Dahn Yoga

06/13/2008 Posted by ksevilla

This is the worst yoga experience I have ever had. The classes were fun, but weird, very weird. After my first class, something did not feel right about the situation and I really felt like I was being manipulated in a very unhealthy way. Too much hugging, too many backrubs. The teachers seemed like robots and the students seems a little too enthusiastic. I did a little research and I was shocked by the information that I found, claiming that this was a cult. I took a second class and I felt like a target, very unsafe and uncomfortable. After 2 classes, I told them I wanted to cancel the very expensive package I had signed up for. They insisted that I need more time, that I was confused and that they could help, that I think too much and my brain was too active. I said I wanted to cancel, several times, they finally said ok, but I had to come in. I said that I was uncomfortable with them and would cancel over the phone, they insisted that I come in person. After saying that I didn't want to go in several times and because they refused to cancel over the phone, I decided to take the matter up with my credit card company. I called my company and told them my story and to look them up, the representative at the credit card company was shocked and told me that she did not want me to go back there, and that they are a dangerous cult and there was no reason they could not have canceled over the phone. The charges are now blocked. My advice, stay away. Yes, the exercises are nice. Yes, meditation is great. But when you have an organization that uses an enhanced mental state to take advantage and manipulate people into spending more and more money, and uses a slave force as an employee base, that is wrong. It is not healthy to have to be on your guard all the time and annoying to be pushed into more and more programs. Further more, it isn't yoga, one bit, and it is easy to get hurt from all the bouncing, stretching exercises. Stay away

Pros: fun workout, interesting theories

Cons: cult like environment, manipulative

03/14/2008 Posted by NoMaster

As a former "master" of Dahn Yoga, I feel compelled to set the story straight. The exercises and some of the concepts are beneficial. I know many people who experienced health benefits. Each Dahn Yoga center will be run somewhat differently depending upon the headmaster of the center. So some centers may not have the standard Dahn sales pressure. A member's experience will depend a lot on their headmaster. Yet my experience is that the negatives far outweigh the postives with Dahn. There are many masters out there who have great hearts and good intentions, in fact most started off this way. Unfortunately, the Dahn system is corrupt. The system is built upon disempowering the members AND masters so that they don't trust themselves. Members trust their masters above themselves and masters trust Ilchi Lee above themselves. Regular members probably won't hear much about Ilchi Lee. The organization has gone through great lengths to separate his name from the business, and yet he still controls the organization. He tells the masters what they need to ACHIEVE every year. He sets the goals (the VISION) and masters are taught to have the mentality to "achieve your vision or die." This is why masters will do anything to get a member to sign up for programs and pay a lot of money. I've seen crazy unethical actions performed by masters, but done with the zealous belief that their soul and the member's soul depends on it. Even if you just sign up to take "yoga" classes, the masters will always have a hidden agenda for how to save your soul through enrolling in Dahn programs. Dahn masters are encouraged to have a plan for each member and to focus on the members with the most "potential." Dahn yoga suffers from a case of spiritual arrogance. Ilchi Lee and Dahn masters truly believe that Dahn yoga is the only path for enlightenment. This is how they justify many deceptive and manipulative actions - the end justifies the means. It's not worth it.

Pros: health benefits

Cons: hidden agenda, manipulation