Rajashree Choudhury will lead a seminar in Bend in October.
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Yoga celebrity to lead Bikram seminar in Bend
By Breanna Hostbjor / The Bulletin
Published: September 20. 2008 4:00AM PSTFor practitioners of Bikram Yoga, Rajashree Choudhury, who will lead a yoga seminar in Bend on Oct. 4, is something of a celebrity.
Married to Bikram Choudhury, the founder of Bikram Yoga, she is considered a yoga master and has won the All-India Yoga Championship five times. She teaches occasional seminars around the world in addition to classes at Bikram’s Yoga College of India Headquarters in Los Angeles.
“It’s a big deal in the yoga community to have someone like Rajashree come here,” said Michael Harris, the director of Bikram’s Yoga College of India in Bend. “People are coming from all over the place.”
Newcomers to the practice need not be intimidated, however. “There’s lots of people who come to these seminars who’ve never done yoga before,” Harris said.
Bikram yoga takes place in a heated room, usually at 105 degrees with approximately 40 percent humidity. It sounds intense, but Harris says that it is only a few degrees warmer than a typical shower, which measures 102 degrees.
And unlike other yoga styles, such as Vinyasa, which emphasize flowing from posture to posture, Bikram is relatively static. Practitioners come into each pose and then stop. And it is accessible to anyone, no matter their physical condition.
The Rajashree Choudhury Bikram Yoga Seminar will work on developing focus, alignment and individual postures. Attendees should bring a yoga mat, towel and a spare set of clothes to wear after the class. The event will take place at The Riverhouse Convention Center, so expect temperatures to peak at approximately 90 degrees rather than the traditional 105.
In addition to a 90-minute class led by Choudhury, the seminar will include a lecture on yoga principles, a buffet lunch, a posture clinic and a guided meditation. Cost is $150 plus $25 for lunch.
To reserve a spot, visit Bikram’s Yoga College of India, 805 S.W. Industrial Way, Suite 7, Bend, www.bikramyogabend.com/rajashree, e-mail yoga@bikramyogabend.com or call 541-389-8599.
Breanna Hostbjor
can be reached at 541-383-0358 or bhostbjor@bendbulletin.com.
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