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His prescription touches on learning your purpose in life, finding love, fulfilling karma yoga (service to others) and practicing nonattachment, and finally, reaching higher consciousness.Īnd it is here that Choudhury gives readers a few mantras worth repeating: “Train yourself to see the positive” and “There are no limitations.” These notions may not ring new, but they do strike a universal chord that yogis of every tradition will appreciate.įans of Swami Satchidananda, Vishnu Devananda, and B.K.S. In it he presents his 26-pose sequence and a four-step plan for living your yoga. Nobody’s telling you to be a martyr or a masochist I’m just talking about going one small step beyond discomfort.” Another interesting notion from the controversial guru: “It’s just your fear that makes you rigid and unable to bend more deeply.”Ĭhoudhury’s book is part autobiography, part instruction, and part personal philosophy. He addresses all of this in his book early on and then offers plenty of contrarian advice-certainly enough to make the principles surrounding his proprietary brand of hatha seem all his own.įor instance, he writes, “Contrary to popular belief, pain often means that you are doing something right.

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After all, who would debate the notion that materialism is a serious problem in the United States or that it’s at odds with the spirituality that so many work to attain?Īs the reigning bad boy of the American yoga community, Choudhury has become notorious for pushing people to extremes, requiring teachers to adhere to his scripts in class and suing yoga studios for copyright infringement of his patented series of poses. Yet, despite Choudhury’s often outrageous pronouncements and numerous car analogies (yes, the body is like a car-it needs maintenance and fuel), much of his message will resonate with readers. In typical bombastic fashion, he kicks out such edicts as “If I became president, I would make tattoos illegal!”

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In his introduction, Choudhury fondly refers to the roughly 700 studios officially given license to teach his style of yoga as “torture chambers,” and he berates Westerners for their coddled lives and lack of self-control when it comes to money, sex, food, and so on. It’s a snapshot of Choudhury’s all-encompassing yogic philosophy for achieving health and happiness throughout life. The 290-page tome is more than a how-to guide promoting his fast-growing namesake style of hatha yoga (which consists of a set of 26 asanas practiced in sweat-inducing classes).

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!Īnyone who has a soft spot for personal trainers with the mantra “no pain, no gain” will appreciate Bikram Choudhury’s outspoken tough love in Bikram Yoga (Collins), his first book in nearly seven years.

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