Bikram Choudhury was the founder of the wildly popular hot yoga practice that many considered to cure ailments, detoxify bodies, and change lives. At the height in 2006, there were 1,650 studios in at least 40 countries, but by 2013, a series of allegations surfaced when one by one, women stepped forward with accusations that included sexual assault, rape, and abuse against the man revered as a guru. Listen now to hear about the rise and fall of the Bikram Yoga empire on Episode 52 of The Great Fail. Special guest Dave Emerson, Founder of Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga. And shoutout to our partners at Adweek and Acast. 

Episode Sources 

He made a fortune from his trademarked Bikram yoga, but now his empire is in tatters 

The incredible rise and fall of yogi-to-the-stars Bikram Choudhury 

‘He said he could do what he wanted’: the scandal that rocked Bikram yoga 

Bikram yoga’s moral dilemma 

Wikipedia: Bikram Choudhury 

New Netflix Documentary Shows Bikram’s Dark Side, So Why Are Yogis Still Doing It? 

Bikram is Back: The Unapologetic Tour 

The Horrifying Cult Origins of Bikram Yoga: Rape, Harassment and Lies 

The Overheated, Oversexed Cult of Bikram Choudhury 

Global Yoga Market Outlook 

Special Guest

Dave Emerson
Founder of Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga

Bikram Choudhury was founder of the wildly popular hot yoga practice that many considered to cure ailments, detoxify bodies, and change lives. At the height in 2006, there were 1,650 studios in at least 40 countries, but by 2013, a series of allegations surfaced when one by one, women stepped forward with accusations that included sexual assault, rape, and abuse against the man revered as a guru. Listen now to hear about the rise and fall of the Bikram Yoga empire on Episode 52 of The Great Fail. Special guest Dave Emerson, Founder of Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga. And shoutout to our partners at Adweek and Acast.