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51 reviews for:
Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Bikram Yoga
Benjamin Lorr
3.89 AVERAGE
51 reviews for:
Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Bikram Yoga
Benjamin Lorr
3.89 AVERAGE
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment
funny
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Benjamin Lorr is quickly becoming a favorite. Another winner.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This book mainly explores the world of Bikram yoga, a specific sequence and discipline of yoga. I had practiced Bikram yoga a few times probably around the time this book was first published and this book makes me glad I did not get any deeper into that specific brand of yoga. Based on his own experiences and discussions with other yoga students and teachers, Lorr gives an in-depth look into the world of Bikram yoga, including yoga competitions, something I had never heard of before, and I have practiced yoga over twenty years. This book does not paint a pretty picture of the man, Bikram, which is expected given more recent sexual harassment allegations. Bikram comes off as petty, hypocritical, insecure, a liar, and a harasser, including of a sexual nature. I would have liked the author to explore more of the sexual allegations, but those are largely absent from the book, minus a few instances, perhaps because the author lacked first hand knowledge of this, although he did speak with plenty of students and teachers. Nevertheless this is an interesting look at the world of yoga and, from the stories of the students, how yoga can be beneficial.
I had to read this book for yoga teacher training (non-Bikram). I was rather dreading having yet another dry book to read, but I actually found it very interesting and enjoyable. The book even inspired me to give Bikram yoga a try (it's great, but it won't replace my normal practice). My biggest complaint about the book is that there were a good deal of typos, but the writing itself was done very well.
More about commitment to ones chosen habit than about yoga itself.
Great book! I'm so excited about Yoga after reading this. But the Bakram (for whom this particular Yoga practice is named after) sounds like a disgusting, repulsive man who does nothing but discredit the discipline of yoga. At least the author was unbiased enough (most of the time) to write about his teacher honestly, and sometimes brutally.
Apart from the biographical info on Bakram the yoga itself was also covered well. The history (only a little of it - perfect) was covered just enough to interest me and not enough to send me into the usual boredom that has me skimming and skipping pages. The examples of how people have benefited from yoga were really interesting and inspiring.
I just loved following the author as he travelled through the often brutal (yes, I said brutal) world of yoga. This book gave me a totally new perspective on yoga and the competitiveness that goes on in the background (or right out in the open).
But it also got me intrigued about a system of exercise that's been around for centuries and it was great to learn just how much the human body is capable of when pushed to the absolute extreme. Amazing!
The author wrote this story so well. Sometimes I couldn't put the book down. And when I did I couldn't wait to pick it up again. I don't usually say that about non-fiction books.
Loved it!
Apart from the biographical info on Bakram the yoga itself was also covered well. The history (only a little of it - perfect) was covered just enough to interest me and not enough to send me into the usual boredom that has me skimming and skipping pages. The examples of how people have benefited from yoga were really interesting and inspiring.
I just loved following the author as he travelled through the often brutal (yes, I said brutal) world of yoga. This book gave me a totally new perspective on yoga and the competitiveness that goes on in the background (or right out in the open).
But it also got me intrigued about a system of exercise that's been around for centuries and it was great to learn just how much the human body is capable of when pushed to the absolute extreme. Amazing!
The author wrote this story so well. Sometimes I couldn't put the book down. And when I did I couldn't wait to pick it up again. I don't usually say that about non-fiction books.
Loved it!
dark
reflective
medium-paced
I eff heavy with this book. Such a nuanced, compassionate view of yoga and Bikram. Loved the writing style, love that the author never pretended to not have a personal stake in the topics at hand. Humongous slay.
dark
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced