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Bikram Choudhury: the man behind the controversy and the creation of Bikram Yoga

Bikram Choudhury is a name that has left its mark on the world of yoga. This guru is known for creating Bikram Yoga, a hot yoga discipline that has gained popularity around the world. In this blog post, we will explore the life of Bikram Choudhury, his contributions to the yoga world, as well as the issues that have clouded his reputation and what the latest announcements are from him in 2023.

bikram choudhury

Who is the guru Bikram Choudhury?

  • Bikram Choudhury was born on February 10, 1946 in Calcutta, India.
  • He began practicing yoga at a young age with his teacher, Bishnu Ghosh, the brother of the famous yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda.
  • Bikram learned various forms of yoga, including Hatha Yoga and Raj Yoga, under the tutelage of Ghosh.
  • At the age of 17, Bikram began teaching yoga and developed his own method of yoga, which he called “Bikram Yoga”.
  • Bikram Choudhury began teaching yoga at an early age and quickly developed a passion for this age-old discipline.
  • He continued his studies in India and studied various forms of yoga, including Hatha Yoga and Raj Yoga.
  • It was under his guidance that he perfected his technique and began teaching yoga at the age of only 17.
  • Guru Bikram then created his own method of yoga, which became popular under the name “Bikram Yoga”.
  • His unique method of hot yoga, practiced in a room heated to 40 degrees, has become famous for its therapeutic benefits to the body and mind.
  • Although controversial due to legal issues, Bikram is considered one of the most influential yoga masters of our time, having trained thousands of yoga teachers and inspired millions of practitioners to adopt a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.

What is Bikram Yoga?

  • Bikram Yoga is a hot yoga discipline, composed of a series of 26 postures and two breathing exercises.
  • This method is practiced in a room heated to about 40 degrees Celsius with a humidity of 40%.
  • This heat is supposed to help practitioners stretch their muscles more easily and eliminate toxins from the body.
  • The Bikram method quickly gained popularity, especially in the United States, where Bikram established itself in the 1970s.
  • In 1974, he opened his first yoga studio in Beverly Hills, California.
  • Since then, thousands of Bikram yoga studios have been opened in many countries.
  • Lu guru Bikram Choudhury has also trained thousands of Bikram yoga instructors.
  • However, trainings are expensive and are often reserved for people who already have an advanced level of yoga.
  • This exclusivity has led to criticism that the Bikram guru is simply trying to make money with his yoga.

Bikram Yoga is also known for its specific postures, which are performed in a specific order to maximize the physical and mental benefits.

These include Tree Pose, Eagle Pose, Warrior Pose, Cobra Pose, Locust Pose, Bow Pose, and many more. Each of these postures is designed to work a specific muscle group while improving flexibility, balance and overall strength. Despite the controversies surrounding the founder and guru of Bikram Yoga, this technique continues to gain popularity because of its benefits for the body and mind.

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Guru controversy:

Guru Bikram Choudhury, the founder of Bikram Yoga, was once considered one of the most influential yoga teachers of our time. In 2006, he was named one of the “100 most influential people” by Time magazine . However, despite its growing popularity, Bikram has been involved in several scandals that have tarnished its reputation.

In 2013, six women filed complaints against Bikram Choudhury, accusing him of sexual assault. They claimed that Bikram forced them to do him sexual favors and used racist and homophobic slurs. This scandal led to a wave of criticism and boycotts against Bikram Yoga.

The case began in 2013, when Minakshi “Miki” Jafa-Bodden, the former attorney for the Bikram Yoga guru, filed a complaint against Bikram Choudhury, alleging that she was physically assaulted during her employment with Bikram Yoga. She said she was fired after she tried to report Choudhury’s behavior. In 2016, he was ordered to pay her more than $6.5 million.

Since the affair, Bikram Choudhury’s name has been tainted by allegations of misconduct and legal problems. Many Bikram Yoga franchises have stopped using the name Bikram, preferring to simply use the term “hot yoga”. Many Bikram yoga studios have also stopped using the name “Bikram” and renamed their technique “hot yoga” to avoid any association with the controversial founder.

Although Bikram yoga is still taught in some studios, Bikram Choudhury’s reputation has been tarnished by allegations and inappropriate behavior. Many people have chosen to turn to other types of yoga, and many studios have adopted more gender and culturally inclusive techniques. However, Bikram Yoga continues to be practiced everywhere, and many practitioners claim that Choudhury’s method has helped them heal from various illnesses and regain better mental and physical health. The ethical issues surrounding Choudhury’s conduct have prompted many practitioners to seek other methods of hot yoga, or even to abandon Bikram Yoga altogether.

