Celebrity yogi and creator of the Bikram Yoga style, Bikram Choudry, has refused a request from Pop Superstar Madonna for private lessons.  Choudry offered to include Madonna in his regular classes, but would not see her on a one-to-one basis saying that if she wanted to be a student  “[she would] have to leave [her] ego behind.”

Choudry, who has a number of other high profile clients (George Clooney, Jim Carrey, and Jessica Simpson) stressed that none of them have objected to his methods, and does not intend to make exceptions. Yes Continue reading…

A yoga instructor who teaches at Yoga Workshop, a Boulder, Colorado yoga studio founded by Ashtanga Yoga teacher Richard Freeman, has been named in a lawsuit brought on by a former student who claims he was injured during an “unwanted adjustment.”

According to the lawsuit, the instructor’s “unsolicited physical manipulation” (which occurred in December of 2008) caused injuries that resulted in a permanent disability, reported the The Daily Camera. The lawsuit asserts that the studio should be held responsible for promoting teachers who alter clients’ yoga positions without permission — thus creating hazardous conditions.

Do you agree or disagree?

UPDATE: For more coverage check out ElephantJournal.com. Continue reading…

Our new Show and Tell feature allows you to submit your own photos for publication on this site. How cool is that? Since there has been so much good feedback on sharing home practice tips, I thought it would be great to see your home practice spaces and hear how you created them. Whether it’s a mat and an altar in the corner of your bedroom or a dedicated yoga room (lucky you!), show us your yoga room!

This illuminating and captivating book by psychologist Mariana Caplan explores the practice of discernment on the spiritual path.  Through interviewing thousands of spiritual teachers and practitioners Caplan has uncovered the common traps of modern spirituality and the methods to avoid them. This honest look at the challenges of the spiritual path encourages the reader to carefully examine their spiritual practice as well as their psyche. Continue reading…