The ever-expanding business of Bikram

Bikram yoga is named after its founder, Bikram Choudhury, who grew up in India, practising yoga under his guru, Bishnu Ghosh.

Bikram's story is one of triumph over adversity. He was a promising athlete until his knee was smashed in a weightlifting accident. He was told he'd never walk again and doctors even talked of amputation.

Bikram sought help from his guru, who rehabilitated him using yoga postures and then instructed him to heal others himself. In order to help as many people as possible, Bikram developed a sequence using key postures that would benefit any person with any problem.

In 1973, he opened a school in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and initially did not charge for his classes until, he says in his autobiography, actress Shirley MacLaine advised him that if he did not charge, people would not respect him.

Today, Bikram yoga is big business, with 600 studios around the world. Twice a year Bikram also holds training sessions in exotic locations to teach the teachers. This training, sometimes called Bikram bootcamp, runs for nine weeks and costs $20,000.

Dunedin Bikram teacher Adrienne Roy - who's going to be a grandmother next month - completed the training in Las Vegas this year.

Along with 360 or so other trainees, she went to two classes a day, every day for the nine weeks.

"You get a feel for what beginners feel like," she says.

"It's bootcamp-style teacher training. There's no time to let loose - it's the most unusual experience."

Rumour has it, Lindsay Lohan has signed up for the teacher training to help get back on track after her recent troubles, and there's even talk of a reality television show.