You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
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
I found part of this book really interesting and some of it really dull. I’m definitely never giving Bikram any of my money.
Starting in late 2011, I maintained a pretty regular Bikram practice for a little over a year, but after an out-of-state move and the harsh realization of how expensive it is to practice when you are not doing a work trade with your local studio, I haven’t been able to get back in the hot room on a regular basis since the Spring. I really enjoy the practice; the postures are difficult but not impossible and the heat adds an extra challenge.
After reading this book, I still have a respect for Bikram yoga but don’t know if I can say the same about Bikram the man. In the beginning of the book, you can almost excuse his outrageous narcissistic behavior because you get the impression that he is someone who is just so passionate about spreading his life-changing yoga that he can’t help but go overboard. But then you start reading about things like how he doesn’t even practice his own yoga, can’t stand to be out of the spotlight for more than a minute or have anyone in his inner circle be as successful as or more successful than he is, claims that Bikram yoga accounts for “98.5% of yoga in the world,” and doesn’t really seem to care about anyone but himself.
I was dumbfounded when I read about a student who was told at the very end of teacher training that he would not be allowed to graduate or teach, and that he would not be refunded his money.Bikram had discovered that this particular individual had taken yoga classes at a non-Bikram sanctioned studio and claimed he was barring this student from graduating as a punishment to the studio owner, even though the individual never had anything to do with this studio owner and never planned on teaching at that studio. And Bikram had known this since the very beginning of training but waited until the last night of training to inform the student.
This all leaves you wondering, “Why do people look up to him so much?” Of course, this may be explained by the fact that many people can attest to the powerful healing benefits of Bikram yoga, but when the author starts detailing the characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder and touches upon the relationships between charismatic leaders and their followers, this all starts to make more sense. The book does manage to make Bikram seem powerful and captivating and loving, as well as pathetic, lonely, and power hungry, all at the same time.
I also really enjoyed reading about Tony Sanchez toward the end of the book, Bikram's former right hand man here in America who was exiled from Bikram's world for various reasons. I won't go into here (Google him or read the book!), but his story provides another angle to the controversial and often contradictory Bikram experience.
Bikram himself aside, I enjoyed reading about the author’s relationship with yoga, his path from tired and fat guy stumbling into his first Bikram class to national competitor. He has a very down to earth way of writing and approaching the subject; he is a serious yogi, but the book is still accessible to those who are not involved in yoga or those not as dedicated to the practice.
I may have given this book 3 stars (“liked it” instead of “really liked it”) if I was not personally familiar with the practice, but I think Hell Bent provides an interesting and objective “peek behind the curtain” into the controversial world of Bikram yoga leaves you to make your own decisions about Bikram yoga and Bikram the person.
After reading this book, I still have a respect for Bikram yoga but don’t know if I can say the same about Bikram the man. In the beginning of the book, you can almost excuse his outrageous narcissistic behavior because you get the impression that he is someone who is just so passionate about spreading his life-changing yoga that he can’t help but go overboard. But then you start reading about things like how he doesn’t even practice his own yoga, can’t stand to be out of the spotlight for more than a minute or have anyone in his inner circle be as successful as or more successful than he is, claims that Bikram yoga accounts for “98.5% of yoga in the world,” and doesn’t really seem to care about anyone but himself.
I was dumbfounded when I read about a student who was told at the very end of teacher training that he would not be allowed to graduate or teach, and that he would not be refunded his money.Bikram had discovered that this particular individual had taken yoga classes at a non-Bikram sanctioned studio and claimed he was barring this student from graduating as a punishment to the studio owner, even though the individual never had anything to do with this studio owner and never planned on teaching at that studio. And Bikram had known this since the very beginning of training but waited until the last night of training to inform the student.
This all leaves you wondering, “Why do people look up to him so much?” Of course, this may be explained by the fact that many people can attest to the powerful healing benefits of Bikram yoga, but when the author starts detailing the characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder and touches upon the relationships between charismatic leaders and their followers, this all starts to make more sense. The book does manage to make Bikram seem powerful and captivating and loving, as well as pathetic, lonely, and power hungry, all at the same time.
I also really enjoyed reading about Tony Sanchez toward the end of the book, Bikram's former right hand man here in America who was exiled from Bikram's world for various reasons. I won't go into here (Google him or read the book!), but his story provides another angle to the controversial and often contradictory Bikram experience.
Bikram himself aside, I enjoyed reading about the author’s relationship with yoga, his path from tired and fat guy stumbling into his first Bikram class to national competitor. He has a very down to earth way of writing and approaching the subject; he is a serious yogi, but the book is still accessible to those who are not involved in yoga or those not as dedicated to the practice.
