Yogi Bahjan Documentary

[Cybersparkle]

Wow, this must be a sign for me. Just yesterday, I ordered a kundalini video finally feeling ready to get back on the wagon. It's been years since I ordered a kundalini video. Today, stumbled upon this youtube documentary

https://youtu.be/nfr5jKauwtE

And I just have to stop a minute and think before proceeding. I really dont believe in coincidences - there's gotta be a message somehwhere in this.

If anyone looks at this and realizes they have been harmed in anyway (physically, spiritually, financially, etc), perhaps this can be a step towards healing. I have never been deeply effected by a cult (tho I feel I have dodged several), so I cant speak from experience on how to get out . I googled 'organizations that help you leave a cult" and this is the link to the pages that come up. I know there are several vfers that are professional therapists, psychiatrists, doctors that may have referrals & advice that can chime in.

So, do I continue to do Kundalini? In some of the comments, several people from India also said that Yogi Bahjan made up kundalini and I remember hearing that before. It brings me peace of mind & helps in so many ways. For sure, I will not finance anything else & absolutely not join anything. But not sure I am ready to give up already purchased videos & kundalini practiced independently, on my own in my living room. But I dont know my heart is already kinda sinking & I keep thinking of all the hurt & pain caused. I choose to stand by the women & families hurt and I believe them.

Well my jumping back on the workout wagon of health has just been glitched. Not sure what I will do but I am sure that others need to know about this so they can make a choice for themselves and to get help especially if they have been harmed in any way.

Hope everyone is well, I dont post much but felt this was important.
Take care all & stay safe.

[amoodygirl]

I don't believe in coincidences. With that said, you have to do what you feel is good and healthy for yourself.

Back in the 70s, when I was a senior in high school, the Unification Church was growing, also known as the Moonies. Two kids, brother and sister, were very involved in this cult and actively trying to recruit. I told them, sorry, not interested, good luck. I always wonder what happened to them. That was my only encounter with any kind of cult, thankfully.

Thank you for the info - this looks to be a good documentary and I'll watch it!

[Cybersparkle]

Originally Posted by amoodygirl

I don't believe in coincidences. With that said, you have to do what you feel is good and healthy for yourself.

Back in the 70s, when I was a senior in high school, the Unification Church was growing, also known as the Moonies. Two kids, brother and sister, were very involved in this cult and actively trying to recruit. I told them, sorry, not interested, good luck. I always wonder what happened to them. That was my only encounter with any kind of cult, thankfully.

Thank you for the info - this looks to be a good documentary and I'll watch it!

You are so right, no coincidences. Thank you, I needed that. Been thinking about this all evening & I cant bring myself to do it. Did a little more research, found a pod cast called "Uncomfortable Conversations Podcast The Untold Stories of the 3HO Kundalini Yoga Community GuruNischan Khalsa" - just listening to the intro helped me make up my mind. whoa

For several years now, I have had a workout idea in my mind that I just couldnt take action on. I have done so many instructor led workouts over the years starting with the Firm in the 90's - I know proper form & what to do. Why dont I just turn on some music and move intuitively with all my video knowledge and how well I know myself? At this stage of the game, do I really need an instructor every single time? I am going thru major transformations in life for the good but it is difficult. I feel it is empowering and time for me to really, really tap within to my own soul with my workouts. Do whatever my body needs not tied to any instructor, method or phiosophy. Many reasons I fell off but perhaps needing to acknowledge this is more important than I thought. Life after 2020, man so many changes! - just gotta be here & open for it - whew

[SFR]

I need to be quiet so I googled an article instead of watching the video:

https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/yogi-bhajan/

That was a rough but fascinating read.

I think a lot about separating the art from the artist. I find it very hard to do. It's a little easier with books/movies/music than with exercise. We have to trust our fitness instructors so that we don't get physically hurt. I want to like them to be inspired.

You'd be following instructors that were most likely far removed from this guy but I agree that I wouldn't be able to do it either.

It sounds like you have a good plan!

[Cybersparkle]

Originally Posted by SFR

I need to be quiet so I googled an article instead of watching the video:

https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/yogi-bhajan/

That was a rough but fascinating read.

I think a lot about separating the art from the artist. I find it very hard to do. It's a little easier with books/movies/music than with exercise. We have to trust our fitness instructors so that we don't get physically hurt. I want to like them to be inspired.

You'd be following instructors that were most likely far removed from this guy but I agree that I wouldn't be able to do it either.

It sounds like you have a good plan!

I will try! A big part of it too is that, like, he made it all up. If it does not all die out, seems like to me a complete overhaul of the practice would be needed. Was it 100% made up? If not, what was honest & what needs to be kept & what needs to be discarded? How can credit & respect be given to the Indian Yogic tradition & people it came from? Like there needs to be a big conference (or several) of healing & truth & reconciliation committee or something. Just a lot needs to be resolved before people use this whole heartedly again. I also realize, thank goodness, most KY teachers are truly good hearted kind people, that were also victims & taken advantage of. I havent thrown my dvds away yet, but def hitting the pause button for now.

[SFR]

There's an instructor I have a lot of DVDs from that I haven't been able to do because of behavior I don't approve of. I've been holding on to them to see if my feelings change.

What if we found out that Joseph Pilates was a really, really bad guy. Would people have a problem doing Pilates? Or has it taken on a life of its own?

I like your idea of an examination and resolution that condemns his behavior and moves forward. In the article they mention some studios taking his picture and sayings down from the walls but staying open.

This might be worth a read at some point:

"From Maharaj to Mahan Tantric: The Construction of Yogi Bhajan’s Kundalini Yoga"

"Without the lineage that he claimed and without creating Kundalini Yoga out of whole cloth, Yogi Bhajan is best thought of as neither a lineage holder nor inventor, but a bricoleur who brought together elements of different practices and presented them to his students as a distinct entity with a romantic mythology surrounding it."

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6r63q6qn

[Izzy]

I have a friend whose older brother got caught up in a cult. It was awful. The young man who came home was a shell of himself. His father and some of the father's friends had to literally rescue him back from the cult. The brother/son apparently got involved in the cult because he was very much into yoga/spiritualism. He had no idea what happened to him or even how. The young man went through years of therapy and came out ok. Unfortunately, this affected the family so much his parents got divorced (a lot of blaming) and his younger brother had a lot of emotional issues from this ordeal because for years the family was focused on the one son and getting him better. It was sad all the way around.

[Pat58]

I didn't follow the whole hoopla, but after reading some things on Ravi and Ana's Facebook group page I lost my taste for Kundalini. I loved my Raviana DVDs, got a lot of benefit, and enjoyed meeting them several times. Also love my Nirvair DVDs. Reading some of the comments when "all that" hit the airwaves was a turn off. Maybe I was already getting burned out on KY at the point of reading those posts, but I've lost the urge to turn to my Raviana and Nirvair routines since then.

Hopefully I'll get the desire to revisit them again. I really had been enjoying benefits from it and love their energy and Raviana's music.