BIKRAM CHOUDHURY

Bikram Choudhury began studying yoga at the age of 4.

At 12 he was the youngest ever National Yoga Champion of India, holding the title three consecutive years until his guru Bishnu Ghosh (brother of the famous Paramhansa Yogananda, who founded the Self-Realisation Fellowship and wrote “Autobiography of a Yogi”) asked him to give a demonstration instead.

In less than 30 minutes Bikram had executed over 500 postures to physical perfection. Swami Shivanada declared him “Yoga Raj” (King of the Yogis) and “the best Yogi of the 20th century”.

Bikram went on to pursue an athletic career as a marathon runner and a champion weight lifter, setting world record lifts and competing in Olympic style weight lifting.

At age 17, a weight lifting accident crushed his knees, severely crippling him. He was told by doctors that he would never walk again. Not accepting their pronouncements, Bikram had himself carried back to Bishnu Ghosh’s school. With the guidance of his guru Bikram created his yoga series and restored his health.

He quickly established himself as a world expert teacher, opening schools throughout the East. Combining Eastern doctrine with three years of working with Western doctors and scientists at Tokyo University Hospital, Bikram perfected his comprehensive system of 26 poses.

Bikram says “Yoga is for everybody. There is no such thing as ‘old’ and ‘infirm’. I will tell you the same thing even if you are one hundred and one years old. Put on your leotard and get to work.”

Bikram has scientifically formulated and demonstrated yoga’s ability to regenerate tissue and heal chronic ailments. Thus he became known as “the world’s most knowledgeable yoga teacher”.

Bikram has been teaching his method of classical Hatha yoga all over the world for over 35 years.

“Yoga is the only exercise in the world that you can do at any age. There is always some posture that will improve your health, mind and soul.”

“If you practice yoga one and a half hours a day you will need only 4 hours of sleep a night because you have built up energy. 15 years of life are given back to you because of yoga. Isn’t that marvelous!”

Bikram Choudhury 

www.bikramyoga.com