Surviving Satchidananda: The Dark Secrets of an International Yoga Movement

Joan Cichon got involved with Integral Yoga in 1968 after experiencing personal crises that led them to seek greater control of their mind and a more meaningful way of life. Initially, the spiritual community and Swami Satchidananda's teachings were just what Joan needed. But the more time they spent at Yogaville, the more they noticed troubling patterns, like community members worshiping Swami Satchidananda as God and neighbors excusing harmful behavior in the name of yoga. Joan was featured in the Netflix mini series Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story where they were interviewed about witnessing the community's response to Antle impregnating an underage girl. Drawing on their deep understanding of yogic philosophy, Joan helps explain how spiritual teachings can be manipulated and weaponized to exploit vulnerable seekers.

SurvivingSatchidananda.com

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.
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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.
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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.
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