Kimberlee Jensen Stedl Hard to imagine one man could destroy in a decade something that has survived several millennia.

February 20 at 3:19pm · Unlike · 4

Brian Castellani I almost didn’t even recognize you Kimberlee

February 20 at 3:34pm · Like

Brian Castellani Maybe I should rephrase it to say people have a choice to either choose the road less traveled or completely ignore the 15 year debacle that is the Yoga Alliance, and embrace their mainstream process dharma and hope for the best.

February 20 at 3:42pm · Like · 4

Brian Castellani Unfortunately that is not today. That is also not the policy of corporate yoga.

February 20 at 4:11pm · Like · 1

Katie Greaves Lopez Right. So sad.

February 20 at 4:24pm · Unlike · 1

Susan Edington Mitchell I am “yoga people” and I love you! But yes, the commercialism of yoga in America is truly sad.

February 20 at 10:55pm · Unlike · 4

Kimberly Ogle Hardick There sight seems to be down

February 20 at 11:25pm · Unlike · 2

Lella Argiolas I agree with Susan Edington Mitchell… love you Brian!

February 20 at 11:30pm · Unlike · 2

Swami Maheshvarananda Agreed. Do many so-called practitioners of yoga really understand yoga. They are stuck to asanas, pranayama, bandha and mudra. Yoga is not that. Even the charlatan gurus of yoga are stuck at this level. No intuitive wisdom has dawned on them. Hence, if you poke them, they would shout. If you call these gurus blind leading the blind then they would shout but their shouting does destroy the truth. In fact more than 98 % charlatan gurus – the bigwig traders are unethical, immoral, etc. donning the garb of yogins but in reality wolves in sheep skin. Same is the story of Tantra which has Yoga as its foundation without Yoga, Tantra is just reduced to ritualism.

Yesterday at 12:31am · Edited · Unlike · 6

Kali Kat Lol I am so allergic to ‘yoga types’ it’s funny to me that I’m a yogi but I was a punk rebel first… The yoga helped get me sane lol

Yesterday at 2:46am · Unlike · 2

Brian Castellani Kali it’s so funny that you say that, because Kimberlee wrote a book called “Punk Rock Yoga Manifesto” – Most of my friends in yoga feel that way.

Yesterday at 10:20am · Like · 1

Loulou Fargone stay yourself brian…. just ignore the idiots…

Yesterday at 10:51am · Unlike · 1

Jennifer Monk I practice yoga. I love you.

Yesterday at 11:39am · Unlike · 1

Prajna Brianna Vieira Well, I guess you could call me “yoga people”, and I don’t know you personally well enough to not like you. But I really love and appreciate what you say and do. I taught for 10 years without registering with YA, then signed up before running my own TT so my trainees could have the option and decide for themselves. Then I decided not to run any more TTs and instead focus on intensives and mentorships, and I let my YA membership run out. I’ve been watching the conversation around these things closely for years and things you’ve said do matter to me.

Yesterday at 12:40pm · Unlike · 2

Yesterday at 5:03pm · Unlike · 1

Melissa Melora Nordin Btw I’m yoga people, and you r ok in my book Brian

Yesterday at 5:08pm · Unlike · 1

Brian Castellani Thank you Melissa Nordin you are ok dokey too

Yesterday at 5:10pm · Like

Joy Ravelli Good conversation. Great argument. Love the topic. I feel like “it’s all good”. People find their teacher. Teachers find their students. We all have our ways. The industry is exhausting in its churning commercialism of creating products. But hey we keep consuming them from coconut water in a plastic wrap to our asses in child labor manufactured clothing. Maybe we are all just doing the best we can. I believe that is true. All of this is true and all of that is true and when you take truth from truth. Truth remains. Replace truth with love or any wisdom from your heart. We are all alive together. We are all going to die. What will remain? Take care of that. May the smile in your heart shine on.

Yesterday at 5:24pm · Like

Brian Castellani Thanks Joy, yet I don’t agree. Yoga Alliance is the most manipulative organization in yoga, and they have attempted to effect state laws in Virginia and New York until yoga teachers put them back in their place. They are a corporation that operates as a tax free non-profit, that donated money to Yoga Journal and outright lied about where their actual money is being spent. And the worst part is that sweet, unassuming yoga teachers who are just trying to get by – actually “buy” into their marketing and feel “yoga needs to have some sort of credentialing” so they pay them. Only Yoga Alliance doesn’t credential, nor do they regulate. They sell you products and affiliate partnerships. But they also supposedly spread the benefits of yoga to the public… which translates to educate individual state governments about their services so they can tax you. When you enter their database you will be contacted by others. And that’s a fact.

Yesterday at 5:39pm · Edited · Like

Brian Castellani Make no mistake, they are both a 501c3 (not for profit) and a 501c6 (Government Trade Organization) – A 501c6 can lobby individual state governments on making it mandatory that every yoga teacher have a 200 or a 500 hour certification from, you guessed it – Yoga Alliance.

Yesterday at 5:43pm · Edited · Like

Brian Castellani That is what they did in 2009 and 2010. and that is what they will do now.

Yesterday at 5:44pm · Like

Brian Castellani That’s why people either think I’m crazy, or they don’t like me…. well not every one.

Yesterday at 5:45pm · Like

Joy Ravelli I salute you. The only thing I could say for certain is yoga alliance did not carry out their mission in Avery convincing wAy. I agree. I’ve been giving them money as a school since 2004. I have told my students for 10 years to refrain from registering and giving them money since I have enough for both of us and as far as I could tell they were not doing much for any of us. Two years ago I met the director at the international association of yoga therapists council of schools meeting of which I am also a member and discussed my lack of confidence in the yoga alliance and questioned their delivery of service i was assured that the organization was under new direction. This year for the first time I suggested to my graduates that they register since they at least cleaned up their website and created a viable database. I think it is inevitable that schools will be accredited as trade schools and that yoga therapists most likely will become licensed. I do not agree with that direction however I will most likely adhere to it as it is presented.

23 hrs · Like

Brian Castellani Except that this year, Yoga Alliance fired two employees for bringing up an issue with their contractor Katryn Harris. The issue was based on Yoga Teacher misconduct. Katryn Harris screamed at both of the employees and they were later let go… after they signed a non-disclosure agreement. When I brought the incident up to Richard Karpel, he attacked me verbally saying I was a lunatic. He was let go four months later. I had heard that same story second hand from multiple sources who were in the room. You can make your own decision about Yoga Alliance, but I gave them a chance to fix their 17 year problem, and I will never – ever – endorse them as a good organization because it is clear to anyone paying attention, that they are A) not a real yoga education based credentialing non-profit. B) that their certifications cover the bare minimum of yoga teacher standards. C) that their real money comes from the affiliate marketplace that they have set up. and D) Their version of Social Credentialing is a non valid, non legal form of gaining your address, name, and key demographic information on yoga teachers everywhere in the United States.

22 hrs · Edited · Like · 1

Brian Castellani In case you didn’t catch that, Richard Karpel, the Ex-president of Yoga Alliance was let go, and all the Rigorous Transparency that he preached about left with him. So the under “new management ” excuse has been but to bed.

22 hrs · Like

Shannon Brandt Preach!

22 hrs · Unlike · 1

Brian Castellani On top of that, there are new Yoga Alliance rules that are now being enforced that state you have to take CEU’s from registered E-RYT teachers, which just is another way of insuring that Rock Star E-RYT Yoga Teachers will not only support the Yoga Alliance credentialing methodology, but also endorse it too, because E-RYT teachers will gain more students if they play nice.