bikram yoga

For some reason
I had the time to sit down and watch a little television
and as luck would have it
Bikram Choudhury was being interviewed on 60 Minutes Wednesday.

My wife
Marie and I don’t often get home at that time of the night
as we are usually closing up the wellness center
so this was fate and a bit of luck.

Our center does not have 105 degree Bikram classes or hot Yoga classes
but we are familiar with Bikram’s style and his wife’s many accomplishments. Rajashree Choudhury is a five-time winner of the All-India Yoga Championship competition.

I am not a Bikram fan
but I am not swayed by some of the anti-Bikram articles that work their way into the world of Yoga.

Before I touch some of the finer points of his interview
I must concede that he snatched the lime light with exuberance and now I know why some love him
while others don’t feel so warm and furry about him.

I laughed at his rhetoric
equally
as much as watching Jerry Seinfeld or Ray Ramano
do a stand up comedy routine. The man is pure entertainment and he has a point.

In reference to his style of yoga
he said “ I don’t sell cheesecake
you know that.” The fact is anyone who visits a Bikram style Yoga class knows what they are getting into. How could you miss 105 degrees Fahrenheit?

More to the point
America is a country of extremes and there are estimates that only 10% of the population exercises regularly. While
another 35% of the population
drift in
and out
of exercise
depending upon the season
a fad
or a whim.

The remaining 55%
of America’s population
have taken a pledge to avoid exercise at all costs. Maybe the “couch potatoes” can only grasp the concept of a “kick in the pants.”

Some people need a drill instructor personality and as Bikram would say
“torture chamber” to understand Yoga. America made him the “Guru of the Stars
” and he understands public relations. Let’s give credit
where credit is due. If you love Yoga and missed this interview
see if you can catch the re-run.

There is a strange need
on a massive scale
for “stern but loving parent” type teachers in Yoga classes. Now if you’ll excuse me
I am about to organize the Extremely Hot Navy Seals Power Yoga Boot Camp.