We’re so excited to introduce Restorative Yoga expert and new addition to the YogaDork Ed faculty, Jillian Pransky! Check out our Q&A with Jillian below where she shares her favorite and not-so-favorite poses, what keeps her inspired and her top pick for the celebrity she wishes would give yoga a try (hint: it’s not Robert Downey, Jr.). Read her fun intro below and then check out her first YogaDork Ed. article on the Key Ingredient to Digestive Health This Season.

What was one pose you were originally not so fond of but have now grown to love? And vice versa?
For years, wheel pose was a real cranky, rigid experience for me. Now, it is euphoric!

Hmmm. Vice versa? I suppose head stand. Not my thing on so many levels now.

What’s one yoga book you couldn’t live without?
I suppose I’d have to say Moving Into Stillness by Erich Schiffmann. I resonate with the way he discusses how Yoga helps you really ‘know yourself’. And how the practice organically shifts you from the habitual limited way of perceiving yourself and the world.

But, I’d also say ANYTHING by Pema Chodron if you asked what ‘meditation’ book I couldn’t live with out. She’s brilliant and also, like Erich, greatly influences my work.

What’s your favorite post-yoga snack?
Would people think I’m boring if I said oatmeal with berries? Sorry, but I just love oatmeal and berries. Eggs with avocado are awesome! And, mango is a favorite after yoga too. (I love perfectly ripe mango, but only if I am alone and can be super careless about the mess I’m making.)

Who’s one celebrity you’d love to see start practicing yoga?
Dare I say Mel Gibson. Maybe I shouldn’t say Mel Gibson. But Mel Gibson. Yea…

What/Who gives you inspiration?
Love Erich Schiffmann’s work. He’s just out there, doing his thing with out much pomp and circumstance… connecting to the biggest sense of him self, and guiding people seamlessly into their biggest sense of themselves. He’s masterful at this.

Of course, if I may, my other great inspiration is Pema Chordon’s work. Also, speaking to the masses in a very authentic, layman like, way. And everything she offers is immediately usable!

Lastly, NATURE! Totally inspired by nature. Its constant expansion and contraction, beauty and destruction – completely shape the way I practice and teach. Nature also instantly kicks me into a state of acute gratitude, daily. Yea, for me, it’s pretty much all about aligning with Nature … both around me, and with in me.

Stay tuned for more informative posts from Jillian in YogaDork Ed!

A big question I commonly get from students and teachers alike: What kind of Pilates equipment do I have in my home studio? Well, I actually have several pieces, but one of my favorites is the Arc. It’s lightweight, portable, versatile and inexpensive. I believe it’s a must-have piece for any studio.

My favorite move on the Arc?

I have a bunch, but at the top of the list is the articulating Roll-Back. I like to use opposition movements, because they are so good for stabilization and assisting the articulation.

Setup: Start by sitting tall in the well, and inhale to prepare. Keep your feet flat on the floor and hips-width apart.

1. Reach your arms in front of you at shoulder height and width, palms facing down. Make sure to engage your back so you do not shrug or round the shoulders. Now, exhale as you start drawing in your naval to your spine and doing a posterior pelvic tilt.

2. Take your time and then start the articulating poses, making sure to keep your abdominals engaged as you reach your arms forward. Think of moving in two different directions—that’s opposition.

3. Roll back, and once you reach your limit, pause, then inhale and exhale as you draw your chin toward your chest and peel yourself back to the starting point.

Tips: How far back you go depends on how mobile your spine is, and how well you can articulate. It’s not about range, it’s about proper form. Remember: The Pilates method was once called Contrology, so exercise control.

Depending on your body, this exercise might feel fantastic, or it might take you a little time to love, like it did for me. It took me about four or five times over a period of a few sessions before I really started to love this move, but soon after, it felt so good, I was doing it several times a week.

One of the things I love about Pilates is that everyone is not ready for every move at the same time. Be your own judge and take time to develop your body awareness.

Keep the questions coming…and look for my classes with DCAC at the fitness conference in Houston, Texas and Washington, D.C. Also check out my studio at www.FusionFitnessUSA.com.

Thank you. And be well!

While we’re all still reeling from the events and revelations that have occurred over the past two weeks regarding controversy surrounding Anusara and its founder John Friend, we are attempting to provide for you here a stitch of clarity and organization with a running timeline of events, which we will continue to update as more news surfaces.