The Yoga Empire by Bikram Choudhury: An Announcement and its Consequences

In May 2022, the yoga community was rocked by an announcement. Bikram Choudhury, the founder of Bikram Yoga and a guru to many, has been ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages to his former lawyer, Minakshi Jafa-Bodden. She had accused Choudhury of harassment and wrongful termination, and after a long court battle, a jury found in her favor.

Choudhury’s yoga empire, which had once traveled the world with studios in Beverly Hills, Vancouver and elsewhere, was now in ruins. Her videos and images have been removed from social media, and her name has become a cautionary tale in the yoga community.

For many, this had been happening for a long time. Choudhury had been accused of assault by several practitioners and teachers over the years, and his extreme brand of “hot yoga” was already controversial in the sport.

But for others, the fall of Choudhury was a devastating blow. His yoga technique had changed their lives, and his Bikram Yoga College in India had been a site of pilgrimage for many. Bishnu, Choudhury’s own guru, had developed the hatha yoga that Choudhury would later make famous.

Now the yoga community was faced with the consequences of Choudhury’s actions. Carla Minnard, Jafa-Bodden’s lawyer, has become an ardent feminist who has been persecuted in the yoga industry. Jill Lawler, a yoga teacher in Vancouver, spoke out against the extreme nature of Bikram’s technique and the culture of silence that had allowed its abuse to go unpunished for so long.

The Marriott Parq in Vancouver, Canada, which had hosted a Bikram Yoga studio, has withdrawn all association with Choudhury and his technique. And in Los Angeles, Raquel Welch, a former student of Choudhury’s, spoke out against him in a Netflix documentary that chronicled his downfall.

Ultimately, the announcement and its aftermath served as a wake-up call for the yoga community. The industry has been forced to confront its own complicity in allowing abusive gurus like Choudhury to thrive. And while his technique may have been extreme, the lessons learned from his fall were invaluable. The yoga community would never be the same.

The latest news from Bikram Guru in 2023:

In February 2023, the controversial founder of Bikram Yoga, Bikram Choudhury, announced his return to Vancouver, where he was to lead a yoga workshop. However, a petition on change.org was launched against her presence on Canadian soil, prompting a response from several yoga teachers and opponents, including Choudhury’s former legal director’s lawyer, Carla Minnard. Thanks to agreements between the United States and Canada, Bikram Choudhury was facing extradition to the California courts if he came to Vancouver. Finally, a few days before the seminar, the Canadian Yoga Sport Federation announced that the event would be “rescheduled” due to “scheduling conflicts”.

What other gurus in the yoga world have been suspected of similar acts?

There have been several allegations of abuse in the yoga world, including against well-known gurus and teachers. Some of the more high-profile cases include:

  • Kausthub Desikachar: the son of TKV Desikachar, a famous Indian yoga master, has been accused by several women of sexual abuse, harassment and financial exploitation. He was dismissed from the Krishnamacharya Institute in Chennai in 2012 because of these allegations.

  • Amrit Desai: the founder of the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in the United States stepped down in 1994 after being accused of inappropriate sexual behavior toward students.

  • Swami Satyananda Saraswati: the founder of the Bihar School of Yoga has been accused by several female practitioners of sexual abuse. He resigned as director in 1993 because of these allegations.

  • Swami Rama: the founder of the Himalayan Institute in the United States has been accused of sexual abuse by several female yoga teachers who worked with him.

Conclusion: a controversial guru whose practice is still in vogue

It is important to note that these cases of abuse are rare in the world of yoga and that the vast majority of yoga teachers are respectful and dedicated professionals to their practice and to their students in the studios and gyms where they teach.

Guru Bikram Choudhury, the controversial founder of hot yoga, has left his mark on the yoga world with his Bikram Yoga method. Although he was trained by Bishnu Ghosh and began teaching yoga at the age of 17, Bikram Guru developed his own method, which gained popularity throughout despite his legal problems. Bikram Yoga Guru studios are located in places like Beverly Hills and Richard’s Sports Center, offering practitioners the opportunity to attend professional workshops and trainings to deepen their realization of the postures, following videos and body images under the guidance of qualified instructors like David, while enjoying the benefits of this challenging technique in a heated and inspiring room. Although Bikram’s reputation has been tarnished by scandals, including allegations of sexual assault, he is considered one of the most influential yoga masters of our time, having trained thousands of yoga teachers and inspired millions of practitioners to adopt a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. The Bikram Guru method continues to grow in popularity because of its benefits to the body and mind.

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