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It was an evening in August of 1975 when friend Loretta Swit came to dinner. She was glowing, nearly bouncing up and down in excitement, about a yoga class that she was attending. She insisted that my husband Gene and I do the same.
At the time, I was in desperate need of rescue. My spine was literally disintegrating. I had had polio as a child—a “light” case. For years I believed myself to have gotten off scot free. Then, in my 20’s, I began to have problems. For ten more years, chiropractic care kept me in working order. But then, in my mid-30’s, the spine just started coming apart. Even chiropractic care seven days a week, including Sundays, could not halt what seemed to be my rapid descent into invalidism.
Hence, I was ready to try anything that might help. Loretta—who I now look upon as one of the angels of my life, and thank with all my heart—promised that my spine would be safe with Bikram Choudhury. The very next evening, I took my first class.
I was twenty-five pounds overweight at that time, and very uncomfortable in a leotard.
“Who we got is new today?” asked Bikram as class started.
Before I could raise a timid hand—or, better yet, hide behind another student—his eyes snapped, focusing on me.
“You!” He raised an accusing finger. “Look that junk body. Look that disgusting thing.”
Glancing around, seeing the benevolent smiles and understanding winks from other students, I realized that I was receiving a greeting that others had received before me.
”You,” he repeated. “You come to class every day for two months and I will give you new life.”
“Do you promise?” I asked.
“I promise,” he replied.
“Then I will be here.”
I kept my promise. And he kept his. Over the next months, my excess weight dissolved away, and my spine returned to wonderful health.
So it was that, when Bikram asked me to write his book for him, to commit one of his classes to print, putting it all down just the way he did it, I was happy to oblige. (And I put it down amusing Indian accent and all.) For he had, virtually, not so much saved my life, but, as he said, given me a new one.
I am proud of the book that I wrote for Bikram, in continuous print since 1978, now in its second edition, and having sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Because I know that, by successfully committing Bikram’s magic, and his amazing twenty-six poses, to paper, I have had a small part in giving new life and health to all who have seriously applied themselves to the riches contained within the book.
I believe in Bikram’s twenty-six poses with all my heart. Thirty-four years after that first class, the pact between Bikram and me continues in force. I do his yoga, and he keeps on giving me new life. His poses continue to keep my spine—indeed, my whole body—healthy and youthful.
I must admit that I do not do my yoga in the 105 degrees that Bikram currently recommends. Those extreme temperatures were not used when I was taking his classes back in 1975-1980. And, since I am doing yoga alone—and have to jumpstart my own self—I need to be able to look forward to yoga, rather than to find reasons to avoid it. So I chicken out at 80-85 degrees.
But, as Bikram always says, “Any Yoga that you do is good.”
As he further says, “Perfection is the very best that you can do today.”
Reviews and Comments
From Amazon.com. (Note: Over the last decades, there have been hundreds of similar reviews on Amazon.com. These are a few of the more recent reviews.) :
On November 4, 2009 Legal Lexie said:
“… I ended up giving (the first book that I bought ) to my best friend when she got excited about Bikram Yoga. Now I have bought the book for myself, a second time. It’s that good.”
On October 25, 2009 Deb wrote:
“I have been a Bikram Yoga fan for 20 years … … These postures will transform you, physically and psychologically – they are very powerful and I can’t recommend them enough.”
On September 11, 2009 Tracy Munson wrote:
“I bought this book a few years ago and have reread it many times. It’s funny to “read his accent” and to learn what we do wrong and how to do it correctly.”
On June 24, 2009 Darcy Katsel wrote:
“This book is fabulous if you are thinking about getting into yoga.”
On April 10, 2009 Jorge Lazaro Diaz wrote:
“(The book sounds) like its written by someone out of “Slumdog Millionaire” with the Indian accent coming through clearly. And Bikram is hilarious … (the commentary) had me cracking up. He must be a trip to have as an actual instructor. The tone and commentary are what make this book a great read. He shows you how to start a beginner yoga practice with step-by-step instructions, with simple photos of people doing the poses … He does stress that you do each pose as you can do it. This is no race or competition … Yoga has great physical benefits with interesting spiritual benefits as well. Consider making it a part of your lifestyle.”
On December 17, 2008 Gloria M. Mason wrote:
“ … a friend who was dealing with her father’s suicide … discovered Bikram’s Hatha Yoga and put us on to it. It was so helpful to her … … We are 59 and 63 and experiencing great rewards in just 6 weeks … it makes you feel so much better!”
On March 8, 2007 Judy Blank wrote:
“This is the best exercise/health book I have ever purchased.”
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