Laju Choudhury’s Journey With Bikram Yoga

From downward dog in her childhood bedroom to becoming a lead yoga instructor, yoga has been Laju Choudhury’s faithful companion since birth, blossoming into an inseparable and defining aspect of her life.

Choudhury and her brother spent many hours in her parents’ studio practicing poses as children, becoming inspired by watching the classes and its effect on students.

“Watching (my parents) change somebody else’s day and see how gratifying it was for them to make somebody happy mentally or feel good physically — that inspired me to get into this as well,” Choudhury said.

From there, Choudhury set off to become a second-generation yoga instructor for her parents’ practice, Bikram Yoga, a 26-yoga posture sequence developed by her father, Bikram Choudhury,

In Bikram Yoga, which is far from a walk in the park, Choudhury reassures that the benefits greatly outweigh the soreness. Laju Choudhury’s classes, specifically, offer a robust challenge, particularly for those who have yet to start their yoga journey. The methodology behind Bikram Yoga is rooted in discipline and methodical progression, she highlights the exceptional aspect of grasping the unfolding concept quickly, sparing the need to constantly look to the instructor for guidance. This self-awareness streamlines the establishment of that vital mind-body connection.

“Bikram Yoga is very disciplined (and) methodical. What’s special about it is you know what’s happening, so you don’t have to use you don’t have to learn from the teacher what the system is, you already know it so it’s easier to establish that mind-body connection,” Choudhury said. “Nobody’s happy to be in class, it’s hell, especially Bikram Yoga. You feel good after the class the next day, you know that you’re going to have a hard time (and) some classes are going to be a struggle. You’re going to be out of breath. You might get dizzy, but (the next) morning when (you) wake up, (you’ll) feel better than (you) did yesterday, and that will accumulate (over time).”

“It’s never too late to start (practicing yoga). You’re never too old, you’re never too sick, you’re never too bad. You can start any time to change your life,” Choudhury said. “You have a lifetime to do these postures and practices, yoga is about trying it the right way. Trying, attempting, making an effort into the posture, and making an effort into your life. It’s not about doing it, it’s about the gratification you get from when you have a breakthrough in the class in the posture, even if it’s just a little bit.”