Be true to yourself and you will never fall - Beastie Boys
I’m watching Twisted Yoga on Apple TV as I write this and feeling the repulsion at how a lot of supposed “masters,” “gurus,” and teachers manipulate and abuse vulnerable human beings simply looking for love and connection the world over.
I believe it is important for anyone who practices yoga or any spiritual practice to see how cults are formed. It’s imperative in this crazy world we live in to study how groups of smart, curious people become addicted to false and dangerous practices because of unscrupulous and mentally ill leaders who take advantage of spiritual seekers.
I’m very grateful for my studies in Catholic mysticism in university especially the studies through the ages of people in search both metaphorically and literally for the Holy Grail. One of the conclusions I drew from studying these great pilgrimages is that while one may start on the spiritual path in a group, for example as a group of Knights on horseback, eventually the Knight goes off on his own. And only on his own would he confront and find God. The true spiritual path is one that is deeply personal and individual.
Be true to yourself and you will never fall. - Beastie Boys
The tragedy of so many of these cruel and abusive so called “gurus” is that they prey on the group mentality, the “tribal” survival mentality that traumatized individuals embody. Evolutionarily, human beings have gotten to where we are in the modern world by being in groups: families, tribes, corporations - groups made up of individuals who are seeking acceptance from one another. Human beings, all of us, are social creatures who need one another for healthy survival.
One of the most important reasons to study the yogic scriptures is like any true wisdom text - they teach you to honor your inner wisdom.
In watching Twisted Yoga, the ick and disgust that a lot of these victims felt were argued out of themselves as forms of their own ego and weakness. Ick and disgust are sacred teachers within ourselves that need to be honored just as much these ideas of what it means to release the ego and weakness.
I keep hearing the Beastie Boys song resonating - Be true to yourself and you will never fall.
Ick and repulsion are beautiful, powerful friends and teachers. No matter how vulnerable or traumatized any person feels if you are in a situation that screams “danger, danger” - run out of the room.
Report the abusers to the police.
Yoga in the modern worlds’ biggest problem is that it has forgotten its true meaning. It glosses over the first steps needed to help a practitioner on the path - which is to be very present with all that is - all of your feelings, thoughts, body, mind and being.
Too much of the modern yoga world Is invested in influencing large groups of people to “feel” or “do” the same thing in a large room together. Unfortunately this is not yoga.
My deepest wish for all sincere seekers is to question and doubt more than “surrendering” Willy-nilly to any group of people, corporation or tribe.
Doubt and scrutiny are great Teachers.
Bow and offer flowers to them.
Turn on the incense.
Listen to the Beastie Boys or anyone who points you back to being true to yourself by honoring your doubts, fears and skepticism.
