I have never practiced Bikram yoga. I've practiced hot yoga many times, but I have never taken a Bikram class. Personally, I'm not a fan. Now, I don't believe that bad yoga exists, but as far as I'm concerned, Bikram is only good yoga, not great yoga. Frankly, I'm a bit put off by Bikram.
Bikram Choudhury is a controversial guy. His Yoga College of India has been slammed by critics as has his seemingly luxurious lifestyle (it's been reported he has a fleet of Rolls-Royces as well as other flashy possessions). Choudhury has spent a fortune in legal fees franchising his studios and attempting to copyright the postures.
A few weeks ago, the International Yoga Asana Championship was held in Los Angeles. This event is organized by Bikram's Yoga College of India, and its existence only serves as further assurance that I won't be practicing Bikram yoga any time in the near future. To me yoga is not about being perfect or money or self-rightousness. Yet, that seems to be what yoga is about in Bikram's world.
Writer Meghan Daum wrote about the event in an article for the LA Times. Here's a few excerpts:
I know, I know. I've got some toxic chi running through me. I can feel, at this very moment, the mystical force of all you traditional yogis running to your computers to tell me I don't get it and how, furthermore, the Yoga Asana Championship, organized by the controversial Bikram's Yoga College of India (headquartered right here on La Cienega Boulevard), is a karmic travesty.
Yoga is all about pushing past your perceived limitations, opening yourself up to new possibilities and compassionately accepting the world around you. That's why competitive yoga is essential. As someone whose ananda (that means "eternal joy," for all you uninitiated plebes) is dependent on winning, even if it means stepping over the drenched, passed-out body of the person next to me, I see the third annual International Yoga Asana Championship as an important step toward world peace — and maybe even eventually an explosion in deodorant sales. Let's kick some self-realization ass.
As far as I'm concerned, Daum is only right about ONE thing - I'm running to my computer to write about how she doesn't get it. Bikram and his International Yoga Asana Championship is what I think about when people talk about "scary gurus." You know - the ones that lead you down their path claiming it's the righteous one rather than helping you go down yours.
As it turns out, a resident from my current home state of Massachusetts placed third in the New England regional contest. That's nice for her, but I can't help but be disgusted by this whole event. In my mind, yoga is not a sport. There shouldn't be points for form, style, etc. Yet, that's exactly what happens at this yoga competition:
Points are awarded for posture, flexibility, stability, gracefulness, etc. Contestants have three minutes to perform all their postures, and points are deducted for mistakes such as falls, hesitation, or lack of balance.
That's an excerpt from the local paper's coverage of the event. Funny, I didn't realize yoga was about competition, ego, and perfection. I don't remember reading anything about that in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. Guess I must have missed something.
I realize that over 16 million people practice Bikram yoga. I'm not here to judge Bikram Choudhury, but I will say this - I'm not going to support this view of yoga by attending a Bikram class or lining Choudhury's pockets with more money.
I'm going to stick with my imperfect yoga. You always have a choice. I choose to not be competitive; I choose humility; I choose imperfection; I choose yoga (rather than settle for good yoga, I choose great yoga).
Namaste!
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