To Our Yoga West Community
If you wish to find out how the organizations are moving towards healing, you can find out at the following website:
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 very disturbing. With deep sorrow and disappointment, we accept and acknowledge the report’s conclusions.
You can read the entire report by going to the link above. Warning: it is very disturbing and difficult to read. We suggest you read the intro letter by 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.
In the most 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 are co-hosting 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. 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
FOR UPDATES & INFORMATION
PLEASE VISIT THE COLLABORATIVE RESPONSE TEAM WEBSITE