Timeline of events:

Friday, February 3rd: An anonymous website [jfexposed.com] publishes several accusations detailing John Friend’s sexual misconduct, financial corruption within Anusara, Inc.,  illegal drug use and involvement in Wicca Covens as a sexual misuse of power. YD was contacted by the anonymous source and posted the accusations.

Saturday, February 4th: The anonymous website is unpublished. YD is offered an interview with John Friend in exchange for removing the post. YD declines.

February 4th-7th: frenzy ensues.

February 7th: YD publishes pension documents that support accusations.

February 8th: John Friend sends first letter to Anusara Yoga teachers via email and apologizes, but does not elaborate. John Friend responds to accusations in first public interview via Elephant Journal.

February 11th: Anusara teachers begin to speak out with responses from Desiree Rumbaugh, Ross Rayburn and Christina Sell. John Friend issues a second letter to Anusara Yoga teachers via email. A letter from the Interim Committee of 12 Anusara teachers is emailed to the Anusara teaching community.

February 12th: Anusara teachers Noah Maze, Bernadette Birney and others publicly resign, starting wave of resignations. Second letter from Interim Committee outlines mediating process and shift in members due to resignations.

February 13th: Huffington Post is the first major news outlet to post about the controversy with an article from Stewart J. Lawrence entitled ‘The Anusara Yoga Scandal: Can a $ 6 Billion Industry Salvage Its Image?‘

February 14th: Amy Ippoliti, who resigned in January, speaks further on her reasons for leaving, via Elephant Journal. Douglas Brooks issues letter in response to controversy, his friend John, and the problem with “gurus.”

February 15th: More teachers resign, Anusara exodus continues. Rumors spread that Anusara, Inc. has laid off employees and has closed the Texas office. We await official announcement.

…

Teacher Resignations:

We’ve shared the resignation letters of Noah Maze, Bernadette Birney and Sarah Faircloth, and we have heard from another teacher who has recently resigned on facebook, that at least 60-75 teachers have done the same by resigning online within the closed facebook group.

SF based yoga blog, Bayshakti.com, has started putting together a list of teachers who have publicly posted their resignations to date. Here are the teachers so far who have posted their own resignations online.

Laura Christensen
Emma Magenta
Sarah Faircloth
Lara Demberg
Sue Elkind & Naime Jezzny
Bernadette Birney
Noah Mazé
Katrina Ariel
Olga Rasmussen
Sara Rose
Erin Hansbrough
Sue Elkind & Naime Jezzeny
Bruce Bowditch
Katie Myer
Stacey DeGrasse
Erin Nealy

Noted public resignations of high-profile Anusara teachers prior to accusations:

Jan 24, 2012:

• Anusara Exodus Continues: Amy Ippoliti Latest Teacher to Publicly Resign

November 2011:

• Anusara Exodus: Elena Brower Exits After 10 Years, Christina Sell Retires Certification
• Why Elena Brower Left Anusara, by Elena Brower

We will continue to update this timeline with news as it happens. For more timeline commentary check out It’s All Yoga, Baby.

YogaTuning: Wherein the genius of passionate songwriting meets the sanctum of our yoga mats. Inhale, exhale (shoop shoop).

In honor of powerful singer and pop star Whitney Houston, who just passed away at the young age of 48, we take you back in our yogi time machines to 1986, to help us all celebrate Love Day and the “greatest love of all.”

“And if by chance, that special place
That you’ve been dreaming of
Leads you to a lonely place
Find your strength in love.”

RIP Whitney.

Are you happy? If you’re not quite sure of the answer, maybe we can help! As some of you know, there’s a great big day of hearts and hugs and love upon us. No, not just Valentine’s Day. World Happy Day! We didn’t make it up. Today, Saturday, February 11, 2012 is World Happy Day appointed so by the team behind Happy, a documentary exploring the meaning behind happiness, where filmmaker Roko Belic and crew travel the world to find out the answer to the question “what makes us happy?”

We were lucky enough to catch the film this morning and can honestly say our warm and fuzzy meter has gone up to 11 learning about how so many different people in many different walks of life find everyday happiness.

