A yoga lawsuit has left hundreds of city devotees in an awkward position.
Greg Gumucio, founder of the popular, budget-priced Yoga to the People chain, agreed to end his studio’s $8 “hot yoga” classes in a settlement of a $1 million lawsuit by his ex-mentor, Bikram Choudhury.
Gumucio’s classes were similar to those at Bikram studios — with the same series of 26 poses and two breathing exercises in a 105-degree room.Choudhury had filed suit last year in California alleging copyright infringements, and Gumucio launched a vigorous defense, saying that no one can legally claim ownership over thousands-year-old yoga posesGumucio recently settled the case by agreeing to end his current Bikram-like “hot yoga’’ sessions.
The Bikram classes typically charge $20 to $25.