solidarisch gegen machtmissbrauch
statement internationaler SYC ashtanga yoga Lehrer:innen
Each of us is here today because of our love for this practice. Recent reports of sexual abuse towards numerous students by an ashtanga teacher have come to light. In response to this we have come together to address the issue by acknowledging the victims and inviting a conversation within our community. Our first step toward this is to develop a collective statement to address this issue. This process of communicating openly and dealing with difficulties as they arise has never been done before in our lineage. It is entirely uncharted territory. Less than a year after SharathJi’s passing, we are all still finding our way and we hope to continue to do so together, in community, in dialogue, and with each other. This statement is a starting point in this process.
Survivors of abuse in our community have shown extraordinary courage by coming forward with their stories. We stand with them. Speaking truth to power is never easy, but survivor voices are the heart of this conversation and must remain at the center. We condemn in the strongest possible terms all forms of abuse and predatory behavior in our community, including, but not limited to, sexual assault, teachers actively seeking sexual relations with current students, non-consensual touching, exploitation, and manipulation. Abuse of students by teachers has no place in yoga. Every account matters, and each one deserves to be heard and honored.
At present, the wider Ashtanga community does not have a consistent, shared process for responding to these situations, and this is a gap we as individual teachers hope to begin addressing together. We recognize that creating thoughtful ways to address harm will require survivor-centered expertise, global collaboration, and time to listen carefully to the voices of those who have come forward.
This statement is not a final word but a first step in dialogue, a work-in-progress. We also acknowledge that we have not yet addressed important areas such as abuse reconciliation, protocols for reviewing allegations, how to fully integrate trauma-informed approaches with classical methods across diverse teaching styles, an honest understanding of the past that created conditions for abuse, and a shared vision for Mysore rooms that are safe, inclusive, healing and based on consent.
We are not claiming authority, nor do we wish to create an exclusive council. This statement is one of many voices, and others are warmly invited into the dialogue. We are simply a group of teachers responding to the direct request from survivors: to speak publicly. We issue this letter because silence enables abuse, we cannot ignore these calls for accountability and we seek to acknowledge the survivors’ voices. Real accountability has never come from institutions alone, it comes when communities refuse to look away. Together, we can protect the practice by protecting its students. We welcome feedback from survivors, colleagues, and students as we continue this conversation and shape the path ahead.
If any other teachers or practitioners of Ashtanga Yoga would like to add their name to this statement, please contact the email address below.
Disclaimer: This statement should not be used in any legal matters or in any court of law. All opinions voiced here reflect the perspectives of the undersigned only. It is offered in solidarity with survivors and in good faith, but it does not constitute legal advice or an adjudication of fact. Allegations referenced herein are based on survivor testimony. Formal findings or legal determinations, where applicable, remain the responsibility of appropriate authorities in each jurisdiction. Nothing in this statement should be interpreted as a factual finding regarding any individual, it speaks to patterns and allegations within the broader Ashtanga community.
Signed, SYC Authorized and Certified Ashtanga Teachers
Contact: withrespect2025@gmail.com
AJ Frye — Level II
Aimee Echo — Level II
Alejandra González — Level I
Alejandra Gonzalez - Level I
Aleksandr Smirkin - Level I
Alexandra Moreano - Level II
Alisa Truong - Level II
Alice Cavazzuti - Level II
Alyson Stover — Level I
Amy Sanford — Level I
Ana Claudia Lopes e Souza - Level II
Ana Hollis — Level II
Andreas Ruthemann — Level I
Ángelica Flores Saiffe — Level II
Angela Jamison — Certified
Anna Dalton Muzzin - Level II
Anne Finstad — Level II
Aurelie Grahek - Level II
Anu Abdi — Level I
Asta Caplan — Level II
Barbara Süss - Level I
Barbara Vasquez — Level II
Beate Öcal — Level I
Beatrice Truffelli — Level I
Bianca Oliveira — Level II
Bibi Lorenzetti - Level II
Bilge Şebnem Sürmeli Topuz — Level I
Blake O’Connor - Level II
Brenda Pasenau - Level II
Bryony Bird - Level I
Canan Özalp - Level I
Carmen Silvia Droege — Level I
Caro Gómez Galicia — Level II
Carola della Croce — Level II
Carrie Sobeck - Level II
Catherine Followell - Level II
Catherine Moran — Level II
Celia Agnoli — Level I
Chandana Bhowmick - Level II
