📺 Watched Breath of Fire.

This is a 4 part HBO documentary about the rise of a type of yoga called Kundalini in the west, and in particular two people heavily involved in its popularisation over here - Yogi Bhajan who largely introduced the practice to the west and, the show’s main focus, Guru Jagat who was prominent under Bhajan’s direction and continued its expansion via the RA MA institute which she helped set up in Los Angeles, New York, and Mallorca.

Unfortunately their interpretation of the practice, or at least the institutions they built around it, turned into something of a cult. This series demonstrates some of the dynamics of that wellness-to-cult pipeline.

The institutions and leaders made a ton of money, offering what came down to a form of prosperity gospel. Allegations against Bhajan of rape and sexual abuse came forth from its previously enthusiastic participants. Children were treated mistreated; staff were bullied. All in all, this documentary paints a picture of the RA MA institute becoming an increasingly awful and culty place to be. Guru Jagat herself seemed to develop increasingly strange and dangerous beliefs - the sorts of things you might associate with conspiracy theorists such as QAnon.

Kundalini yoga is still actively practiced all around the world - you can attend perfectly non-abusive classes that have nothing to do with the RA MA Institute or conspiracy theories all over the place that many people find helpful. The RA MA institute itself is still active, although not run by Guru Jagat any more, she having died young in 2021 of cardiac arrest caused by a pulmonary embolism after surgery. Yogi Bhajan died in 2004, aged 75.