Bikram Choudhury, the yoga guru who stirred controversy by copyrighting his "hot yoga" style, is known as much for his love of diamond-studded wrist watches and Hollywood clientele as for his supple poses.
Beverly Hills-based Choudhury, 62, founded Bikram Yoga, a series of yoga poses done in a heated room, more than four decades ago, and says his global franchise now reaches 50 million students worldwide.
He has upset yoga traditionalists by aggressively protecting the Bikram Yoga brand through lawsuits, trademarks and copyright. Critics have denounced his moves as selfish, but Choudhury is unfazed.
"When I'm in India I do things like an Indian, when I'm in Japan, I'm a samurai, and when in Hollywood I'm a playboy," he told Reuters in an interview.
Beefy and brash Choudhury, who started practicing yoga at the age of three, does not charge for his classes in India, but his classes in the United States go for around $20 per session.
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. You have to protect your intellectual property by making copyrights, trademarks and franchising, so I did," he said. "Whatever people think of me, it doesn't matter. Those who know me, they love me and the world will do anything for me."
Only teachers trained by him and who pay franchising fees can use the name and series of 26 poses in their studios. Many yoga instructors say that this runs counter to the basic principles of yoga, an ancient Indian practice uniting the mind, body and spirit.
YOU CAN SHARE THIS POST WITH OTHERS
No comments:
Post a Comment