Sexual harrassment of women in yoga prevalent - union formed to help women fight back

[stumbledin]

“There is now a recognition consent is not very present in yoga,” Liz, who has been a yoga teacher for several years, adds. “Because the industry has been so sexualised, I don’t have my phone number anywhere because so often you get harassment and stalking from men asking me what other additional services I offer.”

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/yoga-sexual-harassment-workers-rights-union-b1797556.html

As a none keep fit person I dont really know anything about yoga, but this sound gross. Just so typical that something that is as I understand it meant to help people become calm and reflective is being totally underminded by predatory men.

Is nowhere safe?

[malloo]

that's shocking. I think it's more prevalent in some types of yoga than in others - 'hot yoga' was the very well publicised one. From my experience the few men who come to yoga classes are the very last people who would do anything like that, they're decent people. But I think some of the more trendy, celeb types of yoga attract lots of young women and I guess where they go, the creepy guys follow, awful.

[OvaHere]

I can recall reading about various incidents of abuse connected to yoga. It seems that part of the issue is that in some cases yoga goes beyond a form of exercise and is often incorporated into some very cultish practices.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8620357/Tantra-students-reveal-raped-abused-guru-yoga-retreat.html

[Melroses]

Yes there was something about this in The Times; it is all very inclusive.

[EarthSight]

I'm interested in Tibetan Yoga, which I think Tantra is or part of it anyway. The sexual element is only one part of it but I can imagine it attracts emotionally manipulative males who like to think of themselves as future gurus.

[stumbledin]

I hadn't thought of that. I mean that there are different types of yoga. I did once many years (decades!) ago do an introductory class and there was no element of anyone touching anyone. The teacher sat at the front and the class tried to achieve various positions and learnt about breathing.

I dont doubt that some men have tried to pevert what yoga is about, and from films have seen it in cult settings.

But what I dont understand is how so many women are still prepared to trust men not to abuse a situation.

I realise being old and cynical makes that easy for me to say, but I dont think when I was young I ever thought I can totally trust a man to not exploit a situation.

You would think it would now be taught in schools based on recorded facts. ie number of recorded cases of abuse, news paper stories.

It needs to happen from a very young age. And boys and young men need to get the message that it isn't acceptable, and other men should be prepared to police their behaviour.

I do think long before social media made it worse, that films and tv shows made it look like this was just something that men do.

How are we going to break this cycle?

[stumbledin]

How very strange - or maybe not. Have just looked up the new union referred to in the article and guess what? Although it talks about eploitation (in terms of wages) and other issues, there is no mention of women facing sexual harrassment.

WtF?? Is a new union so locked into ancient mind sets that it has just erased the threat to women in their work place?????

Or is it because the IWGB is mainly aimed at the gig economy, predominantly young trendy people, that they cant mention the reality of sex discrimination?!!!!!!!!!!!!

iwgb.org.uk/post/iwgb-forms-uks-first-yoga-teachers-union-to-take-on-exploitation-harassment-discrimination-in-the-sector-led

[hoodathunkit]

I am in a bit of a hurry right now but discovered very recently an organisation of yoga teachers who said they were joining together to oppose exploitation in yoga

The problem is that all of the teachers in the group I researched were involved in controversial yoga schools with a history of sexual abuses against women and / or children

I do not know if they are the same yoga teachers referred to in the article, no time to check right now but will post more in a bit

I can also post a list of yoga schools with a history of such abuses for future reference

[hoodathunkit]

This is the youtube channel of the project that concerns me

www.youtube.com/c/YoniShaktiYoga/videos

I believe that many reader will be sufficiently clued up about cults by now to appreciate why this is concerning

It is a different organisation to the one described in the OP, which I will check out as soon as I am able

[hoodathunkit]

an archive here of the union mantioned in the OP
archive.is/uUACX

I will do a bit of research on this shorty

[FinallyHere]

"The yoni shakti movement is dedicated to the eradication of abused against women in yoga. "

https://www.yonishakti.co/the-movement

[hoodathunkit]

FinallyHere

Indeed

Ironic really.

