approved training.
75 classes
Self-recorded internship before a graduate reaches Level 1.
6 months to 2 years
The internship window, which OHYA says is not part of training.
5 and 10 years
Experience asked for Level 2 (1,000 classes) and Level 3 (2,000 classes).
1 officer
Listed on every IRS return, unpaid, about 5 hours a week.
0 bodies
Outside organisations we found that recognise the OHYA seal.
The levels and the “6 to 9 months”
Many people read that OHYA certification takes six to nine months. In fact the classroom part is usually 4 to 9 weeks. The longer figure comes from the internship that follows it. Here is how the ladder works:
- Intern. Every graduate joins the directory as an intern.
- Level 1. After 75 self-recorded classes, signed off by a senior teacher, over at least 6 months and up to 2 years.
- Level 2. After 5 years and 1,000 classes, self-reported.
- Level 3. After 10 years and 2,000 classes, self-reported.
OHYA itself states that “internships are not part of training”. It also doesn’t promise that a trainee will find an internship or work. That means a graduate holds a studio certificate on the last day of training. The Original Hot Yoga Association Level 1 seal comes only after the internship. Teachers then need 30 hours of continuing education every three years.
So these levels reward seniority inside the Original Hot Yoga Association. They don’t create a qualification that anyone outside it recognises. Also, no US state licenses yoga teachers at all. So no seal, OHYA’s or anyone else’s, carries legal authority.
Original Hot Yoga Association vs Yoga Alliance vs YogaFX
Applicants often mix up three things. There’s a trade body for one method, a registry for all teachers, and a school. The table puts them side by side, so you can see which one gives you what.
| Question | Original Hot Yoga Association | Yoga Alliance | YogaFX training |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Trade association for one method | Registry for teachers and schools of all styles | A school in Bali teaching the Original Hot 26&2 method |
| Size | About 120 studios and 284 named teachers | More than 100,000 teachers and 7,000 schools | More than 1,500 graduates from over 80 countries |
| Standard | 240 hours, 100% original dialogue, then a 75-class internship | 200, 300 and 500-hour school standards | Online preparation plus a six-day intensive with supervised teaching |
| What you hold at the end | Studio certificate, then OHYA Level 1 after the internship | RYT 200 once you register | Yoga Alliance RYT 200 and Bikram Hot 26&2 200-Hour certificate |
| Who leads it | Board of five studio owners | Board of eight and paid staff | Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, 12,000+ teaching hours |
| Outside recognition | None found | None from a government; the most widely used registry | Yoga Alliance RYT 200; Master Trainer role with Indonesia’s Yogasana Sports Federation |
The useful takeaway is simple. An Original Hot Yoga Association certificate tells a studio that you learned the original dialogue. Yoga Alliance tells almost any studio worldwide that you completed a registered 200-hour course. A school that gives you both kinds of proof saves you from choosing between them. Our guide to what RYT 200 means and how Yoga Alliance registration works explains the registry side in detail.
How to Check an OHYA Teacher Training Before You Pay
We compared 31 hot yoga teacher trainings, and 19 had a link to the Original Hot Yoga Association. Most are small, with one or two studios. In most cases, the studio that holds OHYA membership also runs the course. Studio reviews are usually strong, between 4.7 and 5.0 stars. Even so, a few checks tell you more than the label does:
- Search the Yoga Alliance directory. Only 4 of the 19 linked schools were registered when we checked. If you need an RYT 200, confirm it before you pay.
- Look for reviews in the teacher’s own name. We found none for any of the 19 owners or lead trainers. Every rating belonged to a studio.
- Ask for the real timeline. Count the internship, not just the classroom weeks, and ask who finds you a place to intern.
- Watch the teaching. Ask for video of the lead trainer teaching a full class.
- Ask about completion. None of the 19 publishes how many trainees start and finish.
For online and hybrid routes too, see our comparison of the best hot yoga certifications.
The Science: Why Teacher Standards Matter in a Heated Room
A seal matters because a hot room puts real load on the body. The teacher manages that load for everyone in it. Research on the original sequence shows why heat safety belongs at the centre of any training.
Heart rate and core temperature
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse tested this in 2015. The American Council on Exercise reported the study. In it, 20 experienced practitioners took a 90-minute class at about 40°C and 40% humidity. Their core temperature rose for the whole class. It peaked at an average of 103.2°F (39.6°C) for men and 102.0°F (38.9°C) for women.
Heart rate averaged about 80% of predicted maximum for men and 72% for women. No one showed signs of heat illness. However, the researchers asked teachers to encourage water breaks and to know the warning signs of heat illness. Similarly, a 2014 University of Wisconsin study by Porcari and colleagues measured about 80% of maximum heart rate.
Mood and mental health
The heat isn’t only a risk to manage. Massachusetts General Hospital ran a randomised trial in 2023, published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. In it, adults with moderate to severe depression took heated yoga classes for 8 weeks. So what happened? As the MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health summary reports, 59% of the yoga group cut their symptoms by half or more, against 6% of the waitlist group.
These results come from small groups, and research suggests rather than proves. So a good training teaches you what the studies found and where they stop. Do you have a heart condition, a pregnancy or another medical concern? Then consult a healthcare professional before you practise or train in heat.
