I love my yoga. Bikram to be exact. It's been 31/2 years since I discovered the benefits. As I've posted earlier, yoga has kept me out of the operating room, away from physical therapy, and off the toxic drugs that western medicine has developed to treat the symptom, not the cause.
That being said, I am increasingly disillusioned with the brand "bikram" as developed by the person Bikram. I can pinpoint exactly when my disciple-hood started to falter. I took class from the Boss himself at headquarters this fall. One tenant of yoga is to make sure to take class from your master at least once. I knew we were moving away from Los Angeles and I made it a priority to attend.
What a shitty class. Packed in like cattle for the slaughter, belittled for our shortcomings, (women) told to fuck our husbands more often if we wanted good lives, inconsistent dialog and timing of the standard poses, and the unrelenting fear that the master himself would find fault with anything going down on your own personal mat. I paid twenty dollars to sweat through ninety minutes of a miserable human proclaiming his godliness over a room full of star-struck drones.
I now understand a bit better the controversy within the yoga community surrounding Bikram. His offensive comments, narcissism and aura of entitlement overshadowed the good personality traits that must have initiated the fame and devotion that he now takes for granted. I sympathize with those studios trying to teach this hatha series outside his realm of tight control. I am now more likely to support those unauthorized "hot yoga" studios and this was all inspired by only one ninety minute class with Bikram at his unwelcoming, nondescript "world headquarters." Blech.
Anyway, I came away from that class with a bigger appreciation for my beloved local teachers. They took the good from Bikram's teachings and made it even better with their willingness to share the healing benefits of a series while leaving their egos at the door.
So to my dearly missed instructors from Bikram La Canada, Bikram Pasadena and Bikram El Cajon:
Thank you Rose for teaching my first class and inspiring me to come back the next day, scared and sore and lonely.
Thank you Hobie for teaching my second class and having the experience to step away from dialog to inspire a struggling new yogi.
Thank you Jeff for being tough enough to force me to be good to myself before your class.
Thank you Shannon for having to courage to step in front of your peers and learn to lead.
Thank you Carolyn and Nancy for making class a joyful experience.
Thank you Bernadette for inspiring me to be healthy and beautiful even in my fourth decade.
Thank you Ken for sharing your life's ups and downs with us during savasana. I miss the updates!
Thank you Ziggy and Dave for being funny, funny, funny, and oh so tough when I least expected it. You haven't lived until you can say you've laughed your way through half moon and come away uninjured...
Even as my respect for Bikram dwindles, I love you all for your dedication to your students and the series.
I'm scared as hell to step into a new studio here in NY and I hate practicing in the morning, but tomorrow I will head back to Bikram (the class, not the man) at 9:30 am and hope for the best. Wish me luck, I look forward to meeting the next inspiring teacher while desperately missing all my old favorites.
