Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Choudhury (Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class) has been called the "Bill Gates of Yoga," but readers may detect a bit of P.T. Barnum in this "hot yoga" showman. Born in India, Choudhury has lived in Hollywood since the early 1970s, when he founded his Yoga College of India. His brash style and personal wealth have drawn fire from the media and American yogis. His somewhat militant, "no pain, no gain" rhetoric and franchised, one-size-fits-all approach may seem contrary to the principles of yoga; Bikram claims his system is the most authentic yoga taught in the U.S. The Bikram Yoga sequence consists of 26 postures, two breathing exercises and brief resting periods performed in a room heated above 100 degrees. This method, Choudhury claims, can cure everything from physical injuries and serious illnesses to troubled relationships and spiritual poverty. Some readers may be put off by frequent name-dropping of famous students (Shirley MacLaine) and those who have received miraculous cures (former President Nixon). (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Choudhury (Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class) is the founder of the Yoga College of India, which is based in Los Angeles and has more than 1200 studios nationwide. His trademarked style of Bikram yoga is known as "hot yoga" because it requires the room to be heated to 105 degrees "to forge bodies and minds of steel." His book is made up of three main parts: his autobiography, along with an explanation of Bikram yoga; the program's two breathing exercises and 26 poses, which are described in detail and demonstrated by the author in clear photographs; and the role yoga plays in bringing happiness and self-realization to people's lives. Choudhury feels his style of yoga is the only correct one and jokingly refers to other styles as "junk yoga." He claims one session of Bikram yoga infuses the body with energy for 16 days of health and can heal such afflictions as asthma, arthritis, and back pain--statements that are hardly substantiated and make Choudhury sound full of himself. Still, he is committed to his yoga program and gives us a humorous and irreverent view of Bikram yoga in the United States, with accessible instruction on its practice. Recommended to all libraries.--Dede Archer, Naples, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
