I was not saying that Kripalu yoga is a cult. I was saying that it, too, has been through the scandal machine, just like Dahn and many other organizations are right now. The accusations of it being a cult still exist, even though it is run very status quo now, long after the guru thing. Just do a search with "Kripalu cult." Of course, it is not a cult, but any spiritually oriented organization can be effected by this sort of thinking. Dahn seems to attract a lot of attention because it is growing fast and it is taoist, not Hindu, in its basic philosophy, which a handful of other yoga practitioners are intolerant about. The word "cult" has been watered down to mean "any practice I don't like." Just look at the Rick Ross site, which most anti-Dahn activists use as an authority. Practically every non-traditional organization is listed there, and there is no regard for the truthfulness of the postings. (And, of course, no positive posts are allowed to provide the opposing points of view.) Anyone who has experienced Dahn for an extended period of time can see how absurd some of these anti-dahn statements are, like when Timothy says you "risk death" in Dahn Yoga. Out of the thousands of people that have trained in Mago Garden, one tragic death occured, which resulted in wrongful death suit. It may be quite possibly true that dahn was negligent in this case, but the facts of this case have not been established. Only the prosecution's case has been made public and court has not ruled in the case. I have been to just about every conceivable Dahn training, and I never came home with so much as a scratch and I always found the trainers to be attentiev and caring. I think that people like Timothy and Rick Ross really believe that they are doing something heroic, warning people away from supposedly dangerous groups. In reality, all they do is spread gossip and misinformation as though it were undeniable truth. I have five and half years of REAL experience in Dahn yoga, and I can tell you that the information on negative blogs rarely meshes with REAL experience. If people want to complain about actual experiences in dahn, that's great; it will only make dahn better in the end. But let's keep the discussion fair and truthful. P.S. You don't have to have a guru or enroll members to teach dahn yoga. Of course that is part of the job if you teach in a center, but many people teach in other venues.

You definitely did censor any strong opinions in support of Dahn Yoga from your site. You did it to me and you did it to many other people. That's why there are now only anti-dahn comments on the site (with the exception of a few weak supporting statements from inexperienced practitioners). Any one with any length of experiences who attempted to defend Dahn was immediately cut. There was no name calling in any of the posts of mine that you cut. In fact, the only "name calling" that I recall from the entire thread came from you, when you very immaturely decided to refer to Ilchi Lee (founder of Dahn Yoga) as "Itchy" Lee. You really can't stoop much lower than that, Timothy, so I wouldn't try to use the bogus "I only cut name calling" excuse. The fact of the matter is that you were on a ramage against a form of yoga that is in direct competition with your classes. You used your blog to support your own classes and to give yourself advantage by spreading many false rumors about Dahn. Very, very irresponsible. That's not a "put-down" Timothy; that is you as I have experienced you. If you have that right to experess your opinion, so should I! It is not right to censor a debate only to reflect one side of the argument, and that is how you conducted your blog. You are boldly lying to the people who read this blog when you say, "I have not denied or censored the positive aspects of this practice" because in fact that IS EXACTLY what you did.

What is that adage, "If it sounds too good to be true..............................watch out"

People who are desperate enough for change, will probably believe anything, at least for a while.

What is with all the gullibility of late in the world, this country, this tribe?

I find it all a bit disheartening.

~MTS~

Interesting Mokie, all the yoga centres (of varying types, none of them Dahn) where I live offer passes of varying lengths that allow one to take unlimited classes. Maybe it's different where you are....

You've got me wrong. I'm not promoting Dahn Yoga or anything else, I'm simply asking a question...and I'm not badmouthing the 'Y', I'm just doing comparison shopping. I'm not eligible for financial assistance, and that was the price of the classes they offered.

Hey, anyone in the Calgary area who knows of any yoga studio that charges $650 a year for unlimited classes, let me know...cause I'll be the first to jump ship.

Hello,

I'm probably late in my post, but the past 2 hours I have been reading various post on different sites about Dahn Yoga. I did not realize that there was so much controversy about this organization. I was a member for about 6 months last year in Brooklyn N.Y., and stopped membership due to my very busy schedule. I can honestly say that I have had only positive results from my participation. I went at least 3 days per week, my instructor was very good, and did not pressure me to buy or do anything I did not want to do. I recieved a copy of my contract, we car pooled to different functions, and it was a great opportunity to meet other people. It is probably true that a lot of what they teach is derived from other sources. Well, we can say that about practically anything these days. I did not feel brainwashed or that I was a part of some cult. I do believe that we can choose and if people are being pulled into something that they feel is innapropriate, then they can always leave, and if they are easily manipulated then their issues goes far beyond Dahn Yoga business practices. The individuals should not sign if they are not comfortable with the terms. If they don't know, do research and ask questions. If after doing your homework, you are still not satisfied, take your business elsewhere. I've save thousands of dollars on products and services by doing just that. This is the same in any business transaction. Many organizations charge outrageous prices and it does seem that there are a lot of people that are self taught trainers and profit very hansomly from this. I'm just saying that these days people are easy to point fingers without realizing that it takes two to tango. Remember, you can always say no and never return.

The reason why I was looking online tonight is that I was actually trying to locate a center nearby. Well, there are none in this state that I know of. So, I spent 14 dollars on a DVD. This combined with my memory of what we practiced, will help me to just do it in my home. No pressure, no scams, just simply doing it myself.

To the post that talked about new comers that have no friends here? And somehow this discredits what they are saying? Since when does membership on a site and how many friends you have determines ones credibility?

Finally, there is nothing wrong with educating the public about concerns. This is what makes the internet and the media so great (when it is done correctly). Maybe the light on Dahn Yoga will force it to change its practices to conform more to Western sentiment. I lived in Asia for about 7 years. You think the Dahn employees don't make fair wages? You should check out some of the Dojos in Japan or some centers in Korea. A good friend of mine is there several hours before sessions and spends several hours afterwards doing cleaning, until the late hours of he night.
After all, the question should be focused on whether or not they have a good product; meaning does the customer recieve what was advertised. If not, don't renew or, seek legal action if something illegal was done. For me, I recieve exactly what I paid for. But, I would agree that the prices should come down a bit, and that the centers that are using aggressive sales tactics, should be less aggressive, it is better for business. If a center opened in my area, and I had the funds, I would definetly start up again. Taking what I need from the experience, and leaving the rest alone.