Thursday, February 27, 2014

Bikram Yoga founder sued for sex crimes

Editors, Wisdom Quarterly; Ben Newman and Karin Weinberg, Nightline (ABC News, "Women Suing Hot Yoga Guru for Alleged Sexual Assault Come Forward," Feb. 26, 2014)
PHOTO: Bikram Choudhury developed Bikrams Beginning Yoga Class, which requires participants to perform 26 poses over the course of 90 minutes in a room heated to 105 degrees, in the 1970s, and has since turned it into a wildly successful business model.
Multi-millionaire "Bikram Yoga" founder Bikram Choudhury accused of sexual assault

ABC Entertainment News|ABC Business News
  
Bikram is a business not a yoga.
The pioneer of "hot yoga" [his first customer being Pres. Richard Nixon] Mr. Bikram Choudhury is now under fire himself, defending his yoga empire against lawsuits brought by women claiming sexual misconduct.
 
In the last year, five women have filed civil lawsuits against Bikram, one of the richest, most successful yoga gurus in the world. All five of them accuse Bikram of sexually assaulting them. Four of the women accuse him of rape.

“He’s a sick man,” plaintiff Sarah Baughn told ABC News' "Nightline" correspondent David Wright. “I hope he gets some help.” 
 
Don't stare at Sofia Vergara
Baughn was the first alleged victim to speak up, recently telling her story to Vanity Fair magazine. Her appearance on "Nightline" along with two other women pursuing lawsuits against Bikram and his Yoga College of India in Los Angeles is the first time the alleged victims have detailed their claims on camera. 
 
Baughn, a former yoga champion, told "Nightline" she met Bikram in 2005 when she attended his teacher training course. The grueling nine-week course, which costs thousands of dollars, is led by Bikram and is the only way to become a Bikram Yoga teacher.
 
Try actual yoga at YogaWorks
Baughn, 20 at the time, said Bikram took an immediate interest in her.

“He told me there was a connection between the two of us that he had never felt before,” Baughn said, adding he claimed to have known her in a past life. More

No comments:

Post a Comment