Want to stay in touch with elephant? Get 10 free articles a week: subscribe free to our Best of the Week newsletter
or get our popular Daily Wake Up Call. Together, we can make mindful independent reader-created media powerful!
X
Submit a story.

Search For anusara "john friend" yoga:

Why I Write for elephant. ~ Michelle Marchildon

by on May 16, 2013

Whenever I travel or teach in foreign places, like Canada, or Boulder, people want to know the same thing: Why do I write for elephant journal? When I published “Finding More,” I thought the public may want to know if it was true (yes). And when I published “Theme Weaver,” I thought they may want [...]

437 views
Comments 7

Word! Darren Rhodes Dishes about Yoga Drama, YogaHour & What it’s like to Be a Father.

by on Apr 1, 2013

Darren Rhodes, international yoga teacher and asana model for the style formerly known as Anusara, was the first major teacher to leave the school in 2012 along with Christina Sell. Their departure sent shock waves through the community, and ultimately the fastest growing yoga school in the world foundered six months later. Since then, Darren [...]

3,938 views
Comments 12

Gurus Behaving Badly: Why Do Sex Scandals Happen? ~ Kimberly Lo

by on Mar 26, 2013

In case you haven’t heard by now, Bikram Choudhury is being sued by his former student, Sarah Baughn, who claims he sexually harassed her. Gurus and sex scandals are nothing new; Choudhury is not the first and probably will not be the last yoga guru embroiled in a sex scandal. Indeed, he joins a long list [...]

432 views
Comments 4

The State of the Union in Yoga: New Schools, New Code of Behavior.

by on Feb 6, 2013

So far 2013 is turning out to be a bit better than last year in the yoga world. For one thing, nobody—not one guru—has been caught with their yoga diapers down. That’s a relief. And it’s been a whole month! Furthermore, no schools of yoga have exploded as of yet. But what could ever match [...]

570 views
Comments 2

elephant awards Best Yoga Teacher of 2012: John Friend

by on Dec 28, 2012

elephant awards Best Yoga Teacher of 2012: John Friend He taught us the virtues of non-theism, of finding our wisdom and bliss within, better than anyone else could have in 2012. As Suzuki Roshi said, “it is wisdom which is seeking wisdom.”                           [...]

706 views
Comments 3

Rebel Yoga: An Interview with Hilary Lindsay.

by on Dec 12, 2012

Yoga teacher and writer Hilary Lindsay reflects on stepping outside of the box, following the path less traveled, ruminations of waking sleep, Einstein and Ann Coulter, why it’s never “just business,” and more.

654 views
Comments 16

50 Shades of Yoga.

by on Nov 27, 2012

Why are male yoga teachers so hot? What I mean to say is why are male yoga teachers so much more popular then their female counterparts. Why do we as women flock to their classes and seek their attention. Do they fulfill some kind of secret fantasy?

6,215 views
Comments 89

How to Destroy your Enemies.

by on Nov 16, 2012

An Obama poster from 2008. The quote’s Lincoln’s. ~ ed. Constructive Criticism and Responsible Dissent is a Sacred Service worthy of Respect & Compassion. Criticism is a sacred duty. In parenting, a relationship or friendship, it’s fundamental to honest communication, fun, free-flowing love and passion. But trolling is a disservice to criticism. When I insult, [...]

998 views
Comments 9

It’s Time for Yogis to Develop Transparent and Democratic Community in Their Hometowns: some notes on John Friend and Kausthub Desikachar

by on Oct 25, 2012

We must stop creating yoga schools that purport to teach yoga when their corporate and spiritual bureaucracies force them to do the exact opposite.

5,945 views
Comments 139

Did We Put John Friend & Yoga on a Pedestal? ~ Carolyn Brown

by on Oct 15, 2012

Source: onesinglehour.tumblr.com via Wendy on Pinterest In February, the yoga world received a wake-up call and an opportunity for honest reflection. An anonymous website claimed unsavory business and personal actions by Anusara yoga founder and teacher, John Friend. What does this complex story reveal about modern yoga, celebrity culture, our own vulnerability and our personal [...]

442 views
Comments 5

Every Body is Different. ~ Bernie Clark

by on Sep 22, 2012

I am sure that this statement did not rock your world: you know that everyone is different. And yet – knowing this, we somehow expect that everyone should be exactly the same when it comes to yoga practice. This is very dangerous.

4,465 views
Comments 38

Interview with Yoganand: The Ethics of Yoga Teachers Part Two. ~ Rachel Dalinka

by on Sep 12, 2012

What is the responsibility of yoga teachers to their students? We are talking about the importance of healthy boundaries for yoga teachers and students. In this section Yoganand clarifies the roles of monks and teachers and discusses the difficulties modern yogis have in straddling both roles. The conversation started after John Friend’s dismissal as the [...]

532 views
Comments 4

Interviews with Yoganand: Ethics for Yoga Teachers. ~ Rachel Dalinka

by on Sep 10, 2012

Putting our teachers on a pedestal is inevitable. We hold them to a higher standard because they are imparting transformative knowledge to us. For many serious yogis, the physical practice of yoga is just part of the appeal. The bigger draw comes from the emotional clearing, the energy release and the connection to our deeper [...]

