Surviving Modern Yoga was a really interesting and engaging read. I appreciated the facts without being boring and would read more from Remski.

A badly needed and timely deep-dive into the culture of ashtanga yoga, an intense type of power yoga that has attracted devotees from around the world for decades. Having practiced it myself, I understand its addictive aspects, not the least of which is a philosophy centered around the simplistic adage, "Practice and all is coming." Disillusioned practitioners have amended this to "Practice and all is coming APART." Severe injuries from years of harsh "adjustments" (assistance in getting into complicated asanas, or poses) and an absurdly grueling practice schedule (sometimes up to 3 hours a day, 6 days a week) have led to scores of formerly devoted yogis dropping out of the life altogether, never to return. And that's before we get into the rampant and strenuously ignored sexual assaults c0mmitted with stunning regularity by the late guru/father of modern ashtanga yoga, K Pattabhi Jois, known as "Guruji." These occurred over the course of a decades-long career, within view of other students and family, in his celebrated shala in Mysore, India and in workshops and classes around the globe. However, no victims were willing to speak publicly until 2016 (long after his death).. As has been the case for many other high-profile gurus, unchecked power, unexamined self-mythologizing, and money proved a heady and destructive combination--one that has not yet destroyed ashtanga yoga as as we know it, but may very well come to unravel it in the end. A disturbing but necessary read.

Whoa. As a former baby Ashtangi, who knew nothing about what really happened in Mysore (or any time Pattabhi Jois was teaching, apparently), this book was like a bomb going off. Not only were the stories absolutely horrific, the absolute refusal of many "elite" Ashtangis to believe or accept them was completely appalling. Another example of why blindly following a leader, being in their thrall and never questioning anything, is so incredibly dangerous and damaging.

As a new yoga teacher, I'm always looking for new books/information to enhance my teaching. I loved this book and how it explained what yoga has evolved into over the years. Lots of good history/background and context on why yoga is so popular in today's world.

As a person who is newer to the practice of yoga, I've felt pretty comfortable in the yoga studios where I've taken classes. Most teachers are not doing hands-on adjustments these days. The teachers and their overly familiar interactions with their students is, thankfully, nothing I ever witnessed or experienced.

The author brings in many voices of others who did experience trauma at the hands of a yoga teacher. Their recounting of these incidents is so disturbing that this book could be a trigger for those who have experienced physical trauma at the hands of someone else.

Those who have been in the yoga world for years will probably know more of the names and places. It's definitely a tough read but an interesting facet of yoga studios or styles taught by one person who loses respect for their students' autonomy.As a person who is newer to the practice of yoga, I've felt pretty comfortable in the yoga studios where I've taken classes. Most teachers are not doing hands-on adjustments these days. The teachers and their overly familiar interactions with their students is, thankfully, nothing I ever witnessed or experienced.

The author brings in many voices of others who did experience trauma at the hands of a yoga teacher. Their recounting of these incidents is so disturbing that this book could be a trigger for those who have experienced physical trauma at the hands of someone else.

Those who have been in the yoga world for years will probably know more of the names and places. It's definitely a tough read but an interesting facet of yoga studios or styles taught by one person who loses respect for their students' autonomy.

This book was just too wordy. While heavily researched, the author could have benefited from more organization and a shorter introduction.

Firstly, I would like to extend my gratitude to North Atlantic Books, Matthew Remski and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.

"Surviving Modern Yoga: Cult Dynamics, Charismatic Leaders, and What Survivors Can Teach Us" by Matthew Remski is a significant and necessary contribution to the discussion of abuse in the yoga world, and I appreciate the author's efforts to shed light on this critical issue. I think for anyone that has engaged with a yoga community divorced from its site of origin, this book provides a lot of insight into how that cultural divide can be exploited and manipulated. In an age of increasing agnosticism, it's interesting to see how yoga has been posited as an answer to many Western audiences. Remski's research is undoubtedly vast and valuable, as he raises essential questions about power dynamics, charismatic leaders, and the impact of cult-like behavior in yoga communities.

Despite all this, I found the book to be a challenging and disappointing read. Remski's choice to narrate this in the first person and his constant justification of his own feelings as well as his need relay every personal association he had to the subject matter became tiresome. This shifted focus from the stories of the survivors and detracted from the overall message of the book.

I also felt the structure of the book could have been improved. A tighter narrative, a narrowed focused and more concise language would have made the book more engaging and accessible to a broader audience. As it is the book reads too long, and tries to accomplish too many things at once, again diluting the impact.

Overall I regret to say this was a difficult book to get through for me. While I believe that Remski's research and the broader discussion of abuse in yoga are vital and need to be addressed. I think the structure and the narrative approach could have been refined. I recommend this to anyone who's had an experience, even if they don't particularly view it negatively, in a modern yoga community. I think this book offers a lot of valuable insight and I hope it opens the door to further discussions and research on the matter.

Me, a Conspirituality fan here: I was super happy to read another book by the same author, written in the same great language, filled with the same great analysis, with the same great insights, all en pair with the standards set by Conspirituality book and podcast. Only this time it is yoga and specifically Ashtanga yoga leader Pattabhi Jois.
An absolute must-read for everyone who has been in the world of modern yoga.

I’ve been listening to Conspirituality for years and of course read and enjoyed Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Public Health Threat.
Surviving Modern Yoga: Cult Dynamics, Charismatic Leaders, and What Survivors Can Teach Us is a greatly needed book that looks at the abuse of power that has happened within the yoga world through interviews with survivors and the gaslighting and denial they found when speaking their truth.

I just reviewed Surviving Modern Yoga by Matthew Remski. #SurvivingModernYoga #NetGalley

This is a hard book but a much needed book. Remski puts the spotlight on yoga and the corruption and abuse of power people have made through yoga.

it is tough and the subject matter is triggering but it is thorough and brilliant written. will be buying a physical copy of this as it is an eye opener and must read