Remember hearing whispered stories about Emmy Cleaves, the legendary teacher who somehow became the only person who could tell Bikram Choudhury what to do? The woman who took over his advanced practice? Here's the story that will revolutionize how you understand your lineage.

Jim Kallett reveals the epic journey: Emmy had healed herself from a brain tumor using Yoga when she saw a flyer for Bikram's demonstration in a Los Angeles park in 1973. Impressed by what she witnessed, she was shocked when he jumped off the stage, handed her his card, and said, "I'll see you in my class tomorrow."

But their relationship started with constant fighting. "This isn't Yoga!" she'd argue about his method. "This isn't what I learned!" His response? "This is Yoga. What you learned was not." The arguments escalated until Emmy made a decision that would change Yoga history.

"I'm going to India. I'm going to find out. I'm going to visit all the great Yoga teachers, all the great ashrams." For six months, she studied with every master—from Iyengar to Pattabhi Jois to Ananda. She went everywhere, seeking the "real" Yoga she thought Bikram was corrupting.

Then came the postcard that changed everything: "I've been to all these ashrams, all these great teachers. I'm coming home—the best yogi is right where I am at home."

For the next 50 years, Emmy became an incredible force—the only person Bikram would listen to, taking over his advanced practice, conducting research on the brain and nervous system, understanding exactly how this Yoga works. "She took no prisoners, was tough but compassionate, incredibly strong."

Her Yoga Is Life Radio interview? Jim simply "got out of the way and let her talk" about how the Yoga works on the brain. "Most people said that was the best show of all."

Ready to hear from the legend herself? 👉 Yogaisliferadio.com