Bikram Choudhury
A Man destined to be a Benefactor
Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury is the living proof that yoga goes far beyond an ascetic practice aiming for the union of body and mind. While this is true, Bikram has also given millions of practitionners the opportunity to rediscover their limits and live a better life, by offering them a yoga program destined for complete beginners.
Bikram's story illustrates the fact that yoga is a very efficient healing practice.
Bikram was 5 times Yoga champion of India, at the age of 11 for the first time. At 17 he was classified as an invalid by doctors after an accident of culturism. After 6 months of yoga practice intensely taught by his teacher and Guru Bishnu Ghosh, he was able to sit in the Lotus pose for hours.
His teacher and guru Bishnu Ghosh gave him the important mission to go and spread yoga around the world so every human living would one day be able to benefit from this centuries old practice from India.
He travelled to Japan, where he lived and taught yoga for several years. He was then invited by President Nixon himself to the US where he founded the "Bikram Yoga College of India" in Beverly Hills. Today nearly a thousand Bikram Yoga schools descend from this and the teacher trainings taught by Bikram each year.
Bikram is one of the most respected Hatha yoga teachers in the world.
The benefits of his teaching are very widely recognized around the world, and new schools are constantly opening. We can say without any hesitation that Bikram has honoured his mission.
Bikram Choudhury : important dates
1957 First time youngest yoga champion of India
1960 Was declared Yogiraj (King of Yogis)
1963 Fractured his both knees and healed them with the help of his teacher Bishnu Ghosh
1965 Created yoga schools in India and Japan
1969 Gave conferences in Tokyo supported by the UN
1973 Was invited by President Richard Nixon to the United States of America
1974 Created the "Bikram Yoga College of India" in California, where he still lives today
1983 Started teacher trainings in Beverly Hills
2002 Created the "Bishnu Ghosh Cup" in honor of Bishnu Ghosh's 100th anniversary. This cup is one of the international yoga championships happening each year
