Hot Yoga guru raped students in cult-like training

[SonOfTheGods]

The 67-year-old Indian yoga master is being sued by five different women in the California courts, alleging that he used his guru status to lure in victims and then "crush anyone who speaks against him".

Mr Choudhury's method of Bikram Yoga, practiced at 105F (41C) heat, has become wildly popular in Britain and the US and its celebrity devotees include Jennifer Aniston, Lady Gaga and David Beckham.

 

Yet court documents describe a cult-like atmosphere where the charismatic Mr Choudhury would tell young women training to be instructors they had been "touched by God" before forcing himself upon them.

He "used his status as a guru to identify and victimise the most vulnerable women from among his flock, grooming them, breaking down barriers, and ultimately assaulting them when they were at their most physically, emotionally, or financially vulnerable," according to court papers.

The lawsuits - which contains allegations of rape, sexual battery, fraud and false imprisonment - are also levelled against 25 unnamed members of Mr Choudhury's inner circle who allegedly knew of his behaviour "yet did nothing to prevent this from happening".

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Mr Choudhury has previously denied the charges but neither he nor his staff responded to a request for comment.

The Calcutta native founded the Bikram Yoga system in the early 1970s and is practiced by millions across the world, generating a fortune that Mr Choudhury has turned towards Rolexes and Rolls Royces.

 

Among his fleet of cars is a Royal Daimler he said once belonged to the Howard Hughes, the reclusive millionaire, and includes a toilet in the back seat.

But his yoga empire is now under siege in the Los Angeles courts, where four former students and his ex-legal advisor are pursuing him.

One woman, named only as Jane Doe 2 in court documents, said she enrolled in a $13,000, nine-week instructor training course taught by Mr Choudhury, where he insisted students wear "tight, skimpy clothing" and banned them from having green clothes.

Students were allegedly taught that Bikram Yoga could "cure cancer" and "enable practitioners to live to be 100 years old" and that Mr Choudhury "is on the same level as Jesus Christ or the Buddha".

 

Mr Choudhury allegedly singled out Jane Doe 2 among his students, telling her: "You will be greater than Mother Teresa, but you have to follow me."

On the night of November 18, 2010, Ms Doe alleges that the guru invited her to come to his room to discuss a job offer at his headquarters.

Moments before raping her, Mr Choudhury said: "I need to spiritually enlighten you. In order to do that, we need to become one," according to court documents.

Larissa Anderson, another of the plaintiffs, claimed she "found herself drawn into a cult and made a victim of gender violence".

Ms Anderson claims that Mr Choudhury sexually assaulted her on Halloween, 2011, and "subsequently retaliated against...her business as a result of refusing his advances".

The Bikram Yoga school is tightly-controlled and has filed lawsuits against yoga studios that it believes are copying its methods.

 

Ms Anderson alleges that after she resisted him, Mr Choudhury refused to endorse her studio or allow it be listed as an official Bikram Yoga practice, causing damage to her business.

In June, Minakshi Jafa-Bodden, Mr Choudhury's former legal advisor filed suit against him, saying he presided over "a hyper-sexualised, offensive and degrading environment for women".

She alleged he was ordered not to investigate claims that a student had been raped during one of the teacher-training courses.

During a separate investigation of alleged sexual assault by male trainers, Mr Choudhury allegedly told her "those boys didn't do nothing to that stupid girl".

Mr Choudhury released a statement in March in response to one of the first lawsuits, saying he was "disappointed by the false charges" but would not comment further.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10498946/Yoga-guru-Bikram-Choudhury-raped-students-in-cult-like-training.html

 

[BaguaKicksAss]

*gets the wax dollie out*

[RongzomFan]

GOd Damn it, not the Indian rape shit again.

 

I don't post all the stories of white people raping and gang raping.

[BaguaKicksAss]

Ones related to spiritual practices are sort of relevant, no matter the race/practice.

[BaguaKicksAss]

I put $5 on this thread lasting to page 2 before pit, any takers?

[RongzomFan]

No, I see the spiritual angle. Carry on.

[SonOfTheGods]

I put $5 on this thread lasting to page 2 before pit, any takers?

[BaguaKicksAss]

This brings up an interesting point though. My first Bagua teacher explained to me that who your teacher is is relevant in more ways than one, since part of them and their energy is passed along with the system you are learning as well. I have found this since then to be quite true. Though hot yoga might be so watered down by now from the originator's energy/karma/nasty energy from his ethics that it doesn't mater, not sure. If the path is around before a highly unethical teacher that might be different, but when they are the path creator, I have to wonder... (not saying hot yoga is a bad path, just talking about energetics more).

[gatito]

Yes, I've noticed that problem with made-up systems

 

Chuck Surface's poetic views on this make interesting reading as well

[Nungali]

BKA; I put $5 on this thread lasting to page 2 before pit, any takers?

 

 

 

Yep you know me .... I love to bet

Edited December 12, 2013 by Nungali

[Nungali]

"You will be greater than Mother Teresa."

 

WTF ???

 

Its the same old story .... Yoga guru so hung up on sex and power and domination ... Jimmi Swaggart driving down the highway tossing porno out the car as the police chase him.

