The premise: Dahn Yoga is a cult and should be avoided.
The problem: Many people are ill-willed, misinformed, or outright ignorant and greedy opportunists who will exploit anything they can to earn a buck.
The solution: Do your homework. Don't be an idiot. If you make a mistake, own up to it. Be an adult and take responsibility for your actions. It's one thing to have the wool pulled over your eyes and be abused, but it's another to get involved in something you KNOW is wrong and then crying wolf at the end of the day.
Example: That woman from the '90s who sued millions (and won) from McDonald's after spilling coffee in her lap and burning herself. Hey lady, ever heard of a cup holder? Who the heck puts a cup of hot coffee between their legs as they drive???
How this all ties in with Dahn Yoga: I just watched this video about 2 former Dahn Yoga employees:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R_VCzbDItg
In it, the girls explain how they were duped out of thousands of dollars and were basically f^cked (literally and figuratively) during their Dahn days.
Now, I do agree that Dahn has cult-like qualities, but to these 2 women, I have to say:
SHAME ON YOU!
Although I, too, was dragged into potential Dahn oblivion in my weakest and most vulnerable state, I backed out and didn't put in another dime into their program. I CHOSE to leave their bullshit rhetoric and cult.
You don't see me bitching about how I lost my money to Dahn on CNN. Rather (LOL), I am sharing my story with you so that you don't get lost in the Dahn hoopla. These girls are trying to sue Dahn's founder, Ilchi Lee, for money. I'm sure their experiences were traumatic, but let's face it, they're just in the media for the money.
Even the African-American man featured in the video mourns the loss of his brother, who evidently died during a Dahn outing. If you knew the back story, you would know that the death was an accident and that the deceased's family accepted the tragedy as just that: an ACCIDENT.
BUT, once you throw the possibility of capitalizing on death (is nothing sacred anymore???), hell - why NOT go on national TV in your smartest suit and lament over your brother's death?
Strength in numbers, my friends. The man knows there is money for the taking in this open class action suit.
Staying clear of Dahn's cultish ways is one thing. Getting fucked by them and then trying to profit from it is another. Let's be responsible, people. Be accountable for your dumb ass decisions and move on!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteJust found this site as I was searching for chat rooms and such involving former Dahn members. I am in the process of writing several books about my own spiritual path and the first one focuses on my seven year involvement with the group, including three years of total submersion, living and working with the masters - ending with going to Korea. I'm profiling the organization as a cult, and this first book which is edited and on the way to publication, reveals some of the darker aspects of my involvement as well as the beneficial things which I still practice and use today. I've been out since 2006. I am just looking for other folks' stories and information that might not be found elsewhere about people's experiences in Dahn to include in my book proposal. Don't even know if you'll read this since the site seems kind of old.
anyway, thanks for your time!
Tia Robinson
tiateach@hotmail.com
Actually, as I've mentioned, I was a member of the lawsuit you are referring to here. And we definitely were not in it for the money. We were putting in time towards publicity to get the word out and hopefully help others leave. It's actually thanks to us that by the time you encountered Dahn in 2010 that there is now as much information on the internet about Dahn being a cult. I wasn't so lucky when I was first being sucked into Dahn in 2004. There wasn't clear information then.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get a dime from the lawsuit. I am happy that the word got out and many of the centers in the US closed. We also supported a group in Korea to actually leave and press charges against Dahn. Those are my victories from it. I'm glad the info we helped get out there, eventually made it possible for people like you to find the truth about Dahn that much quicker. That is a victory for me.
And as far as Julia Siverals death... it wasn't an accident. I know for a fact that in the hiking group was a woman who was Wilderness First Aid Certified. This person recognized Julia's symptoms of heat exhaustion and did nothing to vie for Julia to be able to discontinue on the hike. They were forced to walk through the Arizona desert with less than a pint of water each, while carrying backpacks full of rocks. Her family most certainly doesn't not believe it was an accident.