We also removed his name from the list of Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers on www.bksiyengar.com. We explained our reasons for publishing the report in our April 5, 2019 eblast to our members. The confidentiality requirement also protects some other interests. The history of Pattabhi Jois's sexual assaults and the repeated cover-ups is extensive, and the response of the Ashtanga yoga community has been inadequate and negligent, at best. The police did not consider the evidence because the Ann West’s criminal complaint was barred by the statute of limitations. There is no way he did those things’ to ‘If he did those things, it’s not important. The predominant Ashtanga yoga response to Pattabhi Jois’ history of sexually assaulting students is silence. 7. The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings. Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States PO Box 184 Canyon, CA 94516 USA 206-623-3562 director.operations@iynaus.org Was Manouso given the right to learn the identity of his accusers and to tell his side of the story? Iyengar and IYNAUS, the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States Consistent with IYNAUS’s instructions, Ms. Sargeant’s report rested her findings about the named accusers and used the other information only to corroborate their accusations. Gary’s most influential teachers have been Manos, Mary Dunn, and Ramanand Patel, with whom he studied in India in 2000. She is widely known and respected as a very skilled investigator. Yes. Manouso Manos’s March 8 resignation letter and the 23-page letter of his lawyers are posted on Manouso’s website. (Adam Grossberg/KQED) West said the IYNAUS president and members, and the Iyengar family, “need to wake up .... stand up and take responsibility. Specifically, Ms. West filed a police report in March 2018 and complained that Manouso touched her inappropriately at a workshop in November 2013, over 4 years earlier. She then also told him he would have a right to discuss the accusations with his lawyers before responding to questions and to supplement his answers after the interview. The USA Iyengar Yoga community is especially reeling from the publicity surrounding a beloved Senior Teacher, Manouso Manos. A leading teacher at the Bay Area’s foremost yoga school has admitted publicly that he engaged in sexual misconduct with female students. 2. Article coauthored with Gregor Maehle and responses. Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States 1227 Rockbridge Rd SW, Ste 208 Box 398 Stone Mountain, GA 30087 USA 206-623-3562 director.operations@iynaus.org IYNAUS followed the same procedures used by major not-for-profit and for-profit US corporations. That was Manouso’s choice. Enforcement of Ethical Standards and Complaints, Ethical Guidelines to Prevent Verbal Abuse, Sexual Harassment, and Physical Abuse, Clarifiying Statement In Response To Manouso Manos and His Lawyers, Progress Report on Prevention of Verbal, Sexual, and Other Physical Abuses. She acquired this knowledge from Guruji’s and Geetaji’s books and confirmed her understanding with a US teacher with an advanced certificate (John Schumacher). One woman said her yoga teacher, Manouso Manos, stuck his toe into her vagina through her tights while she was in a seated pose. Certainly the Jois system of Ashtanga yoga has beneficial applications, but cultivating non harming, insight, and seeing/speaking truth are not evident. B.K.S. E very year across North America, tens of millions of people practise a form of yoga inspired by the method of a single man: Krishna Pattabhi Jois. www.manouso.com. Also, her complaint disclosed that she was in contact with a reporter and that her complaint would be made public, and the IYNAUS Ethics Committee did not tell her that doing so would be improper. In response to these findings, we permanently revoked Manouso’s right to use the Iyengar Yoga name and other Iyengar Yoga trademarks on April 5, 2019. Clarifiying Statement In Response To Manouso Manos and His Lawyers. 2. Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States PO Box 184 Canyon, CA 94516 USA 206-623-3562 director.operations@iynaus.org Bernadette Sargeant conducted the independent investigation and she made numerous attempts to schedule this interview betweeen December 1, 2018 and March 8, 2019. We adopted the confidentiality requirement primarily to protect complainants against retaliation. April 8, 2019. In the U.S., independent investigations are routinely used to determine these employment rights. Oh my. She thus had no possible bias and was clearly impartial. Look at all the people who had good experiences with him.’ Was she qualified to conduct the investigation? 5. In a telephone call with the IYNAUS President on November 6, 2018, Manouso’s lawyers similarly stated that the police dismissed the complaint on statute of limitations grounds shortly after it was filed without considering any evidence. Taking a Seat For Justice: A Pledge for Ashtanga Allies. © B.K.S. When there has been abuse, complicity and cover up, we might ask, are people basically nice, but delusional? Ms. Sargeant had never heard of Manouso and knew nothing about Iyengar Yoga before she was hired. “Do you see what I mean now?” he shouted at one of his students. She made her determinations based on interviews of 38 individuals, and she did not consider reports on social media. These are yoga teachers who claim that they care about truth and non-harming. No. Yes. Iyengar, who, has developed an innovative approach to classical hatha yoga. We have informed Abhijata and Prashant of Manouso’s recent reported statements that BKS Iyengar taught Manouso the adjustments discussed in the report. There were also individuals who provided information confidentially – as permitted by the Pune Constitution – but IYNAUS told Ms. Sargeant, Manouso, and the Iyengars (1) that IYNAUS would only allow this information to be used to corroborate the allegations of the named accusers and (2) that IYNAUS would not allow the information to be used even for that limited purpose if Manouso needed to know any individual’s name to respond to their charges. IYNAUS promotes the art, science and philosophy of yoga according to the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States 1227 Rockbridge Rd SW, Ste 208 Box 398 Stone Mountain, GA 30087 USA 206-623-3562 director.operations@iynaus.org B.K.S. In the past, other CIYTs have had their rights to the Iyengar name suspended or revoked through such proceedings. Manos said at a yoga convention last June that he had “disgraced” himself. The Exhalation of Yoga. Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States PO Box 184 Canyon, CA 94516 USA 206-623-3562 director.operations@iynaus.org See IYNAUS clarifying statement. Content Warning: This blog contains photos of sexual assault. Meanwhile in the Jois Ashtanga Yoga community, they are still unsure of the definition of sexual assault. Manouso knew that this meant that Ms. Sargeant would complete her investigation without hearing his testimony. Today, I heard that yet another yoga studio is closing its doors and although it is sad for the owners, students and small businesses in general, it wasn’t a surprise. Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States 1227 Rockbridge Rd SW, Ste 208 Box 398 Stone Mountain, GA 30087 USA 206-623-3562 director.operations@iynaus.org Elbows touch the front face of … Meanwhile in the Jois… Did Ann West violate a confidentiality agreement with IYNAUS when she talked to the KQED reporter? See clarifying statement. B.K.S. Yes. Accused parties in independent sex abuse investigations often decline to sit for an interview. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Like so many of my friends and colleagues, I have been upset and saddened by what has come to light in the Iyengar yoga community in the last several months. Albert Schweitzer The schedule for the four-day free class given by the star-studded cast of elderly Iyengar teachers has been adjusted to allow for Prashant's online class.