Yoga Nidra, Satyananda Saraswati, and Sexual Abuse

by Nina 

The Blow to the Heart by Rene Magritte*

“The notion of leading people into a vulnerable, trance-like state by using a technique that was invented by an alleged rapist who then validated it by correlation with obscure medieval sources is intolerable to me. The power and utility of the methods emerging from Satyananda’s legacy rest on an implicit appreciation of the man’s integrity, which is now under serious attack.” —Matthew Remski

If you have been reading our blog for any period of time, you surely will have noticed many references to yoga nidra, a highly structured form of guided Savasana. As recently as Tuesday, December 17, in our interview with her, Cheryl Fenner Brown recommended the practice for people with cancer. And while I don’t practice yoga nidra or teach it (though I’ve tried it, I have never liked it), Baxter does teach it and has recorded a short version of it for our readers (see Audio Tracks).

Do you know anything about the history of this practice? While many believe that yoga nidra is an ancient practice, there is no evidence to support this claim. In fact, I addressed this issue in our post Friday Q&A: What is Yoga Nidra?  In this post, I said that yoga nidra was developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in the twentieth century (based on the teachings of his guru). He wrote:

“I came across many important but little known practices, which interested me greatly. After practicing them myself, I decided to construct a new system called yoga nidra which would incorporate the essence of these practices without having complicated ritualistic drawbacks.”

Swami Satyananda Saraswati describes the yoga nidra practice in great detail in his book Yoga Nidra. The form of practice taught by Swami Satyananda includes eight stages: Internalisation, Sankalpa, Rotation of Consciousness, Breath Awareness, Manifestation of Opposites, Creative Visualization, Sankalpa and Externalisation. Contemporary teachers, such as our very own Baxter Bell, often create their own versions of yoga nidra.

If you’ve read the title of this post and the opening quote, you’re probably putting two and two together right now. Yes, sadly, there is now credible evidence that Satyananda as well as several of his disciples were involved in sexually abusing students and even children at the Bihar School of Yoga Ashram. Here’s how Richard Miller, Ph.D. and long-time teacher of a form of yoga nidra that he calls iRest put it:

"I’m am truly saddened to bear witness to the alleged facts that continue to be revealed, which are alleged to have taken place at the Australia Bihar School of Yoga (BSY) Ashram (now Mangrove Mountain Retreat) in the 70's and 80's, and which now point to the possibility that these have continued into the 90’s and perhaps even to this present day, that involved Swami Akhandananda, and appear to have involved Swami Satyananda, and appear to implicate Satyananda’s protégé, Swami Niranjananda, as well, which also imply that others within BYS may have know, as well." —Richard Miller

We’ll have more from Richard Miller later on. In the meantime for those who want more complete information on the investigation being conducted and the accusations against Satyanananda and his protégés, see Boycott Satyananda’s Literature and Methods Until Reparations are Made for Sexual Abuse.

Obviously this news is extremely disturbing. First of all, it’s another case of yoga “gurus” abusing their power and of their disciples covering up their criminal behavior, which is horrifying enough on its own. But for us, although we are in no way associated with Satyananda’s lineage, we have in the past promoted Satyananda’s book and his work in general, which while not contributing financially to him personally (he is dead), does contribute financially to the organization he founded and that currently has members who are under suspicion for their own criminal behavior or for covering up the crimes of others. And we do not want to continue to support this organization in any way.

Although I’m not sure exactly we are going to do about this yet (we might, for example, stop using the term “yoga nidra” for what is really just a structured form of guided relaxation), to start I thought it was important to get this news out because so many of our readers practice and even teach this technique, and they need to be empowered to make their own decisions about it.

Then, because I don’t practice or teach this technique myself, I discussed the situation with Baxter, who does. While a lot of people are using the “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater metaphor” to promote separating the value of the yoga nidra techniques he developed from the personal conduct of the man himself, there is especial concern about yoga nidra as opposed to say, Sun Salutations, because of the inclusion in the practice of “suggestions” to people who are in a kind of “trace” or “hypnagogic,” state. Here is how Baxter responded to me when I asked him about his teaching of the technique:

“I follow what I believe has become a standard format, where in addition to guided relaxation, they are asked to set a sankalpa (intention), near the start of the practice and are asked to recall it again near the end of the practice. The guided visualizations include imagining sensations, such as hot/cold, heavy/light, imagining they are looking out at the darkness of deep space and noticing what images arise from their own imagination, scanning the body in great detail, quickly visualizing things that I list off, such as a sunset, a front door, a monk meditating, waves on the ocean, a flower and such, and then some sort of guided imagery of going into a friendly forest or walk on the beach, coming to a place of contemplation, and usually reflecting on health, vitality, healing, emotional well-being, or some other sort of beneficial idea, and coming back to body and breath awareness before recalling intention and finishing.

The idea of “suggestive” language would likely appear in the portion of yoga nidra I described above as the forest or beach experience. So, yes, you are “suggesting” things to the person, but all of the yoga nidras I do have this benevolent, self-empowering tenor to them. Could someone else use manipulative language? Obviously.”