This does happen a lot though

[hoodathunkit]

Relevant thread here about yoga nidra, the type of yoga taught by the people in the Yoni Shakti movement

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/yoga/3385527-Yoga-Nidra-I-love-it

[stumbledin]

Just came back to say I skim read the new Union's info page.

There is in fact one mention of sexual harassment. It says "... offers training on responding to and preventing sexual harassment. ... "

Which sorts of implies sexaul harassment is inevitable. Would have prefered something that says ensures teachers understand and agree never to exploit their position to sexually harass.

[allmywhat]

Which sorts of implies sexaul harassment is inevitable. Would have prefered something that says ensures teachers understand and agree never to exploit their position to sexually harass.


Isn't it more about the (mostly female) teachers being sexually harassed by male attendees? One good solution would be to offer female-only classes - I wonder if any schools of yoga give sufficient religious cover for women to get away with that?

[stumbledin]

Well if it is about male attendees, then there needs to be a clear statement by the union that any male who crosses the line is instantly expelled.

I am more making the point that this casual unspecific comment by the new Union isn't good enough.

[hoodathunkit]

Apologies for posting in haste, I am really busy right now

I just wanted to report that I checked out some of the yoga teachers involved in the yoga rights union mentioned in the OP.

Unfortuntely the ones I checked are involved in extremely controversial yoga schools that have faced multiple allegations of serious abuse of students.

Firstly the chair of the organisation teaches yoga nidra, as do some of the other people involved.

Of course just because these people teach yoga nidra and / or other types of controversial yoga does not mean that the teacher is a bad person or has malicious intent.

Anyone familiar with cults will understand that many of the people involved are well meaning and have little or no idea about the history and / or controversial activities of the school.

I do find the links beteeen an organisation established to prevent exploitation, the yoga rights union, and controversial yoga schools to be concerning and worthy of further scrutiny and reflection.

Yoga nidra was developed within the Satyananda aka Bihar school of yoga.

Just some links about abuses at the Satyananda aka Bihar school of yoga

(Warning - these are incredibly horrific by any standards)

The Daily Telegraph, Australia/December 8, 2014
culteducation.com/group/1316-satyananda-yoga-ashram/28136-mangrove-mountain-ashram-claims-handmaiden-says-she-was-raped-with-gun-had-to-drink-guru-s-urine.html

The Guardian Decemeber 4 2014
<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210208084404/www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2014/dec/04/yoga-ashram-didnt-consider-sex-abuse-crime-royal-commission" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20210208084404/www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2014/dec/04/yoga-ashram-didnt-consider-sex-abuse-crime-royal-commission

Daily Mail
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3789146/Children-sexually-abused-leader-cult-like-yoga-ashram.html

The Telegraph
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/11273299/Yoga-guru-was-violent-sexual-abuser-Australia-royal-commission-told.html

Sydney Morning Herald
<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200806215215/www.smh.com.au/national/paradise-lost-satyananda-yoga-ashram-is-the-subject-of-royal-commission-hearing-20141127-11v3rl.html" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20200806215215/www.smh.com.au/national/paradise-lost-satyananda-yoga-ashram-is-the-subject-of-royal-commission-hearing-20141127-11v3rl.html

One of the yoga teachers involved in the yoga rights union is a teacher of Dru Yoga, another controversial yoga school.

A fascinating exchange of opinions sbout Dru Yoga ,as taught by teachers of its founding organisation the Life Foundation, an extremely conroversial organisation. Some comments are wildly enthusiastic, some extremely critical and there are links to other sites for the curious, here;

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181215144810/acatsroar.blogspot.com/2009/04/am-i-small-part-of-damn-cult.html" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20181215144810/acatsroar.blogspot.com/2009/04/am-i-small-part-of-damn-cult.html

A news piece here
<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181010174408/www.theguardian.com/world/2006/nov/19/religion.news" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20181010174408/www.theguardian.com/world/2006/nov/19/religion.news

This does happen all the time, not just with yoga but with all manner of wellness therapies and practices, especially those whose target group is vulnerable.

