HERE IS WHERE WE STAND
It’s easy to fall in love with things that make you feel good. But what happens when you find out that the person who crafted the thing you care so much about has acquired multiple accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault? Yes, we are talking about Bikram Choudhury. The man behind the Bikram sequence. You may have already listened to ESPN’s 30 FOR 30 podcast. Or perhaps you have read some things about him. Or you may be planning on watching the Netflix documentary debuting on November 20th highlighting him as a yogi, guru, and predator.
We want to share this yoga that we care about so much with you. We want to share it with you without bringing the baggage of Bikram Choudhury’s actions and reputation. We are grateful for the series that he brought to popularity, but we want to condemn his actions and distance ourselves from him.
It’s our goal to create a safe and positive studio for people to practice yoga. To keep our actions and words in line with our beliefs we are going to start calling Bikram yoga as 26+2, referring to the 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises that we do in each class. We aren’t changing anything about the class besides the name. We just want to keep separating from a flawed man with a great series of postures. Please know we have never been a franchise and we do not pay him or his establishment any money.
We believe that this yoga is a transformational tool with the ability to help change your life. This yoga can have a profound effect not only your physical health, but also on your mental health. As a student and studio owner I will share openly that this yoga helped me navigate the dark road of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. We, as teachers, bear witness to the healing that takes place in the hot room everyday. We believe in this yoga and we want to say out loud that we do not endorse the identity of the man behind it.
Come join us for a class at either of our two studios. We look forward to seeing you. We want you to be a part of a community that is safe, positive, inclusive and fun.
Thank you - Emily & HYCC teachers