One fascinating theory as to what really makes us happy, as highlighted in the film, comes from Hungarian psychologist Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced: good luck). He’s studied that groovy, meditative feeling we get when we’re “in the zone” and calls it flow (with a bestselling book by the same name). It’s this flow, he posits, of anything from knitting, to making spreadsheets, to playing golf, to flipping burgers that helps give us the happiness highs, more than money or our ideas of success (as long as we find these activities enjoyable, of course). So some could say then, that for we yogadorks, YOGA is the ultimate FLOW. It’s rhythmic, meditative and raises happiness hormones  - even sexy ones, so we’ve learned!

Oh right, this is a giveaway…we’re getting there.

So as we head heart first into the holiday of love, we’re taking this opportunity to give you another happy four letter word to help you with your yoga flow, and that’s free (in exchange for awesomeness). Check it out.

WIN: Choose anything, whatever your heart’s delight from prAna.com. Their 2012 Spring line is out so don’t hold back! We’re super happy this one’s for the ladies and the gents. (courtesy of the folks at prAna)

TO ENTER: If you’re reading this site, it’s likely that yoga is already something that makes you happy. Maybe it’s your “flow.” But we imagine there are some other flowtastic things in your life that bring you joy. If you said playing Mad Libs, oh man are you going to be extra thrilled with this, because it is indeed Yoga-Mad-Libs time. hell yeah!

Here’s what you do:

Write down a word for each below.

1. not so happy emotion
2. current favorite yoga pose
3. verb – your flow activity
4. friend’s name
5. happy emotion
6. fun verb
7. noun
8. adverb
9. fun to you adjective
10. not fun for you verb
11. noun

Then, fill in the appropriate blanks.

When I’m feeling  __1__ , I practice __2__. But there are times when I’m  __3__ with __4__ I feel __5__ and want to __6__ a __7__   __8__ . It’s the most __9__ feeling and better than  __10__  __11__ any day.

And post your final version in the comments below. Obviously, perfect sense in Mad Libs does not a happy person make. So have fun!

*Post on prAna’s facebook page, twitter @prAnaLife or YD’s facebook or twitter @yogadork for extra luck.

Entries open until 11:59pm Sat., February 18th. A winner will be chosen at random and announced soon after. Good luck!

Amidst the allegations, the apologies, the assumptions and awkwardness of business as usual, Anusara teachers are finding their voice and many are speaking out to express their disappointment, sadness and, for some of these teachers, their resignation. Noah Maze, Bernadette Birney, and others follow the early departures of Christina Sell, Elena Brower, Darren Rhodes, Amy Ippoliti who resigned a few months ago before the sexual misconduct or accusations of corruption came to light. (It should be noted the latter three teachers have not explicitly indicated events mentioned in recent accusations as reasons for leaving).

We are grateful for the honesty and courage of these teachers and support their freedom to make these tough choices for themselves.

Full letters below.

Noah Maze, Certified Anusara Yoga teacher for 10 years (also part of the original Interim Committee formed last week), resigns via his website:

Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin, Anusara-Inspired teacher since 2006, via facebook.

Sarah Faircloth, Certified Anusara Yoga teacher since 2003, via her website:

Dear Friends,

After a grueling week of efforts to hold our Anusara school together, I have come to a decision. I can no longer support a teacher whose actions have caused irreparable damage to our beloved community. It is out of the love I have for our community that I have worked tirelessly to keep it together. It is for that very same love that I leave today.

I honor and support those who stay with Anusara Yoga. I wish John Friend the very best.

I will hold what is real and true and good from all these years of teachings. I promise not only to treasure all that I have received, but to share it, to live with it, to stand by it, and to develop it into the furthest reaches of my life. I look forward to collaborating with my students, peers, and teachers to create beauty of the highest integrity.

My heavy heart feels an emerging freedom. May hope always sustain our hearts, minds and souls.

With Love, Sarah

Susanna Harwood Rubin, who has not officially resigned, shares her thoughts via facebook:

I was certified a few years ago, but dragged my feet on it for years. I finished my TT in 2002. John kept saying, come on, Susanna, move forward. I loved Anusara, but was turned off by the rabid competition & stress of the people around me scrambling over each other to get there quickly & before one another. Yes, that’s very New York, but I also felt that there was something distasteful about it and strangely indicative of Anusara’s tone.

I chose, instead of focusing on my certification, to dive into studies with Douglas Brooks in a very deep way, and that was absolutely the right decision for me personally. Eventually I quietly got certified (thank you Sue Elkind & Betsy Downing), but while I still believe that Anusara is by far the most intelligent yoga out there, my path is with the Shakta traditions of Rajanaka Tantra.

