Yoga
This is a small sampling of my favorite Yoga books and websites
Books
Yoga: Ancient Heritage, Tomorrow’s Vision - Indu Arora
Mudra: The Sacred Spirit - Indu Arora
Body by Breath: The Science and Practice of Physical and Emotional Resilience - Jill Miller
Living the Sutras: A Guide to Yoga Beyond the Mat - Kelly DiNardo and Amy Pearce-Hayden
Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness - Donna Farhi
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit
Ayurveda
This is a small sampling of my favorite Ayurveda books. Stay tuned for content updates!
Books
Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide - Deepak Chopra
Ayurveda: The Science of Self Healing: A Practical Guide - Dr. Vasant Lad
Women's Power to Heal: Through Inner Medicine - Maya Tiwari
Ayurveda: A Life of Balance: The Complete Guide to Ayurvedic Nutrition & Body Types with Recipes
Spiritual Abuse of Power
In 2020 I left my teacher who created a cult-like environment and repeatedly misused and abused her power. Abuse of Power is rampant in the yoga and wellness spaces, and it needs to stop. Obviously, this topic has become increasingly important to me and many others in the yoga community. I am hopeful that we all can heal and figure out how to prevent this type of behavior from happening in the future. I hope that by sharing these resources I can help bring awareness and solutions to this problem. -Courtney
P.S. The other reason for this share is a reminder that it’s not all “sunshine and roses” out there. I’m not trying to be a downer, but… When we first find Yoga and/or Ayurveda or any other helpful wellness practice, we often go through a honeymoon phase where everything we’re doing seems and feels amazing. This is fantastic and is typically why we are driven to dive deeper and study more. However this is also the time when/where it’s easy to overlook bad behavior by our teachers and/or community because the practices or teachings have seemed to help us so much. And as my friend Sarah shared, this is where sayings and thoughts like “positive vibes only” get us into trouble, adding to the group think of not speaking up.
Articles
What is Spiritual Abuse of Power in Yoga? Examining Psycho-emotional Harm & Healing
The 2021 Rod Stryker Scandal: A Call for Restorative Justice
Abuse of Spiritual Power: My Story
Should We Be Mandated Reporters When a Yoga Teacher is Unsafe?
Why Are You Still Doing Bikram Yoga?
Who Is Yogi Bhajan? The Guru That The Kundalini Community Rejects
#MeToo – The Yoga Stories (Part 1)
#MeToo – The Yoga Stories (Part 2)
Call Your Dad, You're in a Yoga Cult: Why I Left Baptiste Yoga
John Friend Anusara Scandal: Inside the Wiccan ‘Sex’ Coven
Yoga Guru Pattabhi Jois Sexually Assaulted Me for Years
Podcasts
ESPN 30 for 30 Podcasts: Bikram
150: Spiritual Influencer Theory
Books
Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships
The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power
Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage: My Life with Yogi Bhajan
Selling Yoga: From Counterculture to Pop Culture
Peace Love Yoga: The Politics of Global Spirituality
Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain, and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Competitive Yoga