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New podcastListen to heartfelt and heart wrenching stories of real people from the early days of the 3HO Kundalini Yoga Community, those born into it, and those converted or influenced by the ”Teachings” in the last 50 years of ”light-washing” the truth. These are the stories you haven’t heard. The untold truths and abuses that have infused into the consciousness of the Healthy, Happy and Holy Community of KundaliniYoga globally. weblog
Episodes
Wednesday May 15, 2024
Wednesday May 15, 2024
This episode is a short update on topics relating to the 3HO/Kundalini Yoga community including the traumatic finale of the 3HO/Kundalini Yoga Independent Healing and Reparations Program (IHRP), recently filed lawsuits by former 2nd Gen staff members, SSSC Board election chaos, upcoming documentaries to look out for + more.
Referenced in this episode: Former Staff Lawsuit, SSSC video of Jagat Guru as new CEO of KRI, Upcoming Documentaries, IHRP End of Program Update and speaking restrictions lifted, and MORE go to: https://abuse-in-kundalini-yoga.com/news
International Cultic Studies Association: Join Els and GuruNischan at the 2024 ICSA Conference in Barcelona Spain July 3 - 6, 2024 (or attend online) https://www.icsahome.com/
Link to the book Under the Yoga Mat: The Dark History of Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini Yoga - https://www.undertheyogamat.com/
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GuruNischan is a writer, trauma-healing activist, and consultant/facilitator of personal reinvention for unorthodox high achievers. To learn more about her reclamation and recovery work, please subscribe to GuruNischan.com
Follow her media platform Conversations You Can Feel - https://gurunischan.substack.com/
To contribute to this broadcast you can use this link:
https://paypal.me/GuruNischanLLC?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US
or donate monthly at https://gurunischan.substack.com/
Listen to the Uncomfortable Conversations Spotify Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2lEfcoaDgbCCmztPZ4XIuN?si=vH-cH7HzRs-qFxzEuogOqg
To be a guest on the podcast, please email GN@GuruNischan.com
Friday Sep 22, 2023
Friday Sep 22, 2023
Manju Sadarangani was born and raised in India, surrounded by yoga. Her yoga teacher mother insisted on an upbringing informed by yoga and traditional medicine. In her teen years, her deeply spiritual brilliant father joined a Hindu cult, resulting in upheaval resulting in her immigration to the United States with her mother and brother.
Manju found yoga in the US to be deeply puzzling. She would try yoga studios and styles of yoga in an effort to feel the spiritual solace of her childhood yoga practice, but felt extremely excluded at American yoga studios. Through most of her adult life, she avoided yoga, and practiced it only when she visited the country of her birth.
In 2019, serendipity led her to a kundalini yoga class. She was intrigued by this unfamiliar style of yoga which she found absurd and amusing, but was soothed by the elements of Surat Shabd that she recognized in kundalini yoga practice.
She enjoyed the element of play and creativity in her kundalini meditations, but found herself often flummoxed by the pastiche mantras and practices. She was offended by some practices (like excerpts of Japji inserted into kriyas) - but when she asked questions of kundalini teachers, they were not able to give her answers that felt logical or grounded in any yoga discipline. Her teachers encouraged her to take teacher training with KRI, telling her that was where she would get answers. Manju was understandably reluctant, especially after she read the book Premka.
In 2020, she was approached by representatives of KRI, who recommended a brand-new global teacher training program. This new TT was advertised as trauma-informed, inclusive, egalitarian - a symbol of the new direction KRI and 3HO were embracing. Manju applied to this new teacher training global cohort. She was one of only three Americans, all women of color. It turned out to be one of the most traumatic and racist experiences of her life.
Since then, Manju has relied on her command of languages, academic background in South Asian history, conversations with elders and teachers in India, and cultural background to deeply research, question, retrain, and reform her yoga practice. She connects deeply with the feminist, spiritual and historical foundations of yoga to counter problematic cultural appropriation. Her evolving yoga practice is grounded in a desire for equity, justice, emotional and mental well-being. She brings her spirit of play, body positivity and radical self-love to her yoga practice, acknowledging that her yoga journey makes her an inconvenient outsider the art of manju manjusadarangani.com
Song credit: Vaishnav Janto Tene Kahiye by M.S. Subbalakshmi
http://www.UndertheYogaMat.com
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GuruNischan is a trauma-healing activist, and consultant in personal and professional reinvention. To learn more about her reclamation and recovery work, please subscribe to GuruNischan.com
Follow her media platform at Conversations You Can Feel
To contribute to this broadcast you can use this link:
Thursday Sep 07, 2023
Thursday Sep 07, 2023
Shabd Singh was born and raised in 3HO Herndon, VA in 1987. His parents are Gurutrang Singh and Gurumata Kaur. He attended MPA from 1999-2005, was in the Eugene, Oregon ashram from 2006-2012, and taught at Miri Piri Academy in India as an economics teacher from 2012-2014.
