Bikram practiced Yoga at least four to six hours everyday at Ghosh’s College of Physical Education in Calcutta. At the age of thirteen, he won the National India Yoga Championship.

He was undefeated for the following three years and retired as the undisputed All-India National Yoga Champion. At seventeen, an injury to his knee during a weight-lifting accident brought the prediction from leading European doctors that he would never walk again.

Refusing to believe this, he had himself carried back to Bishnu Ghosh’s school, because he knew that if anyone could help to heal his knee, it was his teacher. Six month’s later, his knee had totally recovered. Ghosh was a celebrated physical culturist and the first to scientifically document Yoga’s ability to cure physical ailments and heal the body.

Bikram was asked by Ghosh to start several Yoga schools in India. To teach the large numbers of students clamouring for a chance to learn from him, he developed his own series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises practiced in a room heated to a minimum of 41 degrees Celsius.

The schools were so successful that at Bishnu’s request, Bikram traveled to Japan and opened two more. He has since brought his curative methods of Yoga therapy around the world.