By now many of you have seen the CNN report on Dahn Yoga and the lawsuit against them. If these accusations are true then this is profoundly disturbing. Accusations: working people to exhaustion, sexual exploitation and asking adherents to take out huge loans and turn the money over to Ilchi Lee. I have always had less confidence in Yoga teachers who seem more interested in profit than in spirituality. Let’s face it -they exist. Discuss.
I don’t own a television so I have not seen the report in question. However the exploits, allegations, and implications of this particular business are not new. It has been discussed quite a bit over the last few years.
I find that concerning myself with the ethics of others merely distracts from what I am supposed to be focused on - my own direction, path, ethics, teaching, and practice. So I’m not getting too wrapped up in who’s doing what with “yoga”. I simply make yoga available to those who want it and do so with as much respect as possible.
gordon
[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;26701]I don’t own a television so I have not seen the report in question. However the exploits, allegations, and implications of this particular business are not new. It has been discussed quite a bit over the last few years.
I find that concerning myself with the ethics of others merely distracts from what I am supposed to be focused on - my own direction, path, ethics, teaching, and practice. So I’m not getting too wrapped up in who’s doing what with “yoga”. I simply make yoga available to those who want it and do so with as much respect as possible.
gordon[/QUOTE]
I’d not heard this. I remember looking into them and deciding they were very pricey.
Exploitation like this happens all the time and it is not limited to just yoga. As my mother used to say to us there will always be one bad apple in the box…
(haven’t seen the report either in Africa.)
Here you go…
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/05/yoga.lawsuit.lee/index.html?iref=allsearch
Whether they use Christianity, Islam, politics, or yoga - anyone who professes to be a ‘guru’ or ‘prophet’ should be avoided like the plague. These are power mad individuals who prey on unfortunates unable to weave an exosystem of their own and are easily caught in their webs. Why is it always predominantly women???
Nothing new. It will continue to happen, as it has for millenia, until people become truly enlightened.
Yoga ethics merits discussion. Dahn Yoga decided to put together its own version of the story at dahn yoga voice dot com if you are interested in more information. There are several legal and financial documents available for viewing, in addition to the usual member and staff testimonials.
Penned by Karl Rove, no doubt.
I’ve wandered into a few of these places just to see if the vibe matched the reputation, and sadly it did. Dahn yoga seems to have taken a page from the high pressure health clubs selling memberships and those ubiquitous pyramid schemes…its a shame they even attach the name yoga to what they are doing.
Kiran,
I believe it goes deeper than that. There are many usurpers out there that will use whatever opportunity to facilitate their indulgences. Throughout history, men (and some women) have hijacked spiritual communities to their own ends. Yoga communities and practitioners included.
Jonestown, the Moonies, and even Bikram with his mansions and rolls royces and rolexes. This is not about the commercialization of yoga, but the commercialization of spirit. These false prophets know that within the communities lie vulnerable souls eager to follow anyone who offers hope of mental peace. Their words become the sticky, sweet nectar luring you into the venus fly trap. John Lennon became painfully aware of this on his trip to India and witnessed the abuses of sexy Sadie (Maharishi).
I understand there are many wise, enlightened teachers out there who truly benefit others. I have been lucky to meet one or two in my short life. I can only offer this warning: avoid those who insist you give them your stuff - worldly belongings, bodies, souls,…whatever. Avoid those who surround themselves with sycophants and travel in style. Avoid those who preach theirs is the only path to enlightenment. If they are truly benevolent, they will not need anything from you but your ears (figuratively speaking, that is).
Now, if everyone will just send me $20, I will forward ‘the answer to all things’. I promise 
Jonestown, the Moonies, and even Bikram with his mansions and rolls royces and rolexes. This is not about the commercialization of yoga, but the commercialization of spirit. These false prophets know that within the communities lie vulnerable souls eager to follow anyone who offers hope of mental peace. Their words become the sticky, sweet nectar luring you into the venus fly trap. John Lennon became painfully aware of this on his trip to India and witnessed the abuses of sexy Sadie (Maharishi).
I understand there are many wise, enlightened teachers out there who truly benefit others. I have been lucky to meet one or two in my short life. I can only offer this warning: avoid those who insist you give them your stuff - worldly belongings, bodies, souls,…whatever. Avoid those who surround themselves with sycophants and travel in style. Avoid those who preach theirs is the only path to enlightenment. If they are truly benevolent, they will not need anything from you but your ears (figuratively speaking, that is).
I don’t recall Bikram asking people to give up their worldly belongings. Last I checked the cost of a Bikram class is about the same as any other yoga class in town. Granted Bikram is unorthodox, flamboyant, and extravagant, but I have not heard him touting himself as a prophet or the next Messiah. It is unfair to lump him in with the Moonies and Jim Jones. Be careful where you aim your arrows…
Recent Bikram quotes:
“Nobody does hatha yoga in America except me!”
My name is Guru of the Stars."
“I’m beyond Superman.”
“Because I have balls like atom bombs, two of them, 100 megatons each. Nobody f***s with me.”
“What happens when they say they will commit suicide unless you sleep with them? What am I supposed to do? Sometimes having an affair is the only way to save someone’s life.”
You may be correct in that his displays are mostly amusing, but from some vantage points appear power hungry. I do not aim my arrows at the practice (Bikram offers a genuine style no doubt), only the madness.
To discuss Yoga Ethics (or the lack thereof) would take a lot of space, even on the Internet.
Fortunately the OP narrowed the scope to “Dahn Yoga & Yoga Ethics”.
[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;26824]To discuss Yoga Ethics (or the lack thereof) would take a lot of space, even on the Internet.
Fortunately the OP narrowed the scope to “Dahn Yoga & Yoga Ethics”.[/QUOTE]
I just don’t like reading posts like these http://www.yogaforums.com/forums/f29/separating-from-teacher-and-lineage-5265.html
…but very glad that it was posted as a reminder of what can happen to some unguarded spiritual seekers.
I don’t enjoy them either.
However they are experiences for learning just as any other.
And it has become clear that there are situations like this and there are people who gravitate to them and we should effort not to be either of them:-)
Funny we should be talking about this. There’s a Dahn Yoga down the street and a friend of mine went there one time. She said all they did was try and sell her several packages, it was a very hard sell. They pushed and pushed and she just felt very uncomfortable.
I’m not surprised there would be lawsuits. This friend of mine is very laid back and never gets upset about anything, but this really cheesed her off.