It’s been a slow but gradual disconnect from 3HO, and he fully disconnected in 2016. In 2017 he became politically active with Democratic Socialists of America and began to work in progressive politics eventually working on the Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential Campaign.
He now lives in Washington DC with his wife Sukhmani Kaur and does work in climate advocacy for Al Gore's non-profit organization The Climate Reality Project.
You can find him on Instagram at shabd.one and the platform (formally known as) Twitter at @shabdsingh
Song credit: Robin Hood Theory by GangStarr
Listen to the full song on the Uncomfortable Conversations 3HO Spotify Playlist:
To be a guest on the podcast, email GN@GuruNischan.com
GuruNischan is a writer, trauma-healing activist, and consultant in personal and professional reinvention. To learn more about her reclamation and recovery work, please subscribe to GuruNischan.com
You can follow her media platform - Conversations You Can Feel -
Thursday Aug 31, 2023
Thursday Aug 31, 2023
Mel Hofmann, at the time was Melanie Calhoon started studying Kundalini yoga classes in 1970, at the age of 15 in Berkeley, CA . The local area ashram at the time was known as the “Banana Ananda” ashram in San Rafael, CA. She moved into the ashram in the Fall of 1971 at the age of 16 years old. Shortly thereafter, the name of the ashram was changed to Hargobind Sadan.
Baba Bert, later named Sat Santokh Singh was the head of the ashram. She lived in the ashram until June of 1972, when her roommate, Jeannie, who later became known as GuruTarethKaur (Jivan Jhoti Kaur) was arranged to be married Robert Zwaag (also known as, GuruTarethSingh). The abrupt marriages, name changes and overall shift in the “lifestyle” led Mel to pursue her own path soon after.
She's was married to Stephen Hofmann and had a daughter who is currently 32 years old. He had cerebral palsy and is featured with our daughter Emily in the documentary, Crip Camp. He passed away in 2017. She’s had a long time relationship to Kundalini energy, healing, and her own CPTSD recovery.
Today Mel happily married to Jayne Roseman for 25 years. She’s a professional photographer, fine artist and energy healer. You can learn more about her art at melhofmann.com Song Credit: Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage Gardens ______________________________________
GuruNischan is a trauma-healing activist, and consultant in personal and professional reinvention. To learn more about her reclamation and recovery work, please subscribe to GuruNischan.com and/or follow her media platform Conversations You Can Feel - https://gurunischan.substack.com/
To financially contribute to this broadcast you can use this link:
Listen to the Uncomfortable Conversations 3HO Spotify Playlist:
To be a guest on the podcast, email GN@GuruNischan.com
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Siri Whitecrow, was born Elias Seneca Whitecrow in 1972 in Juneau, Alaska. His mom, Sat guru Kaur, joined 3HO with his older sister, Siri Kaur, in 1976 and his name was changed to Siri Singh Khalsa.
His early life was spent between two different ashrams in Anchorage, Alaska, then in 1979 he was sent to Española New Mexico at 7 years old, living with two different families. In 1981 he was sent to the newly (not yet) established India program GNFC, initially being sent to the girls school because he was so young and only in 3rd grade.
After four years in India, and tons of horrific abuse, and plenty of righteous resistance, he was kicked out of that school and sent back to the USA. He spent half a year at Amritsar Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was eventually asked to “not return”. He ended up in Los Angeles, near his mom and close to the ashram, but by 1988 he left 3HO/Sikh Dharma/Kundalini Yoga completely, never looking back.
Graffiti became a huge part of his life and currently still is. His Graffiti name is ANGER and he runs one of the biggest graffiti crews in the world which began in 1993 when his life was forever altered when his mentor was hit by a train, and he was shot 4X by a Los Angeles police officer.
He currently lives in Los Angeles, is married with two boys and continues to navigate his life through art, and creativity. You can learn about him and his Graffiti crew by supporting his work and watching the documentary “Can’t Be Stopped” on Amazon.
