What is Love Bombing?
According to Wikipedia, "Love bombing is an attempt to influence a person by lavish
demonstrations of attention and affection. The phrase can be used in
different ways. Members of the Unification Church use or have used it
themselves to mean a genuine expression of friendship, fellowship,
interest, or concern."
Well, Dahn Yoga is not the Unification Church, but they are a certainly a sect of a big cult movement, and they actively practice Love Bombing.
So here's the deal. I'm NOT a touchy-feely person. I mean, I'm Korean, for heaven's sakes. We just don't get huggly wuggly, warm and fuzzy, or lovey dovey in our household. That being said, it's awfully strange that Dahn Yoga, also of Korean origin, practices love bombing, something not inherently part of the culture.
Whenever you come into the Dahn Yoga studio, you'll be greeted by warm, big hugs from the instructors - plural, yes, ALL the employees. It's rather gross and daunting at first, or maybe it's just because I'm a private person and don't like to be touched by strangers. Then, you eventually kind of get used to it and start to adapt.
Pretty soon, your suspicion ("why the hell are these people hugging me? I see them every freakin' day!") melts and you let your guard down. Then, you think, "hmm, ok, I guess they just really like me and are happy to see me."
That's when you're punched in the face, figuratively speaking. They want you to think they like you and welcome you. Then, they pull the BS sales/cult tactics on you after they get you to believe you're one of them.
The worst love bombing happened to me when, after one particular session, the instructor pulled me aside and onto a couch. I was freaked out but she was a smaller female and I knew I could take her if she tried to get fresh with me.
She sits me down, takes my hand into hers, and then lovingly strokes it with her other hand. CREEPY AND F*CKING GROSS!!!!!!! She asks me, "What is the meaning of life? What is happiness?" By this point, I knew Dahn Yoga was a damned cult but I still had a month left in my membership so I didn't want to make waves.
I knew she wanted me to tell her that my life was a mess and I needed guidance or some other vulnerable self-pity garbage. Without missing a beat, I told her about my love for Jesus Christ and that my purpose in life was to follow His will and to serve Him.
Fortunately, she was turned off by my impenetrable response and kind of retreated.
The lesson of the day? Be on your guard in a cult setting. Question everything, and, just as importantly, have an ANSWER for everything!
Thank you so much for this blog. I wrote about my Dahn Yoga experience, too (just one post for just one class), and I receive so many negative comments about it I have to continuously delete them. It's nice to read that others have had the same realizations I have had. I haven't ever heard the term "love-bombing" before, but it's a very apt phrase for how I felt, too. "Don't touch me." Again, thank you!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. So many people and myself included have had the same experience. This practice is dishonest and deceitful. Behind the tea time, hugs, and bowing there's manipulation and brainwashing to make you believe money doesn't matter as long as you spend it on Dahn Yoga, Your job, family and friends don't matter, those are all attachments. However attachment to Dahn Yoga is ok. Double standards
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