Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Bikram Yoga

Lorr, B.

ISBN 10: 1408836394 / ISBN 13: 9781408836392

Published by Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012

About this Item

This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has soft covers. In good all round condition. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,600grams, ISBN:9781408836392.

Seller Inventory # 9214374

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Bikram Yoga
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1408836394
• ISBN 13: 9781408836392
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Good
• Weight: 600 grams
• Seller catalogs:
  • Sports & Outdoor Recreation

About this title

Synopsis

Hell-Bent explores the fascinating, often surreal world of Bikram Yoga, a style taught to millions by a very living guru, Bikram Choudhury. Bikram Yoga is distinguished from more 'conventional' forms by the extreme heat it is practised in, an overt, almost masochistic focus on pain, and the rabid materialism of its founder. It is also distinguished by impressive results - sport stars such as David Beckham and Andy Murray swear by it, while body-conscious supermodels rave about its benefits, and even Prince Harry is rumoured to be a fan.

Benjamin Lorr walked into his first yoga studio on a whim, overweight and curious, and quickly found the yoga reinventing his life. He was content to slim down and tone up until a run-in with a competitive yoga champion convinced him to take his practice to the next level: to train for the national championship.

So begins a journey into the strange, amazing world of competitive yoga. Populated by athletic prodigies, wide-eyed celebrities, medical miracles, and predatory hucksters, Hell-Bent follows Lorr as he grapples with his new obsession: researching the health claims and history, humanising its maniacal guru, and eventually stepping on stage at the National Asana Championship to compete for glory.

The culmination of two years of research, featuring hundreds of interviews with yogis, scientists, doctors and scholars, Hell-Bent is a wild exploration. A look at the science behind a controversial practice, a story of greed and corruption, and a mind-bending tale of personal transformation, it is a book that will not only challenge your conception of yoga, but change the way you view the fragile, inspirational potential of the human body.

About the Author

Benjamin Lorr graduated from Columbia University with a degree in creative writing. He is certified to teach Bikram Yoga and lives in New York.