When Teachers Fall: A Conversation About Power, Trust, and the Wellness World
A brief note before we begin:
This post touches on abuse of power and misconduct within the wellness and spiritual communities.
I recently watched a conversation between Dr. Lissa Rankin (whom I’ve followed for years, especially when I was working on my physical health), and nervous system educator Sukie Baxter (a current mentor), about narcissistic and abusive leaders in spiritual and wellness spaces.
It’s not exactly uplifting listening, but it is an important conversation.
Their discussion was prompted in part by recent headlines involving Deepak Chopra and the ongoing reckoning around powerful figures like Jeffrey Epstein. When stories like this surface, it forces us to look more closely at the systems that allow power to form around charismatic leaders.
If you’re curious, you can watch their conversation here.
Dr. Rankin also wrote an article expanding on the topic, calling certain people out. (I fully admire her courage here.)
Unfortunately, this conversation is not new to the yoga world.
Over the years we’ve seen repeated scandals involving well-known “guru’s”: Yogi Bhajan, Bikram Choudhury, B.K.S. Iyengar, and others. Many students entered these communities seeking healing, connection, and wisdom - only to later learn that some leaders were abusing their authority and creating cult environments that became difficult to escape.
That reality is heartbreaking.
Many people come to yoga, meditation, or wellness practices during vulnerable moments in their lives. When someone presents themselves as a spiritual authority or enlightened guide, it can be easy to hand over trust without realizing it.
And sometimes that trust is misused.
My Own Reckonings
I’ve had my own moments of disappointment within the yoga world.
Like many teachers, I spent years studying under certain systems and lineages that were presented as the gold standard of wisdom and practice.
I was never trained in the Yogi Bhajan brand of Kundalini - I purposefully chose a teacher training program completely unaffiliated with him. It just didn’t feel right to dress in all white, cover my head, and emulate the Sikh religion when I had zero experience or personal identity with said culture. I also didn’t understand why we had to follow certain sequences, exactly as taught, without any scientific explanation as to the physiological impact.
But even though I was not technically of the “Yogi Bhajan school”, there were many kriyas (sequences) that I still taught that were adopted from his movement. It forced me to sit with uncomfortable questions:
What does it mean to respect a tradition if a leader behaved terribly?
What part of the tradition is authentic versus made up by a self-proclaimed guru?
What parts of the teachings still hold value?
Does it feel right to still identify as a Kundalini yoga instructor?
There isn’t always a neat answer.
But it did change how I show up as a teacher.
Why I Don’t Like the Word “Students”
I rarely refer to people in my classes as “my students.”
You’ll hear that language all the time in the yoga world:
“My students this…”
“My students that…”
Something about it has never sat quite right with me.
I prefer the word participants.
We’re exploring movement and awareness together. I’m guiding the process, yes, but I’m not positioned above anyone in some elevated spiritual hierarchy.
I’m a human sharing tools that have helped me, and that distinction matters to me.
Owning When We Learn Better
Another reason I’m cautious about authority is because science evolves.
Despite my years of training in the Iyengar and Kundalini worlds, I was in more physical pain than ever. My Kundalini identity crisis on top of my knee and literal ass pain divinely led me to Aaron Star, muscle activation technique, and AYAMA™ yoga. It completely changed how I understand movement, muscular function, and pain.
I realized that some things I had taught in the past, especially endless passive stretching, weren’t actually helping people the way I once believed.
So I apologized. I apologized to my former Kundalini yoga participants for endless child’s-pose-ing and forcing movement with yoga straps into oblivion. I apologized for any abuses on their joints and muscles under my guidance.
When we learn better, the right thing to do is adjust.
I didn’t know what I didn’t know. But when I did know, I needed to change how I was teaching… yet again.
Be Mindful Who You Put on a Pedestal
The deeper lesson in all of this is not “never trust anyone.”
We all learn from teachers, mentors, and guides. But it is a reminder to stay mindful about who we elevate into positions of authority.
Healthy teaching relationships should include:
curiosity
critical thinking
transparency
and the freedom to question things
If someone presents themselves as the ultimate authority who should never be questioned… that’s usually a red flag.
The Real Work
The real work of wellness - whether it’s yoga, movement, physical health, nervous system regulation, or spiritual growth - is not about following a guru.
It’s about learning how to listen to your own body and mind. It’s about learning to respect your body’s natural range of motion and what your gut is telling you.
A good teacher should help you strengthen that inner compass.
Not replace it.
If you'd like to explore movement, strengthening, and nervous system tools in a practical, grounded way (no guru worship required), you're always welcome to join one of my classes.
We're just real humans learning how to move, breathe, and feel a little better in a very loud, busy, and chaotic world. Together.