 

" I am Jesus and if you really love Jesus then .... "

 

Curious; I have been a member of two 'sex-based mystery schools' and there was hardly any sex going on ... dang!

 

Next time I will join one that represses sex ... should be plenty of action there ! (and that is not a raspberry ! )

[BaguaKicksAss]

You were apparently just in the wrong sex based mystery schools . (I mean for that aspect I mean lol).

[soaring crane]

ugh... Bikram is also popular here in Germany, too, and I've sensed the cult aspect since day one. I absolutely cannot abide this kind of thing. It's a tragedy but I hope it has wide-ranging effects on the movement, opens a few eyes.

 

As an alternative: I spent the evening at a beautiful spa in Bamberg (Bambados), did some Bagua walking in a 45C° steam bath, sat in half lotus breathing the MCO and swallowing golden elixir in saunas at >90°C (along with mixed-sex groups - gorgeous young women, beer-bellied men, grandmas, grandpas, and all human forms in between, all naked and happy), Qigong walked around the cobblestone walking paths, swam in the ice cold natural pond, took foot baths, read a book in a salt room... cost me 14euro for the three hours including a nice alcohol-free wheat Bier and an order of home fries. I did soooo much more than anyone ever got from an over-expensive Bikram session, but people still flock to these 'gurus'.

 

Why???

 

The more popular and celebrity-oriented a system is, the more I'm turned off by it.

[BaguaKicksAss]

That's it, I'm starting a "hot Baguazhang" movement!

 

No followers though please and thank you, just people doing it on their own.

[BaguaKicksAss]

ugh... Bikram is also popular here in Germany, too, and I've sensed the cult aspect since day one. I absolutely cannot abide this kind of thing. It's a tragedy but I hope it has wide-ranging effects on the movement, opens a few eyes.

 

As an alternative: I spent the evening at a beautiful spa in Bamberg (Bambados), did some Bagua walking in a 45C° steam bath, sat in half lotus breathing the MCO and swallowing golden elixir in saunas at >90°C (along with mixed-sex groups - gorgeous young women, beer-bellied men, grandmas, grandpas, and all human forms in between, all naked and happy), Qigong walked around the cobblestone walking paths, swam in the ice cold natural pond, took foot baths, read a book in a salt room... cost me 14euro for the three hours including a nice alcohol-free wheat Bier and an order of home fries. I did soooo much more than anyone ever got from an over-expensive Bikram session, but people still flock to these 'gurus'.

 

Why???

 

The more popular and celebrity-oriented a system is, the more I'm turned off by it.

 

Sounds like an awesome place! And less expensive than some yoga centers here .

 

Here Bikram is really popular, because it appeals to the folks who want to lose weight. Well there is also the show off the yoga pants part of the scene here (said but painfully true).

[Brian]

It will be even more popular if you include hot baguettes, I think.

[BaguaKicksAss]

My post above reminded me of an aspect of teaching... it is odd, but people can and often do start to see the teacher as all knowing, supernatural, follow anything and everything they say and so forth. As soon as I uncomfortably noticed this, I started to encourage every student to work closely with their Deity and/or guides, intuition and so forth, so they have a wider perspective than myself, and can also tell if some stuff I teach them is for them or not. Blind following is not healthy IMO.

[BaguaKicksAss]

It will be even more popular if you include hot baguettes, I think.

 

That would scare away the weightloss crowd though, esp if brie is included.

 

Now I need lunch.

[soaring crane]

it is odd, but people can and often do start to see the teacher as all knowing, supernatural, follow anything and everything they say and so forth.

 

Absolutely. It's kind of creepy sometimes.

 

I'm generally the 'Hahn im Korb' - the rooster in the henhouse, meaning my groups, like most Qigong groups, are generally 80% female. And those females tend to see in me (an illusion) many things they wish they'd see in their husbands. Not saying anymore ...

[BaguaKicksAss]

Now you've made me feel all guilty for my friend and I talking about a couple of hot martial arts teachers lol.

 

I think anyone is hot who you don't have to live with and figure out finances with day in and day out, is the whole more "attractive than husband" sort of thing.

 

Though personally someone who loves their path that much, to dedicate their life to it enough to teach it, is attractive. Though not my own teachers thank you, that's kinda weird, the whole family/sifu/father thing going on there...

[Brian]

IME, sometimes it diminishes and sometimes it blossoms. In a similar vein, sometimes beauty is only skin deep and sometimes it glows from the inside (and sometimes both at once...)

 

Applies to men and women equally, I think.

[i am]

[Brian]

Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.

[i am]

 

In your eyes, does the 'gorgeous' quality diminish with age?

It's certainly a different kind of beauty.

 

I've finally hit an age where I feel I can appreciate beauties of all ages.

 

But it used to be that older women just looked like older women to me...not attractive. I'd have to get a bit older to appreciate another age level up. But I think I'm finally to an age where I can see it in young and old.

 

I definitely see more and more older women who were likely not considered "hot" in their youth, but because of who they are and how they've aged, they are hot now.

[BaguaKicksAss]

I think hot is more in energy, attitude and personality .