Author: Michael Alan Dorman

Dear friends,

In the wake of the allegations of ethical misconduct against John Friend–which I believe he has largely confirmed–I have decided to not renew my license with Anusara, Inc. at this time.

As a consequence, I will have to change the name of one of my classes–the content (for better or worse 🙂 will stay the same.

To be clear: I remain dedicated to the powerful principles of this system of yoga, and I continue to think of myself as part of the community that grew up around it. However, at this moment, the structure of Anusara, Inc.–which seems inextricably bound up with John Friend, and which he has ruled in an autocratic style, using his position of power to manipulate, threaten and punish teachers–is not one I feel I can support.

I leave open the possibility that if Anusara, Inc. succeeds in reshaping itself into a less autocratic, more open and transparent structure that I feel aligns clearly with what I value, that I may seek to renew my affiliation at some point in the future, as I value many the things this organization has facilitated. Just not so much that I would choose to validate or enable the sort of behavior that has come to light of late.

Above all, I have the deepest gratitude for the teachings I have received, love for the community that has welcomed me, and hope for the man who was instrumental in bringing these things into the world.

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