Also I did not have time to check out all of the people involved in the union and all of their CVs and alliances. The organisation may be a bt of a curate's egg.

I would strongly advise any trade union involved to undertake due dilligence.

[hoodathunkit]

I thought that readers might be interested to check out the following video, a video claiming to be all about stopping abuse in tantra

Stop Abuse in Tantra Sex to Spirit
Featuring Margot Anand, a leading light of the modern tantra scene, shares her views on what is wrong on the current world of tantric sexuality...

The video is hosted on the youtube channel for an organisation called Sex to Spirit, the name of a "documentary" feature film about a new age tantric retreat in Thailand

I decided to check out the Sex to Spirit website. I have concerns about this organisation since a psychotherapist former colleague of mine got involved with them. This person is still working as a psychotherapist but has become entrenched in the world of abusive, criminal sex cults.

So, here is a page from the Sex to Spirit website listing their tantra teachers (links to their individual websites broken for safety)

From Margot Anand to Mantak Chia, we’ve gathered some of the biggest names that have shaped the course of Tantra and Tao over the last forty years, as well as interviewing the new wave of facilitators bringing the teachings to a new generation. No film has ever done this before!

Margot Anand: International Best-selling Author & Tantra Expert
Margot’s books have sold in the millions. Author of ‘The Art of Sexual Ecstasy’, ‘Everyday Ecstasy’, and many other great titles, she is also the creator of SkyDancing Tantra. Margot spent decades studying with many of the world’s prominent masters of Hindu and Buddhist Tantra, including the mystic Osho in India, and was instrumental in bringing Tantra to the West. She now resides in Bali.
Website: www.margotanand(dot)com/

Mantak Chia: Taoist Grandmaster and Best-selling author
Founder of Universal Healing Tao, Mantak Chia is known for his international best-selling books The Multi-Orgasmic Man: Sexual Secrets Every Man Should Know, and The Multi-Orgasmic Woman: Sexual Secrets Every Woman Should Know. He was the first person to popularise Taoist sexual secrets in the West, and now resides in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Website: www.universal-tao(dot)com/

Swami Vivekananda Saraswati, Director of Agama Yoga School, Thailand
Swami Vivekananda has been the director of Yoga Schools since in Europe, India and now Thailand since 1990. Agama was founded in 1999, based on the authentic, esoteric lineages of Indian and Tibetan Tantra Yoga. It provides an updated self-development system whose theory includes comprehensive university-level teachings. Agama is an International Yoga Federation member school with branches in India, Canada, Estonia, Israel, Mexico, the UK, and the Netherlands.
Website: www.agamayoga(dot)com

Mahasatvaa Ma Ananda Sarita: World renowned Tantra Master and Mystic
Sarita studied with Indian Mystic Osho from the age of 17, receiving a direct transmission from him which she continues to share today with those she meets. She runs the School of Awakening, offering courses and retreats across the globe. She is passionate about preserving the spiritual essence of Tantra that leads people on the path of self realisation. She is also a master healer, published author and consultant.
Website: www.tantra-essence(dot)com/

sextospirit.com/the-tantra-teachers/" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20130618081153/sextospirit.com/the-tantra-teachers/

This is extremely concerning.

Margot Anand was centrally involved in the Rajneeshee cult for many years. The Rajneeshee cult was responsible for the 1st bio-terrorist attack in the USA and some members were involved in murders, attempted murders, immigration fraud, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, the exploitation of vulnerable street homeless people, election fraud, slavery, drug offences and more.

