To Our Yoga West Community

The 3HO/KRI/Sikh Dharma organizations are undergoing a healing project. To find out more about the current Compassionate Reconciliation Project, please visit the website: www.compassionatereconciliation.com.

If you wish to find out how 3HO organizations have been moving towards healing, you can find out at the following website. This follows communications from early 2020.

Message to our Community

Our community has been hit with a double whammy of huge challenges. Along with the COVID emergency is the revelation that our teacher and founder, Yogi Bhajan, has been implicated in sexual and abusive misconduct.  A neutral third-party—An Olive Branch— was contracted by our organization to investigate the allegations. The conclusions reported as a result of the investigation are disturbing. With deep sorrow and disappointment, we accept and acknowledge the report’s conclusions.

You may wish to read the letters from the SSSC, which states honestly and sincerely how all of our organizations—KRI, 3HO, Sikh Dharma, and of course, Yoga West—feel and what will be done going forward. Note also that there is sincere commitment to work towards reconciliation with those who have come forward to reveal this painful past. (See message from Just Outcomes after this message.)

In a recent communication from the Siri Singh Sahib Corporation, they inform of recent actions they are planning going forward: 

“We have embarked on a program of Compassionate Reconciliation based on the principles of restorative justice, mediation and other healing modalities. We are currently interviewing and vetting a number of the most respected restorative justice experts throughout the world to assemble a team with specific qualifications that meet the needs of our community.”

We cannot state strongly enough how much we condemn Yogi Bhajan's behaviour and the betrayal of our core values. We are all in a kind of shock: as these actions run completely contrary to what we practice and how we live. Unbearable heartbreak this has brought, so many emotions: anger, betrayal, disappointment, outrage, deep sadness, disillusionment …. Each of us going through our own personal process. We honour that. No one is in denial. It is messy and uncomfortable. We sit together in this discomfort.

May we painfully add, that though it is astonishing to imagine that this abuse stayed hidden, we only saw the brilliant, compassionate teacher. Though some say that over the years there were rumours, we never saw any clue what was happening beyond closed doors. Had we known we never would have ignored it. For this we apologize to you and all those concerned. Our hearts and prayers go out to those harmed and felt they could not speak out or perhaps did but were not supported by our community all these years. We see that restorative justice, mediation with those who have been harmed is being addressed and we are grateful for that.

How does one reconcile that these amazing Teachings for how to live a spiritual life came from such a deeply flawed person? Perhaps some of you cannot reconcile this. Perhaps some already have. We are all processing this and we might be dealing with this for a long time. Yet, over these 50 years, we have witnessed the authentic elevation and healing of thousands of people all over the world. The powerful light of these Teachings still shines and holds even more value now as we gather them up and hold them close.

INFORMATION & PROCESSING SESSIONS

Each one of us who have been touched by Kundalini Yoga, or teach it, must own and honour our own response and process around these heartbreaking revelations. You may want to find a safe, effective way to identify and release emotion which might be triggered, and see if there is a light at the end of the tunnel. One resource about Grief Recovery from Dr. Sat-Kaur and Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur can be found at the following link: A Yogic Model of Grief Recovery as the Integration of Change.

• KRI and 3HO International have co-hosted a series of information and processing zoom calls which are open for students, teachers, and trainers and are offered in several time slots. To find out the schedule go to 3ho.org and click News & Updates.

• A Yogic Approach for Grief Recovery with Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur. You can watch recording.

AT YOGA WEST

Let it be clear that here at Yoga West in Vancouver, we have already distanced ourselves from the personality of Yogi Bhajan, though remain grateful to him for delivering these amazing Teachings. The integrity and grace of these Teachings are very important to us, and we will always carry them in the highest frequency here at Yoga West. We believe that the Teachings which have served us all for so long will be carried into the future, in an honest, authentic and empowering way, and are more important and needed now more than ever.

In the meantime, know that here at Yoga West, we will continue to offer classes, delivering these great Teachings of Kundalini Yoga. We will carry on with our Training of teachers, continue to gather as sacred community together, keep the sacred space of the Gurdwara for all and any to bow and find peace. In so many ways we support one another and continue to grow and glow.

We know how much this means to you, and what Yoga West means to you. We all need time to process this all and move forward in a new way. We will continue to hold this space for you, as we go through this difficult growth process together. 

May we move through these challenging times held in grace, courage, and love.

Sat Naam

Compassionate Reconciliation

August 6, 2021 – August 19, 2021

Project Update from JUST OUTCOMES

August 20, 2021

Dear Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma Communities,

We are happy to provide this biweekly update on the Compassionate Reconciliation Project.

Updates on the Compassionate Reconciliation Commission

Our current focus is on scheduling the first Compassionate Reconciliation Commission meeting (click here for more background on this group). The initial meetings of the CRC will focus on setting group guidelines and determining strategic goals for the Compassionate Reconciliation Project. This is to ensure that the activities of the CRP are determined by folks within your communities, and their diverse perspectives and understandings of the priorities of the current moment.

The CRC has the following composition:

 The CRC will be supported by Just Outcomes in their group-formation and decision-making processes for at least the following 10 months.

Upcoming Events

Monthly Information Sessions:

Q&A Sessions: For community members interested in learning more about the Compassionate Reconciliation Project, Just Outcomes is offering a series of informational Q & A sessions. These monthly sessions are held at different times of day to accommodate various time zones. So far we have hosted calls on June 17th, July 5th and the next one is coming up on August 24th. All Q & A Sessions are scheduled for 60-minutes. The following are options available this fall. Come as often as you’d like!

• Tuesday, August 24, 2021, 8:00 AM PT/3:00 PM GMT. Click here to register.

• Thursday, September 16, 2021, 5:00 PM PT/12 AM GMT. Click here to register.

• Friday, October 15, 2021, 8:00 AM PT/3:00 PM GMT. Click here to register.

• Monday, November 15, 2021, 4:00 PM PT/11 PM GMT. Click here to register.

• Wednesday, December 15, 2021, 9:00 AM PT/2:00 PM GMT. Click here to register.

Upcoming Workshops:

Introduction to Restorative Justice Workshop (4-hours): Have you been seeking to better understand what Restorative Justice is all about? In this 4-hour session, Just Outcomes will share the foundational principles and values of restorative justice, and how this approach to justice seeks to repair harm, determine meaningful accountability and build community. We will offer this session several times over the next 10 months and registration is open and available to all those interested in the work of the CRP. All “Introduction to Restorative Justice” workshops are 4-hour sessions. The following are the Fall 2021 Options:

• Wednesday, September 8, 2021, 8:00 AM PT/3:00 PM GMT. Click here to register.

• Tuesday, November 16, 2021, 5:00 PM PT/12 AM GMT. Click here to register.

We will also be providing two, 12-hour Circle Facilitator Trainings this fall and will provide that schedule in our next communication!

Yours in kindness, compassion, and gratitude,

Catherine Bargen, Matthew Hartman, Cara Walsh, Aaron Lyons, and our extended Just Outcomes Team

Sign up here to receive regular updates from Just Outcomes about the Compassionate Reconciliation Project. By signing up you will receive updates about Compassionate Reconciliation only.