CHICAGO — Bikram Choudhury, the outspoken Beverly Hills yoga mogul, has two passions in life: cars and yoga. Though he’s often criticized for having a garage stuffed with gleaming Bentleys and Rolls-Royces — yogis don’t generally flaunt material wealth — he says he bought the luxury cars as “wrecks” and restored them with his own hands.
Through his unique brand of yoga, Choudhury says he does the same thing with the human vehicle.
“I fix the human chassis, I tune up human engines, I recharge human batteries, and I adjust human transmissions,” he wrote in his newest book, “Bikram Yoga: The Guru Behind Hot Yoga Shows the Way to Radiant Health and Personal Fulfillment” (Harper Collins, $24.95).
Choudhury accomplishes this by getting you into a 90-minute class that involves performing a sequence of 26 poses and two breathing exercises in stifling 105-degree heat. Bikram says the heat helps foster your muscles’ flexibility, so it’s easier and safer to stretch.
He also says the heat promotes detoxification through sweating and provides a more intense cardiovascular workout.
Choudhury copyrighted the series of poses, which he culled from 84 classical yoga postures, and threatens legal action against studio owners who do not teach the practice according to his guidelines. This has long rankled many in the worldwide yoga community, who argue that an ancient Indian tradition cannot and should not be owned.
Still, his tightly controlled empire of 500 certified yoga studios and 6,000 yoga teachers is growing. And he has introduced an element of competition: The Illinois Yoga Championships were held Aug. 23. The event was open to all yogis and yoginis ages 10 and older. Competitors got three minutes to perform seven poses in front of a panel of judges; top scorers advance to the National Yoga Asana Championship in Los Angeles.
I met with Choudhury, who won the National India Yoga Competition as a 13-year-old, when he recently swept through town. I first took a vigorous 90-minute class at Chicago’s Bikram Yoga in the City led by the studio’s director, Mike Frayer, though Choudhury popped in several times to assist with poses. Then Choudhury and I sat down together. Here’s an edited transcript of the interview:
Q: You designed your sequence of 26 poses almost 40 years ago. But there are 86 poses in the original sequence. Do you regret leaving any out?
A: In 1965, when I did it, I was not as much sure (that it was right) as I am now.
Q: Really? What about (the inverted yoga pose) Downward Facing Dog?
A: That’s not yoga. That’s American circus.
Q: You’re often criticized for your love of material goods.
A: I have so many choices in America; it’s home to so many good things. I’m smart enough to enjoy all the good things that are offered.
Q: It’s not very yogilike to have lots of stuff.
A: Why not? There’s nothing wrong with material things as long as you don’t lie, cheat and steal.
Q: How much is that worth? (I point to his Piaget watch).
A: $58,000. A student gave it to me. (He pauses.) Let me ask you, what is the worth of one human life? It’s priceless. I give that life to people. Next to that, what is a watch? Having doesn’t mean anything unless you know how to use it. My job is to pick up the good of the East and the good of the West. I don’t want to starve to death in India, and I don’t want to be a billionaire living in a mental hospital in the U.S. Maintaining spirituality and humanism are the keys to success. It’s a balance.
Q: Why are you so strict with your teachers?
A: In India we say an empty barn is much better than one full of naughty cows.
I control my kingdom like a gangster. (He laughs.) It’s the only way it works. In America your biggest problem is you have a second choice. So you have an abuse of choices and too much freedom. It’s like a loaded gun in a kid’s hand. I just bring India here to you. It works only one way.
Q: But people have been doing yoga for centuries before Bikram yoga came along. It seemed to be working for people.
A: Up to a point. I used to teach 17 people in one day. Now 50 million people are doing Bikram around the globe. Could I do that? A horse can carry one. A 747 can carry 500 people. I created 6,000 yoga teachers all over the world.
If everyone does yoga, we have a better life. No drugs, no crime or alcohol.
In India, we have no Prozac, no crime. Why? We have the philosophy.
We know when to put on the brake. You build the best country in the world, the best science, art, sports and business. At the end of the day, you’re not happy. What good is that?
Q: Michael Moore told me he wants to get started in yoga. Can you help him?
A: (Choudhury smiles.) Oh yes. I like Michael Moore.
Q: You’ve created a lot of controversy by copyrighting your sequence of yoga moves.
A: Who cares?
Q: Do you think Bikram yoga is cheapened because it’s franchised?
A: Not at all. It’s more disciplined, people are more believing. My investment has been protected.
Q: How many Rolls-Royces do you have?
A: I don’t know. 35? I give every staff member of mine a car, something like a Jeep Cherokee. I have 17 vans.
Q: Are you generous?
A: You have to ask them! (He laughs.) I am more than generous. I take care of people like I am their own father and mother. That’s a key to my success.
I take care of people, and they take care of me.
That’s yoga.
Q: Can you demonstrate your favorite pose?
A: (He smiles and stands up.) I’m the best in the world (at triangle pose).
It’s the most difficult posture we do in the beginning sequence.
Q: Why do you call yoga teachers “clowns”?
A: Because they are clowns.
Circus clowns. They completely (expletive) up yoga. They crucified hatha yoga in America. There is no yoga called kundalini, power, vinyasa, dog yoga.
We follow 4,400 years of Patanjali’s “The Yoga Sutra.” There are eight kinds of yoga — karma, hatha, raja, vedanta, bhakti, mantra, jnana and laya. What the hell is vinyasa? And Iyengar school (which uses props) looks like a Santa Monica sex shop.
You don’t need those things to do yoga.
They make so many stupid things here (in America). I am teaching the exact same postures as my guru (Bishnu Ghosh) taught me.
Q: What if your guru was wrong?
A: Then the whole world is wrong. That’s an abstract question. What are they eating for breakfast on Jupiter? My guru’s way treats each part of the organ according to the problem — respiratory, circulatory, spinal or nervous system. The 26 postures use 500 organs and help whether you have a problem or not.
Why is it right? I prove it every single day of my life around the globe.
Q: Is it safe for everyone?
A: Most of the students in my classes are people who got injured in other classes.
Q: Can kids do Bikram yoga?
A: Why not? They might do 20 minutes, then come out. They should not do the standing postures.
With everyone doing yoga, we don’t need a Defense Department. All the money into guns. We are not civilized. We are a totally (expletive) up society.
Q: Any parting thoughts?
A: The body is a temple, the finest machine in the world. It’s so sensitive, but if you treat it nasty for too long, of course it will backfire.
Q: Namaste.
A: (He smiles.) Namaste.
