Cults and Scandals

huffpost.com 3/24/14 Preventing Yoga Scandals: Why Yoga Needs Psychology – by Mariana Caplan, Ph.D.

vanityfair.com 12/1/21 The Second Coming of Guru Jagat – by Hayley Phelan

bostonglobe.com 9/25/21 Toxicity in the land of enlightenment? This yoga dispute has the community tied up in knots – by Mark Shanahan and Katie Johnston

latimes.com 3/18/21 COVID adds to California yoga and wellness problem

blackbeltmag.com 12/10/2020 Fraud in the Marital Arts – by Black Belt Team

lamag.com 7/15/2020 Yogi Bhajan Turned an L.A. Yoga Studio into a Juggernaut, and Left Two Generations of Followers Reeling from Alleged Abuse – By Stacie Stukin

newyorker.com 7/23/2019 Yoga Reconsiders the Role of the Guru in the Age of #MeToo – by Eliza Griswold

martial-arts-review.co.uk The Art of Bullshido: George Dillman – by Dan Bull

huffpost.com 8/10/2019 Why Are You Still Doing Bikram Yoga? While disgraced yoga guru Bikram Choudhury hides out in Mexico amid allegations of rape and harassment, women all over the world are still giving him their money. – by Jenavieve Hatch

lionsroar.com 4/5/2018 Refuge Recovery addresses sexual misconduct allegations against founder Noah Levine – by Hal Atwood

nytimes.com 7/11/2018 The ‘King’ of Shambhala Buddhism Is Undone by Abuse Report – By Andy Newman

nydailynews.com 10/9/2018 Ashtanga yoga guru Pattabhi Jois accused of sexual assault in new photos – by Nancy Dillon

thedailybeast.com 7/13/2017 John Friend Anusara Scandal: Inside the Wiccan ‘Sex’ Coven – A former member of John Friend’s Wiccan coven details their sexually charged rituals—and explains why she left Anusara. – by Lizzie Crocker

self.com 10/27/2017 Yoga in America Often Exploits My Culture – but You May Not Even Realize It. I like your “om” shirt – can you tell me about the 2,500 year history behind it? – By Rina Deshpande

slate.com 4/5/2016 A Workplace, an Ashram, or a Cult? Inside the sexual harassment lawsuit against Jivamukti Yoga. – by Michelle Goldberg

bbc.com 2/19/2015 The fraudsters who pose as faith healers – A man has been convicted of swindling money from people by posing as a faith healer, promising cures and lottery wins. But why do people fall for con artists like Mohammed Ashrafi? – by Sandish Shoker

theguardian.com 5/30/2014 Fraudulent faith healer jailed for 10 years – Juliette D’Souza masqueraded as a shaman for more than 12 years, persuading people to hand over thousands of pounds – by Press Association

nytimes.com 6/5/2012 Mysterious Buddhist Retreat in the Desert Ends in a Grizzly Death – by Fernanda Santos

cnn.com 1/7/2010 Lawsuit calls yoga chain a cult – by Kyra Phillips and David Fitzpatrick

law.justia.com 8/27/1998 Fourteen former “disciples” of self-proclaimed yoga guru Amrit Desai have brought *119 this suit against their former leader for losses suffered when Desai was (according to their allegations) revealed to be a charlatan.

indiatoday.in 12/15/1994 Indian spiritual leaders come under fire for sexual escapades in US Indian gurus come under fire for sexual escapades. – by Arther J. Pais