There is this idea in Bikram Yoga that there is ONE and only ONE RIGHT WAY to do the posture. This outlook can be myopic and potentially misleading. Additionally, with different teachers and their differing understanding and advice, the matter of how to do it right can be further complicated.
Consider this broader interpretation: instead of just one ‘right way' each practitioner can be on a continuum of ‘right' ways to express a posture as the student’s body changes.
As a practitioner, you may find the way you express the postures is getting deeper. On the other hand, you may have an injury — or just plain ol’ aging — and find the way you express a posture (while still correct) is getting less deep. As long as you stay along the spectrum of ‘the right way' for your flexibility and strength on any given day, you WILL get the benefits.
Be forewarned, along the continuum of ‘right ways'; a lot of students get stuck. At this point, they stop being reachable and teachable. And, once you disconnect or get stuck, that is when you may no longer receive the benefits — could potentially hurt yourself — and are likely no longer practicing yoga.
So how do you know you’re doing it THE RIGHT WAY?
Here's how:
Try the best you can on each day you practice to be present to your body’s physical state and try to stay mentally present. Remain open to change in the expression of the postures (regardless of the direction that change may be deeper/shallower).
What do you think it means to try the right way?