For now, Baxter and I are still thinking about this, and what we might do with regard to the yoga nidra practice on our blog. Obviously, I’m going to stop recommending the book by Satyananada and will revise the post I wrote about his work. Baxter needs to make his own decisions about how he teaches the technique and maybe what he calls it.

In the meantime, there is, of course, a lesson for all of us here, whether or not we practice or teach yoga nidra. Do any of you remember my post Abuse of Power in the Yoga World about Kausthub Desikachar? In that post I quoted R. Sriram (and linked to a letter in which he advised people to boycott the Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation) as follows:

Yoga is not about culling out spirits or surrendering one’s individual will power to a teacher who assumes the role of a yoga-sorcerer. No teacher in the world has a right to demand authority over others. The goal of yoga is Kaivalya, independency and not wrong devotion. —R. Sriram

Yes, once again, “wrong devotion” is exactly what made it possible for Satyananda and his disciples to abuse their power over others and what caused other followers to cover up crimes that they knew about. And this is something we all need to keep in mind when we are looking for a yoga teacher, participate in any yoga “lineage,” or turn to any outside authority to guide us. In his statement below, Richard Miller says:

"The current situation unfolding at BSY challenges us, yet again, to make sure we are looking into our own hearts for what is truth, not outside to outer authorities. To the degree we depend upon outside authorities is the degree to which situations like this will occur and disorient us. Buddha rightly pointed out during his lifetime, and again on his deathbed, that we each need to be a light unto ourselves. It is a fact that we are all interconnected, not-separate. It is a fact that we need one another as we walk through this mystery called life. It is also a fact that all of us do go astray at times. We should condemn the actions of Swami Akhandananda and Swami Satyananda and any others who are and will be implicated in engaging in sexual abuse. We should do all that is within our power to stop those who are engaging in such acting out behaviors."

Richard Miller's Statement in Full

"In the coming days, if you're not already privy to the news coming out of Australia with regards to the Bihar School of Yoga, I'd like to post here my response to what is now unfolding in ever disturbing details (see Boycott Satyananda’s Literature and Methods Until Reparations are Made for Sexual Abuse). 

With respect to this news, several weeks ago IRI pulled out of teaching a retreat at Mangrove Mountain Retreat Center in Sydney, and moved my April 2015 retreat to another venue in Sydney.

Here is my response in this moment to the facts that are becoming more and more clear of the sexual abuse carried out by disciples of, and by testimony given of those who were abused, by Swami Satyananda.

I’m am truly saddened to bear witness to the alleged facts that continue to be revealed, which are alleged to have taken place at the Australia Bihar School of Yoga (BSY) Ashram (now Mangrove Mountain Retreat) in the 70's and 80's, and which now point to the possibility that these have continued into the 90’s and perhaps even to this present day, that involved Swami Akhandananda, and appear to have involved Swami Satyananda, and appear to implicate Satyananda’s protégé, Swami Niranjananda, as well, which also imply that others within BYS may have know, as well.

We must use this moment as an opportunity to support those who have been injured, offer our deepest heartfelt help to those in need, but keep up our own self-inquiry into what truth truly is. We are each human, fallible, as we search for, find, and live truth. We are each always doing the best we can. This is not an excuse, but the truth of what is. We must have compassion, but also recognize what actions we each need to take in situations like this, that stop perpetrators from continuing on, while helping those who have been abused, heal. 

Every teacher is a fallible human being. We must be careful not to throw the teachings away with the teacher, the baby, with the bathwater. The sacred teachings that underlie meditation, which in this are derived from the yoga tradition, are derived from thousands of years of people who have come before us, who have struggled and searched to understand the deep truth that lie behind who we are and this mystery called “life”. 

The current situation unfolding at BSY challenges us, yet again, to make sure we are looking into our own hearts for what is truth, not outside to outer authorities. To the degree we depend upon outside authorities is the degree to which situations like this will occur and disorient us. Buddha rightly pointed out during his lifetime, and again on his deathbed, that we each need to be a light unto ourselves. It is a fact that we are all interconnected, not-separate. It is a fact that we need one another as we walk through this mystery called life. It is also a fact that all of us do go astray at times. We should condemn the actions of Swami Akhandananda and Swami Satyananda and any others who are and will be implicated in engaging in sexual abuse. We should do all that is within our power to stop those who are engaging in such acting out behaviors.

I feel deeply in my heart and soul for those who have been injured. I will be doing all that is in my power to help them heal. I also know in the depths of my heart, the realization of non-separation that comes from these precious teachings of meditation and self-inquiry. The teachings cannot be tarnished, no matter the actions of those who go off course. May we have compassion for those who have acted in untruth. May we have love in our hearts for those who need healing. May we develop right understanding as we navigate these awful, present circumstances.

I live in service to others, and to these precious teachings that have given me so much. May we support each other in community. May we help those in need, heal. My we keep diving deeply within ourselves to understand what truth is.

Richard Miller
President, Integrative Restoration Institute
Co-Founder, International Association of Yoga Therapists

Subscribe to Yoga for Healthy Aging by Email ° Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook ° Join this site with Google Friend Connect