Photo Gallery

Bikram Choudhury, pictured here at his Bel Air home in 1999, built a yoga empire before being brought down by a series of sexual assault allegations. PHOTO BY DAVID STRICK

Bikram Choudhury, wearing his signature black Speedo, leads a class at his Beverly Hills studio in 1999. PHOTO BY DAVID STRICK

Bikram Choudhury with his wife Rajashree at their house in Beverly Hills in 2005. ALAMY PHOTO

Bikram Yoga Headquarters in Los Angeles. GETTY PHOTO

Bikram Choudhury assists actress Carol Lynley with the ‘Bow Pose’ at his Beverly Hills yoga studio in 1982. GETTY PHOTO

Bikram Choudhury used his fortune to amass a collection of expensive automobiles. PHOTO BY LAUREN GREENFIELD

An arched sign marks an alleyway entrance to Ghosh’s Yoga College, where Bikram Choudhury trained under his guru Bishnu Charan Ghosh. The college is the red building in the distance.

Photos on the wall of Ghosh’s Yoga College in Calcutta. Portrait of Bishnu Ghosh is bottom left. Portrait of Yogananda is top left.

A photo of Bikram Choudhury and Biswanath Ghosh, son of Bishnu Ghosh, hangs on the wall of Ghosh’s Yoga College in Calcutta.

A yoga poster hangs on the wall of a bookseller in Calcutta.

30 for 30 Podcasts producer Julia Lowrie Henderson in the Bagbazar neighborhood of Calcutta. Lowrie Henderson travelled to four countries during the twenty month reporting process for Bikram.

The door to 8 Mohendra Bose Lane, where Bikram Choudhury grew up in Calcutta.

The room at teacher training was held at a constant 105 degree temperature. PHOTO BY REBECCA GREENFIELD

In addition to preparing aspiring yogis to teach Bikram Yoga, teacher training was an opportunity for direct access to Bikram Choudhury himself. PHOTO BY REBECCA GREENFIELD

Bikram leading a class at a 2010 teacher training. PHOTO BY REBECCA GREENFIELD

Bikram Choudhury lecturing at teacher training in 2010. PHOTO BY REBECCA GREENFIELD

Students were not allowed to leave classes at teacher trainings except under the most extreme circumstances. PHOTO BY REBECCA GREENFIELD

Bikram yoga was designed to push students to their physical limits. PHOTO BY REBECCA GREENFIELD

Bikram Choudhury speaks at Riverside Church in New York City in 2010. GETTY PHOTO