Dear Students,
As you know, the teachings I pass on are the Integral Yoga tradition. I have used them as my base for years for personal transformation and to safely guide new teachers who want to delve more deeply into the practice of yoga. It has always felt like a safe place for me. Those of you who know me know that satya-truth is a cornerstone of how I live my life. Below is information I feel you should know in the precise timeline as I have become aware of it. I will always be fully transparent with you. This below, was dated yesterday, Feb 13, 2023.
In light of the statement that was sent out in November, 2022, by the leadership at Integral Yoga, Yogaville, a few trainers came together and asked for a meeting to do a presentation with the various boards. This happened last Saturday 4th February.
Dear Luckshmi,
That was a moving presentation and at times heartbreaking. I admire the courage and strength to do this and acknowledge the frustration behind it. You and Hersha and Maya were very strong, clear, and I underline the importance in the urgency you pressed. As an "affiliate center", please know you have my full support and if there is anything I can do, or if you want to add any of my words or thoughts, I am completely transparent.
I did remove myself from the Sangha Soundboard, after reading enough, I understood and feel all that pain that needs to be processed. I still get no emails or correspondence from Yogaville about any of this, so I appreciate you keeping me in the loop. I am still at this moment a monthly contributor and don't know why as a studio owner I don't get to know what is going on.
Two points Swami Ramananda made, and I hope will be heeded, are
better communication- ironic in this day when there are so many
tools to make this easy, and a multi-generational and inclusive
presence, everywhere. I loved what Hersha said about listening
and trusting what is out there. The teachings are pure, timeless
and resonate with everyone, trusting all of us is so important.
If it helps at all to let you know more about me, here it is.
In 2000, after my Basic Training in New York, I moved to Paris for
a little change. I didn't know I would stay, let alone open a
studio. But, I feel and felt and will always feel strong powers
move through one when they take an IY YTT. France was and is
difficult for outsiders and getting help or guidance from IYI or
Yogaville never happened and I concentrated on figuring out the
language and system myself, well, with faith and a practice that
works. It does, The Centre de Yoga du Marais teaches the
teaching of Integral Yoga because that is my Yoga Home. I chose
this after feeling I needed to be a more knowledgeable teacher and
studied with many other yoga masters. I studied in India, took a
Vipassana training, went to Mysore and knew that was not it. I did
not go to Pune, but studied with B.K.S. Iyengar's qualified
teachers. I did the South India tour with Swami Divyananda, where
I met Hersha. I helped out at the Coimbatore IYI. Additionally, one of my
favorite teachers was a longtime student of Shandor and I
discovered the yoga traditions of the Southern Hemisphere which
are often overlooked by us in the North. When the Desikachar
family came through Paris I studied with them, too and continued
in the south with Kaustub, when he returned. I wanted to be a good teacher, and to
do that I felt I had to know a lot. After all this I knew I
wanted to do the Advanced YTT at Yogaville. That was 2011 and
Swami Asokananda became my next favorite guide. My first was
Mataji, in India. At Yogaville, I had both. Mataji and Swami
Asokananda and their energy inspired me. Mataji's devotion and
Swami Asokananda's truth, humility and humor. I did not know
Swami Satchidananda, I saw him one time in person in New York at a
satsang, he was very frail already and I thought it was too bad
that I never had the experience that so many others had.
That said, I am not a person of ideologies or one fond of rhetoric, so the revelations that have come up are not shaking me. I have seen so much in the land of guru and patriarchy since 2000 that I am hardly surprised. I am shaken by deception however and this is where my heart is going out to all. I consider Integral Yoga my home, my forever home and that comes from a very personal place. I believe one's spirituality is a very personal thing. Mataji, Nalanie, Swami Asokananda helped me see that. Maybe they will know now after this letter that they are always in my heart. Yoga is a living breathing thing, just like language, a second passion of mine. Language changes, needs to change. Those changes come from the young. The structure is sound and true, but communication inside the structure needs to be fluid. This is the best analogy I can think of. The teachings are true because we see that they work!! They simply work. Did Swami Satchidananda create yoga, of course not. But the system he taught us works. Yoga and Language were always there. Humankind simply uncovers it.
I appreciate what you present as a solution, two entities moving forward. Yogaville and IYI. One a guardian and preserver of history and Truth! and the other a fully embracing, opening and accepting entity that is aware of each moment in our time, passing the teachings forward. I hope that a neutral organization, a third party will be able on the soon side to parse this out so that it can happen.
I fully support as well, any action you feel you may have to take to be on your own. It's not so bad. I figured it out, and my heart is with you, but I hope that won't have to happen. After hearing your voices tonight before I taught my class, I felt the transformative power again of sangha and it made me miss you and appreciate that we are better together. Let's think positively, there are far too many intelligent women in this that we can't figure this out.
I am sending my love out to all my sisters hurting right now.
This too shall pass. Luckshmi please share this with your pod.
:) Avi you're in here too, because you are very important to us.
Om shanti,
Michelle