1,272 views
Comments 11

Angels & Demons: Embracing Our Disowned Parts. ~ Alan Starner‏

by on Aug 27, 2012

For the past couple of years, I’ve been dealing with shadows. There are those parts of myself disowned since childhood, as well as the shadows within others. It’s been fascinating, confusing and liberating, changing the way I see myself and every one I meet. There are many great lessons on the shadow in the film [...]

700 views
Comments 5

Why I Still Suck at Yoga.

by on Jul 31, 2012

After practicing for 15 years, I am not any better at yoga than the day I first rolled out my mat. I didn’t know anything then, and apparently, I’m no closer to enlightenment now. In fact, everything I thought to be true has been turned upside down this year. That 2012 is called “The Year of [...]

1,963 views
Comments 17

I Was Fired From the Facebook Gym for Asking a Student not to Use her Phone During Class. ~ Alice Van Ness

by on Jul 6, 2012

When the telephone was first invented, some people were annoyed that this technology was now able to interrupt dinner. Now the phone fits in your pocket and is also a gaming system, alarm clock and personal computer. It interrupts everything—yoga class, lunch with a friend and sometimes sleep. Maybe we’ve given it too much power. [...]

17,388 views
Comments 213

The Yoga Voice Podcast. ~ Lawrence Jacob Milman

by on Jul 3, 2012

The Yoga Voice Podcast with Lawrence Jacob Milman. I first met Lawrence during an Anusara immersion in Sydney, Australia. Lawrence was already Anusara Inspired and had been a dedicated teacher for years. What I noticed right away was how engaged and curious he was in the material that he had studied time and time again. His [...]

549 views
Comments 8

John Friend: “Here is my side of this story from the beginning…”

by on Jun 12, 2012

John Friend: Full Statement. A Summary of the Facts from my View, the Future of Anusara Yoga, & a Full Offering of Regrets & Commitment to Improve. 6-12-12 It is with profound sadness that I write this public statement today. My level of remorse for my mistakes and my grief for Anusara yoga is simply [...]

7,232 views
Comments 111

The Backlash Against the Brand. ~ Mary Farrell

by on Jun 6, 2012

  In recent months we all watched the mass exodus of Anusara teachers. Everyday new resignation letters appeared in my Facebook newsfeed. Many felt it necessary to distance themselves from John Friend and withdraw their support of him in the light of recent events. But the question that remains is, where do they go after leaving [...]

593 views
Comments 6

Is It Forgiveness Or Spiritual Bypassing? ~ Dianne Bondy

by on Jun 5, 2012

Are You Dealing with Your Sh*t? Are you tired of the John Friend scandal yet? The drawn out nature of this mess makes me wonder are we really tackling our issues or are simply wearing yogi blinders? As yogis (especially in the Anusara tradition) we are taught to always look for the good in everything. “Forgive, love everyone boundlessly [...]

810 views
Comments 14

New Video: John Friend at the height of Anusara success.

by on May 27, 2012

With thanks for the tip to Michelle, via Yogadork, who first discovered this newly-uploaded video. Update: a final major departure from Anusara Yoga. This comes via an ex-Anusara teacher, who viewed this on Yogadork, where they detail John Friend (disgraced former Yoga Tycoon, featured on cover of Sunday New York Times just one year ago) [...]

1,403 views
Comments 15

Desiree Rumbaugh, on the possibility of re-righting the ship that is Anusara Yoga.

by on May 24, 2012

Make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Spirit, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as [...]

2,603 views
Comments 16

Broken Gods, Breaking Hearts. ~ Norman Blair

by on May 22, 2012

Pedestals, Boundaries and Pitfalls in the Teacher-Student Relationship I would like to dedicate this to all teachers and students who have crossed my path. Thank you for your advice and your effort, your encouragement and your sustenance. I hope this article is helpful in our growth towards honesty, compassion and openness. This article is an [...]

1,009 views
Comments 8

So what are we fighting for? Is this “brand” worth saving?

by on May 20, 2012

It has come to this: Anusara the Brand versus Anusara the yoga. It pains me to write this opinion piece because I have teachers who I love on both sides of the argument. Now that John Friend has agreed (sort of) to exit the company he built, people believe we can put this house of [...]

679 views
Comments 5

John Friend agrees to transfer ownership of Anusara, Inc. (We’ll see)

by on May 19, 2012

Via Livia, an ex-Anusara teacher: “the llc is comprised of teachers, but it is based on commnication with JF. They state in that letter it is a verbal agreement. A verbal agreement means nothing with JF. Let’s see if he actually does something. What’s real is that more and more resignation letters have poured in [...]

1,993 views
Comments 15

The Vicious Vocal Minority vs. John Friend.

by on May 19, 2012

“The show is not the show, but they who go.” ~Emily Dickinson It’s amazing how much can change in a year. This exact time last year, I was sitting next to a girlfriend receiving a pedicure and doing what I normally do: listening. She’d just returned from a gathering with John Friend, exuding the same [...]

1,692 views
Comments 9

Next Page»

Popular Lately

Popular This Week

Popular All-Time


Waylon H. Lewis Enterprises © 2013

67 queries in 3.089 seconds.