I may have given this book 3 stars (“liked it” instead of “really liked it”) if I was not personally familiar with the practice, but I think Hell Bent provides an interesting and objective “peek behind the curtain” into the controversial world of Bikram yoga leaves you to make your own decisions about Bikram yoga and Bikram the person.
A super interesting look into Bikram Yoga. Recommend for all true crime fans and anyone who loves drama/reality shows. I couldn't put this book down.
My SIL recommended this book and I'm glad she did. Of note: 1. I have never taken a Bikram class; and 2. I never plan to, but this book was so fascinating - I stayed up late to finish it. At a fast pace, it easily uncovers and researches the mystery behind Bikram and his power - and the people drawn to the power and are either repelled or attracted by its magnetism.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It manages to straddle (ha,ha) the difficult divide between being a Bikram yoga convert who practices at the altar of hot yoga and a sceptical journalist who honestly relays his experience of the culture, both good and bad. I can imagine that writing this book must have cost the author many friends in the yoga community that he describes.
This is a yoga world that I am unfamiliar with - but, one that was described with compassion and honesty. It is a place of punishing physical experience and mental torture. As the author himself mentions, I found it difficult to hold my judgement of this way of life as "yogic". It simply did not conform with many of my expectations - and yet, I read with hunger and fascination. An odd, interesting look into the world of competitive yoga and the people that live within it.
This is a yoga world that I am unfamiliar with - but, one that was described with compassion and honesty. It is a place of punishing physical experience and mental torture. As the author himself mentions, I found it difficult to hold my judgement of this way of life as "yogic". It simply did not conform with many of my expectations - and yet, I read with hunger and fascination. An odd, interesting look into the world of competitive yoga and the people that live within it.
This book was fascinating. I've practiced bikram yoga before (only briefly) and I liked the way I felt after class but was turned off by the rigidity of the practice.
After reading this book I feel even more solid in my skepticism of bikram yoga and would be hesitant to try it again after learning more about the crazy, narcissistic founder.
It was also really interesting to learn more about the competitive side of yoga.
But, I'd like to discuss this book with a yoga friend, lover of bikram, or bikram teacher to get their take on it. I
After reading this book I feel even more solid in my skepticism of bikram yoga and would be hesitant to try it again after learning more about the crazy, narcissistic founder.
It was also really interesting to learn more about the competitive side of yoga.
But, I'd like to discuss this book with a yoga friend, lover of bikram, or bikram teacher to get their take on it. I
I have taken a few Bikram classes but never got into being yelled at to 'lock my knees' and the swearing by the teacher was just not what I thought of as yoga. I have been a very serious Ashtanga student and am a certified yoga teacher so I was interested to understand more about the draw of Bikram yoga - and of course to read some gossip...what I didn't expect from this book was how well written it was and some astute insights by the author. What Lorr managed to do was paint a detailed portrait of the method and the man. I loved it.
Loved this book. Being an avid hot yoga practitioner I was really interested in what this book had to say. I used to practice and Bikram and the book reminded me of all the reasons I no longer practice there. We'll written, informative I just loved reading this
I love bikram yoga, and I think I have the same sort of torturous, addictive relationship with it as the author. That's why I wanted to read this book.
However, Benjamin Lorr tries to straddle two worlds — his personal relationship to yoga and his journey, and the historical/psychological nature of the yoga. This meant the book felt disjointed at times, delving deep into old Hindu texts in one section, and at the next, telling a more relatable story of his friend doing a 30-day challenge. I much rather would've heard more about the Backbending Club and preping for competition than an analysis of the yoga tradition. But that's just me.
Lorr's research is clear, and I thought his notes on Bikram were interesting. I'm not sure, though, that if you just read this book and didn't try a practice, you'd understand why people become obsessed with bikram yoga.
However, Benjamin Lorr tries to straddle two worlds — his personal relationship to yoga and his journey, and the historical/psychological nature of the yoga. This meant the book felt disjointed at times, delving deep into old Hindu texts in one section, and at the next, telling a more relatable story of his friend doing a 30-day challenge. I much rather would've heard more about the Backbending Club and preping for competition than an analysis of the yoga tradition. But that's just me.
Lorr's research is clear, and I thought his notes on Bikram were interesting. I'm not sure, though, that if you just read this book and didn't try a practice, you'd understand why people become obsessed with bikram yoga.
As an on-and-off hot Yogi with real concerns about the man Bikram, this book was just what I needed. It wove together the first-person experience of this particular yoga practice with interviews and research. I learned about the history of yoga, charasmatic narcissists, and the placebo effect while also getting a peak into the inner circle of Bikram yoga as it operated just a few years before his downfall. I would really appreciate a follow-up book that makes explicit Bikram's crimes and checks in with how the yoga has evolved in the aftermath.