From Bikram Boss To Leader Of Love

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Dec. 24, 2017 - PRLog -- Nicole Duke was a recent guest on The Yoga Moves You Podcast,  which can be found at www.yogamovesyou.org/podcast, took on the role of studio owner with passion and fierce tenacity.  She was six months out of her Bikram Yoga Teacher Training, and wanted to share what she believed to be an amazing practice.  In her hometown of Aptos California, she made her dream come true.  Bikram Yoga Aptos was born, and Nicole got to work!  She designed, built and supplied the space with everything from the best heat and fresh air system to the stylish decor almost immediately.

However, she was challenged by Bikrams very specific requirements for the layout of any studio that is in his empire.

Every Bikram Yoga  studio nationwide should be a minimum of  3000 s.f with a 1,500 s.f  yoga room, and provide everything from multiple showers to bright lights and mirrored walls.  He will only approve regular household carpet in the yoga room and has a long list of rules and regulations for his approved studios.  As Nicole embarked upon the journey to gain approval, some of the things seemed achievable, while others seemed illogical in a small beach town like Aptos.  places such as New York City or San Francisco!

He believes and preaches that his approved studios should literally all be constructed the same way, with no regard to location or population.

Almost as if these yoga studios nationwide (which are all individually owned, managed and operated) should be similar to visiting a McDonalds or a Starbucks, where your experience as a customer is nearly the same with each visit to each location.  Nothing too unique or different. She could only offer his 90 minute class with absolutely nothing else on the schedule. She spent years adhering to these standards.

As the years past and the strictness and rigidity of his methods became harder and harder to sell to the public, the studio began to sink.

Faced with exorbitant overhead costs as a direct result of the sheer magnitude of her space, she often times wondered what the future would hold for her. More and more money was having to be put into the business just to keep her doors open. She spent years not paying herself and struggling to pay the bills. It was hard times, very hard.

She began to feel the heat and intense pressure of Bikram and his personal opinions and  choices. As a passionate and very positive person,  Nicole always choose to see the good in people.  She believes that truly, we are all one.  The universe dwells inside of us.  She also know that there are times in our lives when you have to protect yourself from darkness. When an individual, relationship, experience or situation is so toxic that you must make a choice to protect yourself, your light and your world. Her loving community and world was beginning to realize who he is, asking questions about Bikram the man and how she could stand behind him? Nicole was asking herself the very same thing.

She had spent endless hours over my 10 years dedicating time at his twice yearly teacher trainings as she believed that this act of service was a vital piece of the success of the Bikram empire as a whole and that somehow if she continued to create and inspire passionate new teachers and students that certainly they would change the world! She also believed at the time that she could separate the yoga itself and its amazing benefits from the man himself. Nicole had held onto that feeling for nearly 5 years.

It was time to be honest with herself, family and community.

To be vulnerable and deeply honest is the Nicole whom most of her students had come to respect and admire. She also values forgiveness and humility.  Nicole prayed that Bikram would humbly apologize or ask for forgiveness.

It was during one of her last and final visits to his teacher training several years ago when the news of hundreds of his  accusers filing huge lawsuits and threatening to take down his empire that she believed somehow he would be different.

Perhaps more humble, gracious, or apologetic for his mistakes. Instead, she found him to be even more grossly egotistical, overtly sexual and demeaning. Nicole will never forget the sick feeling in her stomach when she began the drive back home that day. How could she continue to stand behind him? How could she in good conscious keep his name on her building?  How could she face her family and community with this dirty feeling inside? She was both ashamed and angry. It was that very day that she truly began thinking outside of the box she had been living in.  She had to make a really serious change.  It was time for a leap of faith. It was within weeks that Nicole launched her new program Hot Pilates and will never forget or stop being immensely grateful for the instant and dramatic results.

Within weeks the studio had a new life and wow was the energy palatable. Attendance skyrocketed and the finances of the studio took a huge turn for the better!  Hot Yoga Aptos was born.

With each passing month she found herself becoming more and more empowered by the feelings of freedom and independence. She was finally doing it her way and it felt so good. Nicole had taken a huge leap of faith and never once looked back.

To hear more about Nicole's story and her horrific experiences with Bikram, listen to her interview on The Yoga Moves You Podcast.