Two Sites To Visit
April 29, 2011
Two sites have appeared, that might have the interest of the readers of this blog.
The first one is related to a new non-profit org, the Center for Healing Spiritual and Cultic Abuse (CHSCA). Co-funded by John Knapp (he contributes on this blog too) amongst others, it is a huge resource of help for people hurt by cults.
The second one is The Art of Leaving, a personal experience of leaving AOL.
Spoken from the heart, sincerely and with no malice at all, it is a touching and eye-opening read.
Enjoy!
Skywalker
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Beyond The Art of Living 
Thanks, Skywalker!
Thanks too for honoring us by joining our Advisory Board.
Sorry for my long absence here.
Turns out starting a nonprofit is acres and acres harder then I ever imagined!
I have a post planned on “stages” in recovery from spiritual or cultic abuse. It’s been 90% finished, umm, since January….
We are definitely going to review this wonderful blog and community very soon on theCHSCA.org. More people need to know about your great work—and the other side of AoL/SSRS.
J.
Soham is not a proprietary practice cognized by Mr. Ravi Shankar. It is an ancient mantra and used in Kundalini Yoga. Here is one website with all you want to know about Soham and online Soham practice. Search for ‘Soham’ http://www.swamij.com/index.htm
Thank you Skywalker for the support and kind words. The AolFree community was utterly instrumental in my break from Art of Living, and so I am glad to give back in whatever way I can. This process is intense and I shall do my best to write honestly and from the heart– and consider your endorsement a call to remain vigilant and kindly truthful, as best I may.
To anyone still trying to sort out what they think and feel about Art of Living or Sri Sri or another cultic relationship in your life, give yourself time. Clarity and confusion lead to one another in loops until finally you know what’s really in your heart. So regardless of whatever choice you do finally make, only practice patience, kindness, integrity and genuine inquiry into the wisdom of your own soul–and your choice will be perfect, right and true.
much love. xx BW
Sounds interesting.. !
http://bawandinesh.name/what-have-we-been-up-to/
http://prakritinetwork.com/network_marketing
Does Yes plus courses have Guruji stories and Guruji photo ? Or only motivational stuff and SK ?
It seems in Karnataka colleges now Yes courses are being conducted – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A9Pr3ZRn2s&feature=player_embedded
Bad for Karnataka youth.
WTH? Prakriti = AOL’s Amway. They’ve sunk this low to raise funds? They must be getting really desperate.
John,
I looked at you new website for CHSCA. I happy for you and I wish you much success in helping people recover from toxic organizations. The Website looks great and I look forward to see the website grow and expand. Thanks for all your work.
Hi,
I am still confused after six years connected with the AOL.
The only thing i have taken the advantage of Sudarshan Kriya when i was in deep Depression and Bad Feelings. I was in Hallucination and not sure to come out from it. After reading through some of the blogs in opposition to AOL i started thinking beyond Art of Living Now.
I have done so much volunteer work for AOL not for Guruji.
Few Points from My Side:
1. Sudarshan Kriya is one of the best technique for me for stress management. I am ready to pay few bucks every month instead of joining the Jim. But they have to claim that AOL is no longer spiritual organization nor the NGO. Instead we are doing the business for Meditation and Yoga since there are no human values involves free of cost into the organization.
2. AOL Organization Brainwashing the people on the name of NGO. But volunteer work will be done by individual volunteers efforts and money not from the donations collected by the AOL Organization.
3. AOL has created Glamour inside the organization to become the best teacher having good knowledge or Very Good singer for Satsang.
4. AOL is very much interested in youth so that they can get more work by confusing them and brainwashing them since its always easy to brainwash the teenagers by proving them group. Keep youth out of them since in teen age they can easily brainwash by some with positive aura.
5. They started asking for donation after each course and want to take the advantage of giving them positive vibration after each course and putting them into the competition with each other for donating multiple bucks.
6. Once becoming the teacher they will brainwash the volunteer and try to be advantage in terms of knowledge.
Not sure What to do ? Am I on right path with right guru with right org ?
You’ll have to decide for yourself what is right for you. You don’t need to throw all of it away if some it works for you. If you have great health benefits from the breathing, then great. Many on this blog report that they still practice the kriya, yoga, meditation, etc. Some still are in AOL, but keep a healthy distance. There is no right or wrong answer, just wise and better paths.
But continue to monitor your health very carefully – that’s the best advice I can offer. Listen to your body! I can’t stress this point enough. Don’t follow any health advice based on idealism and not proper research and evidence.
“Sudarshan Kriya is one of the best technique for me for stress management. I am ready to pay few bucks every month instead of joining the Jim.”
Most of the people report positive relaxation after Sudarshan Kriya esp. if they are doing it for the first time (or in initial stages). However its long term effects have not been properly researched. Don’t go by teachers’ claims. Many of them do not practice it regularly themselves and even those who practice it regularly do not seem to be any less stressed than rest of the population.
Anyway what is wrong with a little bit of stress? In any case stress or no stress, proven healthy lifestyle choices like Gym or even body weight exercises are any day better than some kriya which is neither properly researched nor practiced consistently by their loudest votaries.
“proven healthy lifestyle choices like Gym or even body weight exercises are any day better than some kriya”
Or learning yoga from a real tradition – Munger and Iyengar schools are examples.