You can follow and support his work
@angercbscrew @cbscrew @defendmelrose @iwuzherefirst
Link to Documentary film: https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Be-Stopped-Cody-Smith/dp/B0B8X5DG7Y/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LI3AK16WUAX1&keywords=cant+be+stopped+documentary&qid=1692240095&s=instant-video&sprefix=cant+be+stopped%2Cinstant-video%2C461&sr=1-
Song credit: Anger by Downset ___________________________________
GuruNischan is the creator and host of the Uncomfortable Conversations Podcasts. She's a trauma-healing activist, and consultant in personal and professional reinvention.
To learn more about her reclamation and recovery work, please subscribe to GuruNischan.com
Follow her media platform Conversations You Can Feel -
To contribute to this broadcast you can use this link:
Listen to the Uncomfortable Conversations Spotify Playlist:
To be a guest on the podcast, please send an email to GN@GuruNischan.com
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Guruganesha Singh grew up in Natick MA, 18 miles west of Boston. Graduated high school class of 1968. In Feb 1972, he attended his first KY class at the boathouse at Smith College in Northampton MA, after seeing YB's tratakum pic on a flyer in the Student Union.
Soon after he attended a weekend KY retreat at the Montague (montagew) in MA with Guru Shabd Singh. Very soon thereafter he moved into the Worcester (wooster)MA Ashram near Clark University where he was a senior year in college.
The first week of Jan. 1973 he moved into Ahimsa Ashram on Q St. Washington DC, where he became the dishwasher at the Golden Temple Restaurant for many months. He was arranged to be married to Gurudarshan Kaur originally from Tuscon, AZ in May 1977.
They had their son, Akal Sahai Singh in April 1978. In 1986, at age 8 years old, their son, Akal Sahai went to India for one year, which caused a rupture in their marriage, and Gurudarshan started divorce proceedings. In 1987 it was suggested by the head of the ashram that he marry Mata Mandir Kaur from the DC ashram (and they are still married 36 years later)
He worked for all the DC ashram businesses thru 1989 when he resigned from the “family” businesses and started his own business Sandler Sales Institute, a sales training in the high-tech sector.
In Jan 2000 he founded Spirit Voyage Music and started recording and touring with Snatam Kaur for the next 11 years. In 2011 he and Snatam parted ways, and he started the GuruGanesha Band. The revelations of 2020 exposed what he held at a distance for far too long, and the undeniable truth created a landslide.
Most recently, after the results of the 2023 Siri Singh Sahib Corporation (SSSC) elections, he immediately resigned from Khalsa Council and the Sikh Dharma Ministry.
Song credit: Landslide by Guruganesha
Listen to the Uncomfortable Conversations Spotify Playlist:
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To be a guest on the podcast, please email GN@GuruNischan.com
Follow my work at www.GuruNischan.com
Contribute to this work at www.paypal.me/gurunischanllc
Book website link to Under the Yoga Mat: The Dark History of Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini Yoga - https://www.undertheyogamat.com/
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
Ravi Singh began practicing Kundalini Yoga in 1973 and lived in the 3HO ashram in Chicago, IL. In 1974 he moved to New York City to be a writer and continued to practice Kundalini Yoga and began teaching. In the late 70's I had a brief stint as a resident of the 3HO ashram in Brooklyn, NY. He attended every Summer and Winter Solstice gathering from 1976 to 2000 and before 1999 would typically teach Kundalini Yoga at those events.
In 1999 he discovered that YB had propositioned one of my students at Women's Camp. That was when the floodgates opened and the scope of what was going on behind the scenes became abundantly clear. When he attempted to alert people he was summarily kicked out of 3HO. His state of mind since then has been one of personal liberation, i.e., relief that he doesn’t have to continue to try to be someone he’s not. It became more obvious over time that there's no room in an organization like 3HO for artists, autonomous beings, or independent thinkers.
Ravi Singh is Author (with partner Ana Brett) of the Kundalini Yoga Book - Life in the Vast Lane. He's been teaching yoga for 45 yrs. He is Founder of Evolving Kundalini, which was created via the need for a safe space for Kundalini Yoga Teachers to gather and process. EK is now a non-profit dedicated to ethics in yoga, and the forward evolution and the up-leveling of all things Kundalini.
Song credit: The Revolution Starts Now by Steve Earle.
