BikramYogaFromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopediaJumptonavigationJumptosearchBikramYogaBikramChoudhuryleadingaBikramyogaclassinUtkatasanaattheL.A.ConventionCenterin2003FounderBikramChoudhuryEstablished1970sPracticeemphasesUnchangingsequenceof26posturesinaheatedroomBikramYogaisasystemofhotyoga,atypeofyogaasexercise,devisedbyBikramChoudhury,thatbecamepopularintheearly1970s.[1]Classesconsistofafixedsequenceof26postures,practisedinaroomheatedto105 °F(41 °C)withahumidityof40%,intendedtoreplicatetheclimateofIndia.Theroomisfittedwithcarpetsandthewallsarecoveredinmirrors.Theinstructormayadjustthestudents'yogapostures.Choudhury'steachingstylewasabrasive.[2]BikramYogaspreadrapidlyacrossAmericaandtheWesternworld,reachingapeakofsome1,650studiosinatleast40countriesin2006.ChoudhuryattemptedtocopyrighttheBikramYogasequencefrom2011,butwasultimatelyunsuccessful.In2016,facinglawsuitsandaccusationsofsexualassault,ChoudhuryfledtoIndia,leavingBikramYoga,Inc.toberunbyothers.[3]Contents1Origins2Style3Growth4Healtheffects5Copyrightclaims6SexualabusebyChoudhury7ReferencesOrigins[edit]Furtherinformation:BikramChoudhuryBikramChoudhurywasborninCalcuttain1944.Hebeganstudyingyogain1969.[4]HearrivedinAmericain1971,andsoonbegantoteachyogainhealthresortsinCalifornia.[5]In1974,twopupils,ShirleyMacLaineandAnneMarieBennstrom,helpedhimtoopenhisownschoolat9441WilshireBoulevardinLosAngeles.[5]HeattractedcelebritypupilsincludingtheHollywooddancerMargeChampionandtheactorsKeirDullea,MartinSheen,SusanSarandon,andRaquelWelch.[5]Yogaclasseswereinitiallyfree,withadonationbox.MaclainetoldChoudhuryhecouldnotrunanAmericanyogaschoollikeoneinIndia,andhebegantocharge$5forclasses;attendancestartedtogrowatonce.[5]Choudhurylaterdevisedthe26-posturesequenceofBikramYoga,basedonthewritingsofB.C.Ghosh;hedidnotstudyunderGhoshfromanearlyageashehasclaimed.[4][6]Style[edit]Furtherinformation:PosturesofBikramYogaBikramYoga's26posturesincludesomesuchasDandayamana-Janushirsasananotwidelyusedinotherstyles.BikramYogaBeginningSeriesclasses