Where the “Original Hot Yoga” Name Comes From
The method behind the name is older than the association. The sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises first spread as Bikram yoga. Every OHYA director and linked lead trainer we examined first qualified in that system. In the 2010s many studio owners kept the class but changed the sign.
Two facts made that easy. First, a 2015 US Ninth Circuit ruling held that copyright can’t cover the sequence itself. So any school may teach it. Second, the US trademark register now shows the old method’s marks as abandoned or cancelled. We found no standalone mark for the words “Original Hot Yoga”. The association’s own name, however, is a registered US service mark.
We also looked for a lawsuit between the Original Hot Yoga Association and the method’s founder. We found none. Our search didn’t cover every court record, so that means “not found” rather than “never happened”.
“Original” is therefore OHYA’s own description of its place in the lineage. YogaFX uses the phrase Original Hot 26&2 for the same reason. It shows that our class follows the method as handed down, with no edits to the dialogue.
The YogaFX Path: RYT 200 and Hot 26&2 in One Course
YogaFX is independent of the Original Hot Yoga Association. We have no link to its directors or studios. So you can check every claim on this page on its own. Our training answers the gaps the report found, because the school, the trainer and the graduates carry the proof together.
Who teaches you
Mr. Ian Terry leads every intake himself. He is an E-RYT 500 with more than 12,000 teaching hours. He trained for five years, from 2014 to 2019, directly with the founder of the Hot 26&2 method. In June 2026 he was confirmed as Master Trainer of the Republic of Indonesia Yogasana Sports Federation.
His graduates compete too. YogaFX students have won 12 medals in all, 5 of them gold. In June 2026, two YogaFX graduates won 7 medals for Indonesia. That was at the World Yogasana Sports Federation Championships in Ahmedabad. You can read how two YogaFX graduates won 7 medals in our report from the event.
What the course includes
The course is the Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training MasterClass, and it runs as a hybrid:
- Online preparation at home, covering the dialogue, anatomy and philosophy.
- A six-day intensive in Seminyak, Bali. You check in on a Sunday and out on a Friday, so it’s only five days off work.
- Dual certification: Yoga Alliance RYT 200 and the Bikram Hot 26&2 200-Hour International Yoga Certification.
- Next intake: Sunday 24 January to Friday 29 January 2027 at Soham Wellness Center, Seminyak.
- Price: US$1,899 Early Bird, against a normal US$1,999, with interest-free plans from US$250 a month.
There’s no internship wait before your certificate. You graduate holding both credentials at the end of the intensive. Classes at our studios in Seminyak and Canggu run for 90 minutes at 40°C and 40% humidity. Because the heat is natural and tropical, you learn to teach in the conditions the method was built for. The full programme sits on our hot yoga teacher training page.
What graduates say
More than 1,500 teachers from over 80 countries have trained with YogaFX since 2017. Three of them, in their own words:
- “Mr Ian Terry is the best teacher I’ve ever had, he really brings out your best and genuinely wants you to succeed.” Ivara, Google review, 2023
- “The training is extremely organized and the YogaFX team are wonderful! If you are thinking of doing this, stop thinking and just sign up!” Guro, Google review, 2026
- “I’ve taken a couple trainings in the past but always felt there was something lacking. YogaFX, Mr Ian and his entire staff, has it all!” Amanda, Google review, 2022
Those three sit among 150 Google reviews, 50 Yoga Alliance reviews and 357 video testimonials on YouTube.
Ready to compare for yourself?
If the Original Hot Yoga Association label made you pause, ask us the same questions you’d ask any school. WhatsApp Mr. Ian to enrol or to check the spots left in January 2027.
FAQ: Original Hot Yoga Association
What is the Original Hot Yoga Association (OHYA)?
The Original Hot Yoga Association is a US non-profit trade association, formed in 2016. It sets standards for the Original Hot 26&2 method, approves teacher trainings of at least 240 hours and lists member studios and teachers in a directory. We found no recognition of it from Yoga Alliance or any government.
Is the Original Hot Yoga Association the same as Yoga Alliance?
No. Both are private US trade associations, but they do different jobs. OHYA approves trainings in one method and runs a small directory. Yoga Alliance registers schools and teachers of all styles at 200, 300 and 500 hours. Studios worldwide use it as the common reference.
Is Yoga Alliance certification necessary to teach hot yoga?
Not by law, because no US state licenses yoga teachers. In practice, many studios and insurers ask for a Yoga Alliance RYT 200. So most teachers hold the RYT 200 alongside a method certificate. That’s why a dual certification route saves time and money.
How long does Original Hot Yoga teacher training take?
The classroom part of an OHYA-approved course usually runs 4 to 9 weeks. After that, the Original Hot Yoga Association asks for an internship of 75 classes over 6 months to 2 years. This internship explains the six to nine months people often quote for certification.
Did Bikram invent hot yoga?
The 26-posture heated sequence that OHYA calls Original Hot Yoga first spread under the Bikram yoga name. Heated practice in general has a wider history. YogaFX teaches this sequence as an independent training, not an official Bikram Choudhury teacher training, with lineage through Mr. Ian Terry’s five years of direct study.
Still have questions? Message Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team on WhatsApp and we will answer them personally.
