04 Sep Maybe a Little Too Hot
You’ve probably heard of Hot Yoga, maybe even taken a class or two. Not every yogi knows, however, that the originator of the set of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises done in a room heated to 104 degrees is Bikram Choudhury, currently under investigation for six rape charges. Bikram was previously found guilty of sexual harassment with the victim awarded $6.8 million in punitive damages.
Bikram was born in India on February 10, 1946 (age 71 years) where he studied yoga with Bishnu Ghosh, brother of Paramahansa Yogananda. At age 11, Bikram was the youngest person to win the National India Yoga Competition, a title which he held for 3 years.
Bikram moved to LA and began what was to become his yoga empire, currently consisting of more than 700 Bikram Yoga Schools around the world. In 1994, he began his 9-week, twice-yearly teacher trainings which attracted up to 400 students paying $12,000 each. His wealth, estimated at $75 million, enabled Bikram and his wife and partner, Rajashree, to live a rich, Beverly Hills lifestyle including owning dozens of luxury cars and friendships with Hollywood stars. Bikram is famous for wearing only a black Speedo in class. (What’s with the gurus and Speedos?) For many of his students he was their spiritual leader as well.
Then in 2013, seven women filed sexual assault lawsuits against him. One of them, a lawyer who worked for him, was awarded the above damages but has not been able to collect the money as Bikram escaped to India in 2016 to avoid further prosecution. He claims the charges are untrue.
Bikram tried to trademark his set of poses but was denied, as the judge said it was like Arnold Schwartzenegger trying to copyright bench presses. Bikram has pursued aggressive lawsuits against students who borrow or copy his work.
Because of the scandal, teachers and studios of Bikram’s method have begun distancing themselves from him, erasing his name. You’ll notice if you visit the website below that the Bikram Yoga LA website doesn’t even mention Bikram.
Outside the US, he continues to thrive, promoting his lucrative teacher training camps.
© 2020 Catherine Auman
This is an excerpt from Catherine Auman’s book Guide to Spiritual L.A.: The Irreverent, the Awake, and the True
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