One of the earliest exposes of the fraudulence of Bhajan and his teaching by Trilochan Singh a Sikh scholar is newly reprinted.

Sikhism and Tantric Yoga by Trilochan Singh

[www.amazon.com]


Under the Yoga Mat: The Dark History of Yogi Bhajan’s Kundalini Yoga Paperback – July 15, 2023
by Els Coenen (Author), GuruNischan (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 15

[www.amazon.com]

Quote

Let’s face and share the pain.

This groundbreaking exposé, Under the Yoga Mat, lifts the veil on the underexposed dark side of the history of Yogi Bhajan’s Kundalini Yoga and his revered 3HO Healthy, Happy, Holy community. This is the first book presenting the multifaceted character and extent of the wrongdoings and the tactics used by 3HO leadership to keep the horrific abuse hidden for five decades. This meticulously researched non-fiction work delves deep into the disturbing tragedies that unfolded when Harbhajan, a 39-year-old Sikh-born Indian customs officer, arrived in Los Angeles in 1968, posing as a master of Kundalini Yoga.

Through a thoughtful selection of testimonies, historical records, and expert insights, this work unravels the captivating rise of Yogi Bhajan, as disillusioned American youth eagerly embraced him as the Eastern guru they believed they needed. As his following grew rapidly, he wove a narrative of destiny, proclaiming that his devotees were predestined to guide humanity in the transition from the Piscean to the Aquarian Age. Yet, behind the facade of spiritual enlightenment, Bhajan cunningly manipulated, controlled, exploited, and abused his followers and their children. He was involved in drug and arms smuggling and fraudulent businesses.

Throughout his reign, Yogi Bhajan hobnobbed with the powerful, including encounters with presidents, popes, and the Dalai Lama. The governors of California and New Mexico became his confidants, unaware of the web of deception he spun. Under his leadership, billion-dollar enterprises like Yogi Tea and Akal Security flourished. Such was the influence of this enigmatic figure that upon his passing in 2004, the American Congress honored him with a two-page resolution, while New Mexico inaugurated the “Yogi Bhajan Memorial Highway.”

However, it wasn’t until the early 2020s, when a former leader of the 3HO community came forward with her testimony, that the truth began to emerge from decades of silence. Under the Yoga Mat reveals the harrowing experiences of hundreds of ex-3HO members, shedding light on the isolation, neglect, hunger, and abuse they endured in schools in India from a tender age. Shockingly, it is estimated that Yogi Bhajan sexually abused approximately 100 women, justifying his actions with the chilling statement, “Rape is always invited.”

At the heart of this extraordinary book lie the stories of these courageous 3HO survivors. Coenen’s masterful narrative not only exposes the crimes themselves but also explores why a culture of silence persisted for so long, engendering fear and obedience among the followers. As the shadows of the past give way to the truth, their accounts serve as a rallying cry for justice and healing.

With its compelling blend of investigative research, personal testimonies, and historical context, Under the Yoga Mat challenges our perception of spiritual leaders, champions the resilience of survivors, and sparks a critical conversation about power, manipulation, and the darker side of spiritual movements.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2024 08:45AM by corboy.

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/kundalini

learner1314
I've been reading up about him a bit recently, and I've known about him from when I was much younger as certain people I knew did go for the solstice camp and were proud practitioners of kundalini yoga (we're from halfway around the world).

One thing I've realised is, much as there is talk about him being a Yogi of Kundalini Yoga (and one of the most prominent people for this branch of Yoga), did he ever really practice it? I skimmed through a fair number of his lectures, he always guides his students orally. I've seen him do breathing exercises on occasion, and only once, a basic stretch while seated.

This bugged me, so I tried to watch more videos and search for photos of him actually leading the teaching by doing the Yoga, and I came across absolutely nothing.

So that brings me to the question in the title of this post - did Yogi Bhajan ever practice Kundalini Yoga? Why does he not do it together with his students when leading them? Also, his posture and his physicality, makes me question if he ever did practice even behind closed doors. He definitely had a fair amount of exposure to Yoga, but who gave him the title of Yogi? And why were his yoga prowess never showcased in public?