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GuruNischan is a writer, trauma-healing activist, and consultant in personal and professional reinvention. Learn more about her reclamation and recovery work at www.GuruNischan.com
To make a one time or monthly contribution to this broadcast you can use this link:
Listen to the Uncomfortable Conversations Spotify Playlist:
Monday Jul 17, 2023
Monday Jul 17, 2023
Els Coenen (formerly Ravinder Kaur) lives in Belgium. She was 49 when she took her first Kundalini Yoga class, immediately fell in love with it and became a teacher in 2008. She taught Kundalini Yoga for ten years, gave multiple classes a week, organized workshops and teacher training programs in Belgium and East-Africa and assisted in them. Every year she went to the European Yoga Festival, had a boot at the bazar to collect funds for the seva-based teacher training programs in East-Africa, combining this work with a job in the Telecom sector.
She organized a Sat Nam Rasayan training in Belgium. In 2013, two women were sexually abused by an SNR instructor. Because Els insisted that the harm would be recognized, and action would be taken to prevent future abuse, she was excommunicated by Guru Dev Singh master of this healing technique and student of Yogi Bhajan, and Belgium was declared "a no-go-zone" for SNR for two years. From 2010 till 2018 Els presided the Belgian Federation of Kundalini Yoga and represented her country at an international level. Disillusioned by many things she stopped all Kundalini Yoga related activities in 2018.
When in 2020 the book Premka triggered many survivors to tell their stories, Els stepped in again, hoping that the time for transparency and clarity had come. She was part of an advisory team of the Compassionate Reconciliation Program but stepped out at the end of 2022 as she experienced it as window dressing.
In April 2021 after she read or listened to survivor stories on many different platforms and had watched hours and hours of Uncomfortable Conversations, she contacted GuruNischan to collaborate. She made extracts of the interviews and put them together on a website (abuse-in-kundalini-yoga.com) to allow people with less free time to be informed. Now, she has written a book in partnership with GuruNischan, including voices of survivor stories called Under the Yoga Mat: The Dark History of Yogi Bhajan’s Kundalini Yoga.
Song Credit: Because of You – by Gustaph
The book can be found on the website below for platforms available for purchase in Europe, USA and many other countries throughout Asia as well.
www.abuse-in-kundalini-yoga.com
You can DONATE to this broadcast at: http://www.gurunischan.com/uncomfortableconversations
Uncomfortable Conversations Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2lEfcoaDgbCCmztPZ4XIuN?si=vH-cH7HzRs-qFxzEuogOqg
Friday Jun 16, 2023
Friday Jun 16, 2023
Over 100 Second Generation voices came together to craft an Open Letter requesting repairs to the Independent Healing and Reparations Program. Summer Solstice and European Yoga Festival are in full promotional swing--let's talk about it--and the recent resignation of Sahaj Singh Khalsa from the SSSC Board. Listen
www.3HO.org - for perusing their website and seeing the Solstice Festivities planned this week.
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Listen and Subscribe to my latest podcast → Uncomfortable Conversations on Predators in Business, Community, and Culture
Friday Apr 14, 2023
Friday Apr 14, 2023
Guru Kartar Kaur (she now goes by Rue) was born into 3HO in Mexico City in 1997 to her parents, Guru Hans Kaur Khalsa and Siri Simran Singh. A couple months after she was born, Rue and her sister, Partmatma Kaur, were brought to New Mexico by her parents, to attend the Summer Solstice where she met YB and received her spiritual name from him.
Rue’s parents were originally raised catholic but later converted to Sikhism and joined the 3HO community through her maternal grandmother, Hari Kaur Khalsa, who first became a member of Babaji’s Ashram; the first 3HO Ashram in Mexico City in 1972. Rue participated in Summer Solstice with her family for 7 years straight.
At age 11, her parents decided to send her to MPA so that she could practice and learn more about the Sikh religion. Her older sister was first sent away in 2007 and then Rue joined her a year after. They lived in India for 3 years straight and later returned back to Mexico as their parents no longer found the school appropriate and affordable. Rue has now been living in Ontario, Canada for 11 years.
She is currently in the works of opening her own art business and will soon be attending college for social service work. Through her own self-healing journey and research, she discovered she has dealt with racism and sexism as a Latina with indigenous ancestry, especially while being part of a religious cult at a young age. Art IG: @lolitsmerue
Song: Raveena - Strong
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You can DONATE to this broadcast at: http://www.paypal.me/GuruNischanLLC
Uncomfortable Conversations Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2lEfcoaDgbCCmztPZ4XIuN?si=vH-cH7HzRs-qFxzEuogOqg
To be a guest on the podcast, please send an email to GN@GuruNischan.com
You can Subscribe, follow, and support my provocative truth-telling work at GuruNischan.com and Conversations You Can Feel at https://gurunischan.substack.com/