The property the Shiva Yoga community used to call Kailas Nivas now stands empty and ready to go under the hammer this month as the liquidation process forges ahead.
You can view the pictures of the empty property here:
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-mount+eliza-121126954
The ashram appears to be in the process of trying to rebrand itself using the name “Maha Yoga” – they recently renamed their Flickr website to reflect this change here:
https://www.flickr.com/people/shivayoga/
Ex-members should be aware that the ashram is still using the full gallery of photos that were taken prior to December 2014. If you don’t want this group to promote itself using a photo of you, email this website and we’ll tell you what you can do. We are currently discussing the matter with Flickr and the OAIC.
Details can be found in this updated article at the Leader:
And in MP News:
http://mpnews.com.au/2015/04/27/yoga-school-to-be-wound-up/
This article in the Leader Community Newspaper came out yesterday discussing the members meeting this week and pending liquidation of Shiva Yoga’s assets. You can read it here:
Shiva Yoga continues to be in the papers this week in these articles as the reporters start digging into the ashrams financial situation:
http://mpnews.com.au/2015/03/30/signs-of-closure-at-ashram/
Meanwhile someone in the community (not necessarily an ex-Shiva Yoga member) chose to show their support for those affected by hanging a banner from the bridge over the Nepean Highway.
Although no official statement appears to have been released to the community at this time, it seems to be common knowledge to community members that Shiva Yoga Inc. is planning to hold a meeting next week to discuss the process of liquidating it’s assets next week with a view to closing down.
If an official statement becomes available that confirms this we will share it here.
Yesterday Shiva Yoga made the following public announcement which was forwarded to us by a member who received it:
Shiva Yoga public announcement
In light of the criminal investigation that is being conducted into Swami Shankarananda, the Management Committee has asked Swamiji to retire from Shiva Yoga. Shiva Yoga will now consider its options for the future and we will let you know as soon as we have more information. Devi Ma will be giving Satsang tonight and we will be publically making this same announcement.
With love,
Shiva Yoga Management Committee
Whilst this is seen by many as a positive step, others have expressed concern that this doesn’t yet address what possible involvement that senior staff members and the management committee had in this whole affair. Are they now attempting to distance themselves from Swami Shankarananda?
Documents exist that suggest that the management committee had been “challenged” to come clean about their knowledge of what was going on as far back as December 19th 2014 and even many months before, so what level of accountability do they have?
These are just a few of the issues that have been raised by the community in recent days and show the complexity of the case.
Shiva Yoga is back in the media again as the anger at what has happened continues to snowball. Today we have:
Channel 9: http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/03/17/15/18/victorian-yoga-ashram-investigated
MP News: http://mpnews.com.au/2015/03/15/hearts-breaking-at-the-ashram/
There is also a petition that has been started by ex-members demanding that Shankarananda step down: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/979/733/056/swami-shankarananda-must-stand-down-pending-police-investigation-into-sexual-abuse-allegations/
And Swami Shantananda Sarasvatī’s excellent article on the Noxious Guru: http://www.swamishantananda.com.au/?p=1585#more-1585
This letter was received today and the writer asked that we share it. We were particularly struck by this statement in the article linked below:
Peter O’Brien, legal representative for the six victims seeking damages, questioned the effectiveness of the response. “People chanting around a fire was never, ever going to go anywhere near a healing process for these people,” he said.
The “Leaving Shiva Yoga” web site has certainly helped with my healing and so does being a member of the Facebook group.
I have dealt with legal proceedings for abuse in the past. The women and men who have been traumatized by actions of Shiva Yoga management/leadership may decide that subsequent legal action may be beneficial to their healing. It certainly helped with my healing in a past abuse situation when the perpetrators were forced by their own liability insurance companies to settle with me.
Here is the article about abuse at another Ashram where the victims are suing for damages.
I know the situation is not identical to the Shiva Yoga situation, but it does include the name of their attorney who might be a resource to the Shiva Yoga former Ashramites. There are several similarities to the present Shiva Yoga situation which are obvious.
The lawsuit mentioned in the article is very recent, December 2014. It appears that the lawsuit has helped force the Ashram management to publicly admit the truth about the lack of appropriate support of the victim, and lack of appropriate recognition of the effects/existence of the abuse.
I hope this is helpful to the victims on their healing paths. I honor, love and am keeping the welfare of all of the victims of the Shiva Yoga situation in the forefront of my consciousness.
Anon
We have added a new page that will contain the personal testimonies of women who have bravely chosen to write about their experiences at Shiva Yoga in the hope that it may assist other women who might still be suffering or confused about what to do.
We have been informed that publishing these personal testimonies does not interfere with the ongoing work by the Victorian Police or other counselling work that the women may be engaged in. You can find it here and in the menu. More will be added in the coming days:
http://www.leavingshivayoga.guru/testimonies/
The first testimony can be found here:
http://www.leavingshivayoga.guru/woman-1/