scandal

In light of multiple lawsuits against Bikram Choudhury alleging sexual assault and rape – there are six, presently – the Bikram Yoga community is now left to figure out what next. This post is intended to open a discussion forum, to create a dialogue and to bring to light any questions, concerns and thoughts held [...]

A new lawsuit claims Bikram Choudhury repeatedly sexually assaulted, raped, and harassed a female yoga teacher over the course of several years. The suit, filed Friday, February 13, 2015, makes it the sixth formal complaint against Choudhury involving sexual abuse and/or rape. We just reported yesterday a judge ruled that Bikram would have to face almost [...]

An update on the rape allegations. Bikram Choudhury will face almost all of the rape and sexual violence claims brought against him by a former teacher trainee, a Los Angeles judge ruled earlier this month. The lawsuit, one of five Bikram is currently facing from five different women, was brought against Choudhury in 2013 by [...]

We’ve seen some depressing things happen in yoga in recent years regarding abuse of power, abuse of students  – mentally, emotionally, physically and sexually – and even rape charges brought against some very prominent teachers including Kausthaub Desikachar and Bikram Choudhury. But this horrifying story out of Australia about a yoga movement led by Swami [...]

Just over two years ago, well-known yoga teacher and spiritual leader Kausthub Desikachar (son of T.K.V. Desikachar,  grandson of Sri T. Krishnamacharya) was accused by several students of sexual, mental and emotional abuse. What unfolded afterwards was a spiral of sad details, new questions about the power play between teacher-student relationships and what would happen next. What we do [...]

Not too long ago, Kausthub Desikachar, son of T.K.V. Desikachar, grandson of Sri T. Krishnamacharya, was formally accused of abuse of power, sexual harassment and systematically intimidating five of his students, allegations which were backed by fellow practitioners as well as well-respected KYM teachers. An official announcement from the Krishnamacharya Healing and Yoga Foundation arrived via email September 22, [...]

By now we’ve all experienced our own range of reactions to Bikram Choudhury being accused of rape and sexual assault by several women. While some members of the yoga community have been moved to speak out, many more have resorted to staying silent (even though we’ve learned, for a grave a situation as this is, [...]

We’ve heard a lot about “yoga scandals” in the past several years: John Friend, Kausthub Desikachar, and most recently, Bikram Choudhury. Given that five separate lawsuits accusing Bikram of “rape, harassment, assault, discrimination and false imprisonment” have been filed, however, simply labeling it a “scandal” seems insultingly misleading. After all, we’re not talking about a prudish moral panic here: these are serious criminal charges.