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Dear Beloved Students, Friends and Family,
As you may or may not be aware for the past week and a half Anusara yoga has been in a firestorm due to the recent allegations of sexual and ethical misconduct by John Friend, founder and current head of Anusara yoga, Inc. Some of these allegations have, sadly, proven to be true.
At present John has admitted and apologized for his wrongdoing though perhaps not thoroughly enough. John is also the CEO and sole proprietor of Anusara, Inc and thus holds all copyrights and trademarks related to Anusara yoga that we as Certified and Inspired teachers work so hard to earn the right to use. As of Friday an official effort for greater transparency and teacher involvement within Anusara as an organization is underway.
What remains unclear to me is John’s level of acceptance and understanding of wrongdoing on his part, his willingness to get meaningful help and the efficacy of corporate restructuring. I had already planned to go to Miami this week for a workshop with John and now view this as a unique opportunity to gain first hand perspective regarding the concerns noted above. I will use this experience to help make a decision regarding maintaining or resigning my status as a licensed Anusara-Inspired teacher.
Whatever happens regarding licensing, the fate of Anusara, Inc or Anusara as a branded system of yoga, be assured that my commitment to the Principles of the practice remain: a life-affirming philosophy, elegant alignment principles and most importantly you, my cherished community of students, teachers and friends. No matter where this journey of transformation takes us we will always remain a community of the heart.
On a final note, my dear mentor and friend Lila Brown resigned her Anusara Certification today. She and I had an in-depth conversation about this and I fully understand, support and honor her decision.
I encourage you to contact me with any questions or concerns. I am here and happy to be of service.
With love and gratitude,
Melinda
The HouseHolder's Path 