Bikram yoga event no longer planned for Vancouver hotel

A Vancouver hotel where the controversial founder of a multimillion-dollar yoga empire was set to make his return to teaching later this month says the event is no longer on its schedule.

“Although as a matter of privacy, we do not comment on specific groups or guests with whom we do business, we can share that the event in question is not on our schedule,” Graeme Benn, general manager of the JW Marriott Parq, told Postmedia News in an email Wednesday.

When asked if the hotel had cancelled the event, representatives of JW Marriott Parq didn’t reply.

Born in India, Bikram Choudhury ascended to fame after opening his first yoga studio in Los Angeles, teaching 26 signature poses in hot rooms. He expanded to nine-week teacher certification courses, training thousands of instructors across North America.

Choudhury has been the subject of numerous sexual misconduct allegations and civil suits in the U.S., resulting in him filing for bankruptcy and having third parties organize events on his behalf.