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You are apparently correct, u/learner1314 in noting that unlike other yogis from former generations, Bhajan was never seen actually DOING yoga.

That info is corroborated by some of his ex-followers and former members of 3HO families who left the cult, and some active researchers.

After reading about it, memory confirmed I'd never seen a video of him actually doing much of anything, but I haven't seen many.

And why were his yoga prowess never showcased in public?

You cannot showcase what you lack.

For more on Bhajan and the cult he created, see the following which is but the tip of the iceberg.

Please note that this sub is not about Kundalini Yoga (KY), and especially not about that kind of KY taught by the one who was called Harbajan Singh Puri, aka Yogi Bhajan. KYYB / KYatbYB.

Please see Rule 9

This sub cannot support such a fraud-based raping and violent cult culture in any way. Not until they've done a profound healing, which may or may not happen. Recent communications from the main orgs demonstrates that they are going backwards, not forwards. UPDATE - the latest comms suggest that maybe they've stopped going backwards.

If one considers the research and writings that explain the major problems with KYYB groups, one cannot reasonably be interested in that system.

Here are some of those sources:

[gurumag.com] ?

Please do watch both videos in that linked article. (One is audio only and very short, and reveals how Bhajan blamed women for their own rapes.)

The "Beyond the Birdcage", a closed Facebook group of departed students and teachers from their cult, (their word, not mine) shows a sizeable magnitude of disgusting behaviours by those still teaching it, consistent to Bhajan's behaviours.
The Facebook group consists of over 6000 members at this time. That's not a small group of unhappy customers! Some have burned their books. Others brought them to the dump. Others have passed them forward.

The scholarly peer-reviewed research by Philip Deslippe demonstrates how made up and fraudulent the whole thing was, and thus is. The man Bhajan referred to himself as a yogi, yet no one remembers him ever demonstrating any yogic postures. The Kriyas he did tell them about, he never ever repeated a lesson twice: A reliable sign of a compulsive liar making it up as he goes along, covering his tracks. Philip's more recent article is Here
[sacredmattersmagazine.com]

There are further interviews and talks by Philip easily found on YouTube with a search.

Former secretary to Bhajan Pamela Sahara Dyson's wrote a book about her time with Bhajan, and is writing a memoir. [www.premkamemoir.com]


Pamela's book about her time with Bhajan is called Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage. It's available on Amazon, etc.

[www.amazon.com]

Gursant Singh, Former security and driver to Bhajan wrote a memoir too, which corroborates much of the story and claims by Pamela. It's available on Amazon USA HERE It's called: Confessions of an American Sikh: Locked up in India, corrupt cops & my escape from a "New Age" tantric yoga cult!

Then there is an entire book discrediting and criticising Bhajan from the perspective of the Sikh religion. Trilochan Singh is the author who claims that what Bhajan taught wasn't Sikhism at all. His book is available at the Internet Archive Trilochan's son is apparently working on a followup book.

Lastly, a very recent (Spring 2021) and thorough website that combines ALL the existing resources describing the problems abuses, rapes etc, plus a huge selection of interviews of victims, personal accounts, news articles about the KYatbYB groups all in one place is [abuse-in-kundalini-yoga.com]

?A channel on YT describes more of the historical and ongoing problems. Explore the channel too not just this vid. ??[redd.it] ?

In Apr 2022, Vice released this documentary. LINK The Premka FB group has the latest YouTube link with better audio quality. The video is not publically searchable.

If you want to do KYatbYB-based methods after informing yourself on these materials, you go right ahead. It's a free world. To act without informing yourself may mean you fall prey to a cult. The word cult is used by those who were former members of it.

We in this sub community cannot recommend that incorrect spiritual system. ??Thank you for your understanding.

If you are a member of another Kundalini Yoga culture, it's important to know about the above as the Bhajan-based system is by far the most popular, and has been teaching that they're the only ones that exist since about 1969. It's also important to consider stating that you ask from a non-Bhajan yoga system.

Cheers!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2024 08:43AM by corboy.