I found the Shiva-Shakti Tantra Primer extremely problematic and disturbing, since it is not a real lineage. If it is not a real lineage, why does it need a name? Anusara was doing just fine under the general umbrella of Tantra. John chose to part ways with Douglas, who he cites as his “mentor in eastern philosophy” in my 1999 TT Manual(see the intro). He told Douglas at the time that he wanted to be less specific than Rajanaka Tantra, which was presented at that time as Anusara’s philosophy. He explained that he wanted to be more inclusive, and make sure that everyone felt welcomed, regardless of their philosophical points of view. This is fairly common knowledge for those of us who have studied with Douglas for the past 10 years. It makes a lot of sense, actually.

So when the Shiva-Shakti Primer was presented, I had that creeping “oh no” feeling. I’ve never been a fan of anyone telling me what to think and what world view to espouse. On top of this, the tithing issue is hugely problematic for me, as someone out there writing, who has published a book before & plans to again, yet can not yet make my living off of my yoga teaching alone. I spend all of these years investing my time, money, life in Anusara, yet have to give up a good chunk of income when I get to a point of greater stability? What those of us out there who are writing & creating (videos, apps, etc) bring to Anusara in the form of attention, promotion, & reputation-building IS the 10%.

This may seem as if I’ve wandered off topic, but it is for this reason: any organization in which people are scrambling over each other nervously to get the proper credentials and then not being able to support themselves once they get them, while being told what spiritual world view they must adhere to is a huge problem. John needs to take a break – a professional Savasana to regroup, heal, and rethink the organization behind this beautiful yoga that he has offered to us. We will lose more excellent teachers if he does not do this. Anusara is bigger than him and the cuts & tears in the fabric of this organization require that a new structure be made entirely – one of many levels of checks and balances.

I love and admire John. I am profoundly grateful for all that he has given me. I hope that he hears our voices and takes the very good advice that I know he has been receiving from many of the people he has been conferencing with. All we need to look at is Nataraja to get what needs to be done. Creation – Maintenance-Dissolution-Concealment & Revelation. No one can skip the Dissolution stage. That’s where we are.

Hello lovers and lovettes, yogis and yogettes, this is your captain of good cheer speaking. Time to put down the gloomberry muffins and haterade and pick up a box of happiness helper. If you think we’ve gone crazy, you may be right. This past week has been filled with such intense controversy we’re in dire need of a cupcake and a cute puppy. Cute puppy in a Valentine’s teacup? We’ll take it!

Ah, that’s better.

Seriously folks, if you’re not caught up on the major news and turbulence surrounding John Friend and Anusara Yoga you might want to skip right to it.

If you’re in need of a break, try your turn at Yoga Mad Libs and enter to win whatever your heart’s delight from prAna yoga clothing. Or at the very least enjoy yourself an incredibly silly and entertaining read. Maybe even a smile! If you’re happy and you know it, shout giveaway.

Here’s What Happened This Week In Yoga:

John Friend and Anusara hit a rock AND a hard place, to say the least: There is much to read as much has transgressed over the past week since accusations surfaced. If you’re somehow hearing about this for the first time, all we can tell you is this is not a test. Below are updates in the order they were posted:

• Letter From John Friend to Anusara Yoga Teachers
• Anusara’s John Friend Responds to Accusations in First Public Interview

• Second John Friend Letter to Anusara Teachers: Assume Forgiveness, Resume Business As Usual; Letter from Interim Committee Reflects Discord
• Anusara Teachers Speak: Responses from Desiree Rumbaugh, Ross Rayburn and Christina Sell

• Update: More Anusara Teacher Reactions; Noah Maze, Bernadette Birney and Others Continue Wave of Resignations
• Update – Letter from Interim Committee to Anusara Teachers on Mediating Process

Believe it or not, there was some other yoga news last week. We’re committed to bringing you the latest updates regarding John Friend and Anusara, but we’re also looking forward to returning to regularly scheduled humor and yogadorkiness. Hi there, we’re YD and we enjoy bringing you all the yoga news that’s fit for enlightentainment, and making up words.

Ah, mon amor, the day of love is here, so the news is all about yoga and sex, ah buhht ahv cohhrse.

• ‘Nightline’ Takes On Yoga, Sex and Yogasms with Author William J. Broad and NYC Yoga Teacher Marco Rojas

Some fun news for at-home yogis (and bonus news for YD readers – hint: free classes).

