Is George Clooney really a Follower of Bikram Yoga?

From express inida

The Balancing Pose

VIDYA PRABHU

Posted: Jan 03, 2012

In the business of glamour, celebrities are ready to pay any price for fitness and a well-sculpted body. Some years ago, when popstar Beyonce Knowles was refused a private session by Bikram Choudhury, the founder of Bikram Yoga, she paid fees for an entire class of his and made her family and friends practise along with her. Such, they say, could be the draw of Choudhury and his brand of yoga, practised in a room with 40 degrees Celsius temperature.

Nearly four decades ago, Choudhury left India and life has come a full circle for him. The multimillionaire founder of Bikram Yoga was born and brought up in Kolkata, where he learned yoga under the tutelage of yogi Bishnu Ghosh. Today, the California-based yoga guru has returned to his country of birth to sell Bikram Yoga.

Choudhury, who recently opened his first centre in Mumbai, admits that he doesn’t know why it took so long to bring this discipline to his own country. “I guess the delay happened because I was busy with centres across the globe. By the end of 2012, I hope to set up 10 more centres in India, including Bangalore, Delhi and Chennai,” he says.

His yoga, comprising 26 hatha-yoga postures — practiced in an extremely hot room — has received both awe and criticism from yoga practitioners across the world. Particularly stinging is the perception of it being a glamourous, ‘sexed up’ variant of yoga.

In India too, health and fitness experts cast their doubts over the effectiveness of Bikram Yoga. Dr Aijaz Ashai, head of the Department of physiotherapy at Mumbai’s Saifee Hospital, points out that the high temperature can spell trouble for people with high blood pressure. “In a city like Mumbai, where stress levels run high, I am not sure how practising yoga in such heat can be helpful,” he says.

Rajvi Mehta, who has been teaching Iyengar yoga since 1979, notes that a person’s suitability for such a rigorous session depends on age, health status and flexibility.

Choudhury, on the other hand, brushes aside the flak. “I will make my detractors experience Bikram Yoga and then talk about it,” says the 65-year-old, who already has 8,000 Bikram Yoga centres in over 65 countries and counts celebs such as George Clooney, Lady Gaga, Robbie Williams and Kobe Bryant among his clients.

No wonder then, Choudhury has raked in a lot of money over the years; it’s his sturdy bank balance that fuels his next big passion after yoga: luxury and vintage cars. Choudhury has a garage filled with gleaming Bentleys and Rolls-Royces, including cars once owned by Queen Elizabeth and the Beatles. “There’s nothing wrong with material things as long as one doesn’t lie, cheat and steal. Besides, I bought the luxury cars as ‘wrecks’ and restored them. Through my unique brand of yoga, I do the same thing with the vehicle that is the human body,” he says.

fava wrote:I was wondering about the flexibility he showed in The American. could that come from doing yoga? I don't believe it about Bikram though-- I don't think you can do it at home and I can't see him going to a studio with a bunch of other folks.

Dexterdidit wrote: I just don't see George doing a downward dog.

Devotee has accused the guru to Madonna and Demi Moore of asking for sexual favours.

Sarah Baughn was wooed by Bikram Choudhury as part of a pattern of behaviour which included asking female followers for massages and sexual favour, the ex-student alleged in a lawsuit.

“My wife is such a bitch, you have no idea,” said Bikram Choudhury. “She is terrible to me. She is so mean. You have to save me.”

Baughn, a model for Lululemon yoga clothes and a yoga teacher has filed the suit at Los Angeles Superior Court.

Baughn, 29, said Choudhury, 67, pursued her for years and then sabotaged her Bikram career after she refused his advances.

Choudhury counts Madonna, George Clooney and Demi Moore among his followers.

Baughn, 29, said Choudhury screened his female students, choosing the most devoted “to brush his hair and massage his body.”

Baughn said she was inspired by the classes — held in rooms heated to 100 degrees — since 2005 and enrolled in teacher-training seminar in LA.

“I know you from a past life. We have a connection. It is amazing. Should we make this a relationship?” Choudhury allegedly told her.

Baughn’s suit alleges, he pushed the star student “down toward the floor after pulling her arm and leg apart and opening her body” where he “pressed his body into hers and began whispering sexual things [until] she collapsed into sobs.”

Choudhury even “rigged the outcome” at a 2008 yoga competition so Baughn — considered a shoe-in for first place — came in second to a student who was sharing Choudhury’s hotel room, according to the lawsuit.

Choudhury, who was sued last year by another woman who said the guru routinely made sexually explicit and inappropriate remarks at teacher-training seminars, could not be reached for comment.

Katiedot wrote:I've just been reading the scandal about Bikram and again George's name comes up as an adherent of his yoga.  Has anyone ever come across any news about George doing bikram yoga?