Bikram Yoga was developed by Bikram Choudhury. He claims that his method is the only true hatha yoga practiced in the West. This claim is not accepted by many other schools. Bikram has designed a sequence of 26 yoga postures (or asana) and 2 breathing exercises that are performed in a heated room. The postures are vigorous and demand a lot from the students. The heated room, typically set around 95 - 105 degrees fahrenheit (35 - 40 degrees celsius) makes muscles more pliant and encourages sweating which acts as a purifier. The sweating also acts a ...
Bikram recently secured federal copyright registration under 17 U.S.C. Section 410 for his original work of authorship in his sequence of 26 postures (or asana) and 2 breathing exercises. Through registration of this work, the United States Copyright Office acknowledges Bikram's exclusive right to the distinct series of postures and breathing exercises comprising the sequence and Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class.
This development is controversial within the United States yoga community. Some practitioners object to the idea that Bikram c ...