• YogaVibes Snaps Up Exclusive Online Streaming of Wanderlust Classes

The Giants won the Super Bowl, Adele sweeps up at the Grammys, but we are still trying to figure this one out.

• Madonna Reinvents Herself (Again) with Yoga for Super Bowl, and Hydraulic Mat Contraption?

Holiday gift for your valentine? You let us know how that works out for you.

<3 from YD. Keepin’ it real.

This is a follow up letter posted by the Interim Committee via a closed group on facebook for Certified and Inspired Anusara Yoga teachers offering an update on their mediating process.

Read their first address to Anusara teachers, along with John Friend’s second letter here. The committee’s members have since shifted with Noah Maze’s resignation. This letter reflects the disapproval of many in the larger community and the move of multiple teachers to distance themselves from the still John Friend-helmed Anusara Yoga.

Letter to the community, Feb 11, 2012

Today, February 11th, the members of the interim committee held a 3-hour mediated conversation with John Friend. Our only topic of discussion was the advisability of continuing with his upcoming scheduled events in Miami.

Many differing views were expressed among the participants. We conveyed to John the sentiments that we had heard from the larger community. We discussed many possible solutions to the situation. We noted the many logistical considerations of changing or even canceling such a large event at this late notice.

Ultimately, we voted unanimously to recommend that John not teach the Dharma of Relationship intensive, and that he invite a scholar to teach a philosophy workshop with a different topic, to be determined.

The committee was split around the decision of whether John should teach the asana sections of the first workshop, the Advanced Intensive, and the weekend workshop. John made the decision to teach the asana in these events. However, John said he would organize co-teaching with some of the certified teachers already present in the group, to be determined.

We know this will not be a popular decision for everyone, but we ask for your support and trust as we walk cautiously into the future. We also want to remind the community that we are strictly acting in an advisory capacity without having been granted any authority, either by you the community, or by the principle owner of Anusara, Inc., John Friend.

Please note that the members of the Interim Committee have changed.

Sincerely, (names alphabetical by first name)

Andrew Rivin
Betsey Downing
Deb Neubauer
Denise Benitez
Desiree Rumbaugh
Ellen Saltonstall
Jimmy Bernaert
Martin Kirk
Suzie Hurley
Todd Norian

Yet another letter has been emailed to the Anusara community of teachers from their leader John Friend, late Friday afternoon. It has already been posted several places online and is confirmed to be authentic. This time, with apologies out of the way, there is barely a recognition of wrong doings or accountability, but rather a shift in gears to what sounds like moving on with business as usual, with everyone’s “love and forgiveness.”

John Friend states that he will not retreat, but continue his public appearances and teaching engagements as normal, though he reveals that the new Anusara will be more teacher-driven and less of a John Friend show; an interim team of 12 teachers, which he has assembled himself, will begin the process by establishing a new Ethics Committee and a Leadership Committee.

This is the ‘What now?’ While therapy is mentioned, and seems like a good way to go, it acts more like a bandaid on the gaping wounds apparent within the organization and John Friend’s character. John Friend expects everyone’s love, forgiveness and patience, moving forward with business as usual. He preaches transparency, yet offers little.

Healing and moving on are great ideas and everyone wants that. But, we have to ask ourselves, if this were any other public figure in a corporation (not to mention one banking on spirituality) facing this series of serious allegations of misuse of power and corruption, would we find this acceptable and be so quick to forgive and move on? Now that information is out there, we sincerely hope the Anusara community can look beyond any tethers to blind devotion, or fears of being ostracized as a “betrayer” in order to do what they deem to be the right steps toward clarity and rehabilitation. We will continue to bring you information as it surfaces.

UPDATE: Continue reading for the first correspondence from the Interim Committee to Anusara teachers with more details about the “collaborative spirit” of the committee going forward.

John Friend letter to Anusara community entitled “Vision, Progress, and Unity”:

Dearest Kula,

I deeply feel your pain and confusion since it is also my pain during this time. My highest wish is to live every moment with impeccability from this point forward, so I am now in deep self-reflection and looking directly at all of my shadows. I am seeking help for all my personal integrity issues, and with your love and forgiveness, I trust we will all make it through this very challenging time. Although it would be easier to retreat for a while, I am stepping out today into the public to speak and teach, being completely transparent about my behavior.

