Surviving Satchidananda: The Dark Secrets of an International Yoga Movement

Maxim Kramer is the first man to publicly claim that he was sexually assaulted as a minor in Integral Yoga's care. When Maxim told Swami Satchidananda that he was assaulted, the guru silenced him. Now that Kramer has a PhD in psychology and has studied the mindset of both sex offenders and cult victims, he can analyze the psychological profile of abusive gurus like Swami Satchidananda. survivingsatchidananda.com

Vijay played a significant role creating and developing the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco. He describes his experiences working with Swami Satchidananda, including both the positive spiritual guidance he recieved and the challenges posed by the guru's unethical relationships with disciples. Vijay explains why he decided to advocate for those harmed by Swami Satchidananda and the community's reaction to his speaking out. survivingsatchidananda.com

Sharada Thompson shares about the abuse she experienced at the hands of Swami Satchidananda, how the Integral Yoga Community responded, and tools spiritual seekers can use to notice toxic patterns and protect themselves from falling under coercive control. https://gurusexabuse.com/womens-testimony/#sharada

Forest, who grew up in Yogaville, shares about the challenges of being homeschooled in an isolated community. We discuss the disciplinary culture at the ashram, violence among kids who grew up there, and how an ashram upbringing impacts adulthood. survivingsatchidananda.com

In this episode, Brianna interviews Carol Merchasin, the notorious attorney who takes on abusive spiritual communities in court. Her firm, Mcallister Olivarius, is currently supporting plaintiffs Shanti Norris and Susan Cohen in their legal battle against Yogaville/Integral Yoga. Merchasin's work is part of a broader effort to hold spiritual organizations accountable for misconduct. She has previously represented individuals in cases involving spiritual communities such as The Shambhala International Lineage of Buddhism and Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers. Read the Yogaville court documents yourself here with the index number: 952220-2023 https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/iscroll/IScroll If you would like to share any information about Yogaville with Brianna, email [email protected]