Charmelle - Level II
Chris Latham — Level I
Christian Mathys - Level II
Christina Hug — Level II
Christoph Wagner - Level I
Clayton Horton - Certified
Cyril Lagel — Level I
Danielle de Sá — Level II
Daria Aleshina - Level II
David Kessel — Level II
Dawn Blevins — Level II
Dean Hollingsworth — Level II
Deepika Mehta - Level II
Denisa Sengerová — Level I
Dhewayani Virgita Pienta — Level II
Digna Popat - Level II
Doug Taukobong-Olsen - Level II
Dylan B - Level II
Eleftheria Lagoudaki - Level I
Elizabeth Ann Ball - Level I
Emma Isokivi - Level II
Emma O’Neill — Level II
Erin Elizabeth Patton — Level I
Erika Pinna — Level II
Esmeralda Lamas - Level II
Eva Zikis - Level II
Ewelina Bejgrowicz — Level I
Frances Cole Jones — Level I
Fiona Stang - Level II
Funda Antmen Koprulu — Level I
Gabi Neubert - Level I
Geoff Mackenzie - Level II
Giacomo Coppo - Level II
Griselda Layno Delgado — Level I
Guillermo Salomón — Level I
Haney Sammy - Level I
Harmony Slater — Certified
Heidi Ruokoniemi — Level II
Helena Rosenthal — Level II
Ida Koczor — Level II
Iman Elsherbiny - Level II
Inger Kristine Havåg — Level II
Irena Bartolec - Level I
Irene del Valle - Level II
Isabella Nitschke — Level II
Jeff Lichty - Level II
Jennifer Dougherty - Level II
Jennifer Knox - Level II
Jenny Raymundo - Level II
Jessica Lynne Trese — Level I
Jillian Fuleky - Level II
Jim Jamila — Level II
Joan Isbell — Level I
John Bultman - Certified
John Tattva - Level II
Jonata Puente — Level II
Jordan Turner - Level II
Joseph Armstrong — Level II
Juan Carlos Galán — Level II
Julie Choi Trepkau — Level I
Julieta Petean - Level II
Justyna Traczyk - Level I
Karen Cairns — Level I
Karen Dew - Level I
Karen Kelley — Level II
Karina Calderón - Level II
Katharina Kroepfel — Level I
Katy Jane Scherer — Level I
Kaz Castillo - Level II
Kerstin Bilgmann - Level II
Kim Nietch - Level I
Kino MacGregor — Certified
Krista Shirley — Level II
Kseniia Zhorova - Level II
Kylie Lee — Level I
Laia Yáñez Blasco — Level II
Lara Freire Bezerra De Sant’ Anna — Level II
Larry Giulio Hobbs — Level II
Laura Zacher Miguel — Level II
Lauren Munday — Level II
Leon Lee - Level I
Leticia Garcia Bocanegra - Level I
Linde Hartman - Level I
Lisa Upton — Level I
Lisa Wolfe — Level II
Livia Varella - Level II
Loreto Cortés - Level II
Lucas Carvalho - Level II
Lucía Andrade — Certified
Luis de Llano - Level II
Maria Di Masso - Level II
Maria Mora - Level II
Mariana Suárez — Level I
Marque Garaux - Level II
Marta Magdalena Glowacka - Level II
Matías de Biedma - Level II
Maryam Dalkilic - Level II
Mauricio Victorica - Level II
Max Lapshin - Level II
Max Pascal - Level II
Megan Drozd - Level II
Megan Riley — Certified
Miho Reineke-Kriete - Level II
Misawa Naomi - Level II
Moones Khoshbakht — Level I
Mónica Arellano — Level II
Monica Marinoni - Level II
Naho Aoki - Level II
Natalia Correa - Level II
Nathalie Daou — Level II
Natalie R. Devi Onezime - Level II
Natalé Ferreira — Level I
Nathalie Najem - Level II
Nea Ferrier — Level II
Nicolas Legréz - Level I
Nick Ruechel - Level I
Nieves Lahuerta - Level II
Oksana Gorkina - Level II
Paloma Ty - Level II
Pat Prada — Level I
Patrick Frapeau — Level II
Paulina Zamudio - Level I
Pauline Laumond — Level II
Paz Munoz - Level II
Pelin Gülmez — Level II
Pia Lehtinen - Certified
Priscila Coutinho - Level II
Rachel Nyström — Level II
Rafael Martínez Alcaraz — Level I
Roberta Rodrigues - Level I
Robin Ward - Level II
Rocket Caleshu - Level II
Russell Case - Level II
Sabine Schulz - Level I
Sagar Karate Level II
Sam Glannon - Level II
Samuel Brown — Level II
Sandra Vaz - Level II
Sara Alenius - Level I
Sarah Jane Burkholz — Level II
Sarah Miles - Level II
Sarah Wilkins - Level II
Sasha Masiello - Level II
Saskia Randt - Level II
Sean Toland - Level I
Senol Topuz — Level II
Sergio Ramos - Level II
Shakira Bouwer — Level I
Sharon Ghanime — Level II
Shiho Akiyama - Level II
Sneha Reddy Kondapally - Level I
Sonja Radvila — Level II
Stephanie Benatar - Level I
Susan Hounsell — Certified
Tanisha Walters — Level II
Tanja Düttra — Level I
Tao Yearn - Level II
Thiago Villa Verde - Level II
Thoai Huong Hoang - Level II
Tim Feldmann — Certified
Tina Bock — Level II
Tran Bui - Level I
Vivian Bedford - Level II
Vivian Lee Kit Yu (Prema) - Level II
Viviane Simon — Level I
Wade Oakley — Level II
Wei Li — Level II
Ximena Cortés — Level II
Yan Wang - Level II
Yana Selitskaya - Level II
Yuka Ito - Level I
Yuki Cato - Level II
Yuki Sakuma - Level II
Ashtanga Yoga Teachers
Amy Jackson - Ashtanga Teacher
Alex Medin — AYRI Certified
Anna Schmidt-Oehm - Ashtanga Teacher
Ashley Ribaudo - Ashtanga Teacher
Azalia Wood - Ashtanga Teacher
Indigo Monae - Ashtanga Teacher
Jean Byrne - Ashtanga Teacher
Kristin Friedman - Ashtanga Teacher
Mark Robberds - Ashtanga Teacher
Mary Taylor - AYRI Authorized
Melissa Matt - Ashtanga Teacher
Paige Morency-Turay - Ashtanga Teacher
Richard Freeman - AYRI Certified
Rob Schutze - Ashtanga Teacher
Sam Silversides - Ashtanga Teacher
Timothy Lynch - Ashtanga Teacher
Vanessa Coomans - Ashtanga Teacher