Swami Vivekananda Saraswati, Director of Agama Yoga School, Thailand - real name Narcis Tarcau, had to flee Thailand when multiple women accused him of rapes and sexual abuses. The statute of limitations in Thailand for rape is 3 months, so he was back again and is still there teaching "tantra" but with the Agama name removed from all publicity material. Narcis was originally a high ranking member of a notorious criminal yoga cult MISA Yoga School, facing legal problems relating to sex trafficking and sexual abuses in mutiple territories internationally. He apparently fell out with the head pimp guru at MISA the notorious Gregorian Bivolaru and so set up his own dubious yoga business.

evidential link:
'Under Swami's spell': 14 tourists claim sexual assault by guru at Thai yoga retreat

www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/07/under-swamis-spell-14-tourists-claim-sexual-assault-by-guru-at-thai-yoga-retreat" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20210309202217/www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/07/under-swamis-spell-14-tourists-claim-sexual-assault-by-guru-at-thai-yoga-retreat

I will post more details about MISA in a later post / thread.

Mantak Chia is an extremely controversial businessman who has published widely on "Taoist sexual secrets" and can be found spouting pseudo-scientific bullshit about "How to master the vagina" and the like all over various dubious, concerning youtube channels. I have found women who have trained with Chia and his associates working in "tantric temples" (a euphemism) all over the world.

As for Mahasatvaa Ma Ananda Sarita, she is, as her name would suggest, another long time follower of the Rajneeshee cult (lated named Osho). Her website is pretty much what you would expect.

The reason I have shared this is because readers who are concerned with the financial, emotional and sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults (and I hope that it all of us here) need to be aware that abuses within yoga are extremely common.

The other extremely common phenomena, to the point of being routine and mundane, is for teachers and followers of abusive yoga cults to claim to be fighting against abuses in yoga and to establish websites and organisations claiming to oppose abuses within yoga.

Even outside of the filed of yoga cults it is extremely common for organisations that claim to be human trafficking to be involved in human trafficking themselves.

Due diligence is essential

[peak2021]

Sadly this does not surprise me, too many men think attractiveness and clothing that is not as thick as for a midwinter snowstorm is somehow an invitation to sexual matters.

[hoodathunkit]

Sadly this does not surprise me, too many men think attractiveness and clothing that is not as thick as for a midwinter snowstorm is somehow an invitation to sexual matters.

I am not sure that the clothing is the issue here.

These controversial yoga schools tend to have common features that should be red flags to anyone concerned about sexual exploitation of children and vulnerable adults

off the top of my head they are

1. complete subservience and obedience to a guru
   
2. secret or hidden sexual teachings that are only revealed to the most committed students
   
3. a history of scandals relating to sexual / financial exploitation
   
4. sexual acts (e.g. yoni / lingam massage) as a form of therapy and / or spiritual development
   
5. a promotion of free love / polyamory / transgressive sexual acts
   
6. instructions to avoid emotional intimacy with sexual partners (interferes with spiritual matters or something)
   
7. coercion to sever relationships with friends and family
   
8. coercion to relinquish material assets to the cult
   
9. unpaid work and lots of it (may be called "karma yoga")
   

10. the sexualisation of minor persons
11. the promotion of batshit conspiracy theories about satanists, aliens, NWO, etc.
12. coercion of women to terminate wanted pregnancies
13. the cultural appropriation of sacred ceremonies of oppressed indigenous / tribal people (often while ruthlessley exploiting the same indigenous / tribal people)
14. the use and abuse of psychotropic drugs to manipulate and brainwash vulnerable people
15. the inducement of altered states of consciousness to maipulate and brainwash vulnerable people (many include hypnosis, NLP, fasting, chanting, drumming, sleep deprivation, "breathwork", ice cold water immersion, dodgy psychotherapy)
16. The use of false memories of abuse to alienate people from their loved ones in order to better abuse and exploit them.
17. Gaslighting
18. Victim playing and DARVO
19. MLMs, either as a revenue stream or as a model for recruiting new members to the cult

there are probably lots more examples, these are all I can think of now