Downward Facing Blog

Not the “insane, nutty, psychotic” mad but the “angry, furious, enraged” mad. I mean it.

I am mad because a yoga teacher is exploiting his celebratory status by taking advantage of the unsuspicious practitioners!

Back in August, I attended a workshop conducted by this re-known teacher, whose vinyasa classes are raved about for the martial art influence. He shot to fame few years ago through association with some BIG NAMES in Hollywood. 

It was meant to be a three-day workshop but I only attended one session after finding no inspiration from this teacher.

Later that night, I bumped into two friends who took up his intensive TT. I was horrified by their story. They saw with their own eyes that this teacher was making move on the students! And they experienced how this teacher was groping their breast during Pada Angusthasana! Now, forgive my lack of knowledge. Can anyone tell me, why would anyone have their hands on the student’s chest while adjusting a finger-to-big-toe standing forward bend? My friends might be new to yoga. But, I’m pretty sure any female can tell you the difference between a ‘normal’ and a ‘awkward’ touch! And it was certainly not a ‘friendly’ gesture when one of them almost burst out in tears feeling harassed!

That’s not all. Since they had such unpleasant experience, they became cautious. During Shavasana, they refused to rest with closed eyes but instead remained seated. They saw this teacher kneel down with his knees to the inside of the female student’s knees, lean over and had his eyes fixed on her breast. Worse was to come: he then moved his palms around the breast. NO. Not the standard chest expansion massage one would do but GROPING! When the teacher approached my friends, they politely told him that they were Muslim and it’s against the religion for them to have such contact with him.

A dear friend of mine, later confided in me that she was  shaken by his adjustment. She was holding an altered Supta Konasana (with lower back on the floor). This teacher came to her, set his knees on the floor just in front of her buttock. He then “gently” hovered over and “helped” her to go deeper so that her toes touched to the floor. Little did the outsiders knew that he had his genital touching hers! She was panic-stricken and her whole body trembled long after the session!

I should not believe it without seeing and experiencing it myself? What about this: He knew my husband (whom was my fiance back then). So when I met him, I told him that I was engaged with this man. During the practice (Supta Konasana), he came to me, before he adjusted my posture, he asked:” Are you STILL getting married?” I thought the question was awkward. Perhaps my English grammar was not good enough? Anyway, I said “YES”. Without having so much as a touch on me, he backed off. HELLO?!?!?!?

More than just feeling mad, I’m upset. I’m upset because there are so many innocent yoga enthusiasts out there giving him benefit of doubt! People come to his class without armour but RESPECT and HOPE. Look what he gives back in return?

I can go on ranting about the many other stories I found out about this teacher. But I won’t.

It is very tempting to publicly announce his name. Alas, I won’t.

If you know who I am talking about, spread the news. Something has to be done. He is wrong, not just because he abuses his teaching authority. It’s simply because it’s not right!

I had been keeping mum. Nevertheless, I simply cant contain myself after reading a blog from a US based forum: the author’s witness of the event was all too similar. Are we talking about the same person? I can’t be sure. I hope we are, otherwise it simply means there is more than ONE blacksheep among the teaching community!