I want to inform you all that I am currently in close communication and process with a core group of teachers, Anusara staff, and advisors about taking positive steps toward healing and bringing a new structure to Anusara with formal teacher representation. By necessity, our current process requires some smaller/intimate group work and mediated discussions. Therefore, I have chosen this interim core group of teachers, which is largely representative of the previous ethics and curriculum committees. (Noah Mazé, Desiree, Andrew Rivin, Todd Norian, Suzie Hurley, Betsey Downing, Ellen Saltonstall, Denise Benitez, Martin Kirk, Deb Neubauer, and Jimmy Bernaert)

We intend to quickly set up an election process within our greater teacher community as a whole so that we have equal and fair representation within our organization moving forward. Working together, we arrived at a plan to establish a new Ethics Committee and a Leadership Committee, the members of which will be elected through a transparent and democratic process. These committees will also serve as a communication hub for teacher feedback and representation. Details about this process will be coming to you next week. There will be a series of communications coming to the certified and inspired teachers over the next days. We request transparency, open communication, real input and feedback from all of our licensed teachers.

Thank you for your patience now as Anusara yoga shifts to more of a teacher-driven organization and away from a John Friend-centered yoga school. We are working diligently on recreating this new structure of Anusara, and I assure you that this is my decision and not that of “a rogue group of teachers presenting me with ultimatums,” as I have heard some suggest.

We are beginning the process of, and are fully engaged in, positive actions now in our community. We must unite as dedicated teachers of Anusara yoga, aside from any personal feelings towards me or anyone else in our community. Please help today by turning any anger and disappointment in our process thus far toward constructive, cooperative action. There are going to be many steps in our process of creating an improved organizational structure within Anusara. I ask for your patience. This is a journey in which we will take together one step at a time.

Thanks to each of you for your forgiveness, loving support, and unified cooperation. I am entirely committed to demonstrating to each of you that I mean what I say through my actions, not just my words.

With humility and love,

John Friend

Letter from Interim Committee emailed late Friday evening:

Dearest Friends,

Yesterday afternoon, a group of twelve certified teachers and a handful of advisors had a clear, direct and open dialogue with our teacher, John Friend. We spoke for 3 hours through a professional mediator about the pressing issues before us. It was a frank, honest, open, and emotional conversation. We are free to discuss much of what was shared, and this reflects the collaborative spirit of the time we spent together. However, please know that we are bound by some duties of confidentiality at this time. John was open and reflective, and expressed his deep remorse at the pain that his actions have caused our community and the Anusara brand.

We did not enter the meeting in the spirit of any ultimatum. John supports and encourages the idea that a genuine transfer of authority and responsibility needs to be implemented for future success and longevity of the Anusara yoga method. In addition, John has agreed to seek therapy immediately, and is taking full accountability for each of the errors in judgment that he has admittedly made. We understand that many of you are upset at the notion of John teaching the dharma of relationship in Miami. Although we originally asked him to consider canceling the event or replace himself, he felt strongly that he wanted to show up with humility, serve, and publicly ask for forgiveness. We acknowledge that this is a controversial issue.

We also realize that on top of all of the recent allegations, many of you may feel frustrated that your voices are not being heard. To this end, please be assured that the intention of this interim group is to set up both a democratic process and a clear line of open communication. This interim group consists of many of the various current Anusara committee members and is merely a starting point. As we move through this process be assured that we will make every attempt to hear each of you when you come to us.

While there is still much to be cleared up in establishing the details of all that has occurred and where we go from here, we did develop and commit to several immediate action items:

•	Each of the licensed teachers in our method will be empowered to elect some individuals who will sit on committees with actual authority and autonomy in the Anusara organization. The committees will be:
	1. An Ethics Committee, focused on investigating the allegations already presented, as well as any and all additional allegations and possible breaches of ethics, and engaging in processes of accountability.
	2. A Leadership Committee that will be instrumental in envisioning the future of the organization. This will involve restructuring power, leadership and other aspects of Anusara. The Leadership Committee will also have a point person who will be dedicated to communicating with the Anusara community and transparently reporting goals, progress, setbacks and policies in real time.
•	The group invited to participate in mediation yesterday has been appointed by Anusara as the “Interim Committee”, and will continue to meet with John in (and possibly out) of a mediation setting to create a general outline for interim restructuring, and the creation of an outline for moving forward, which may possibly include some corporate restructuring (i.e. changes to Anusara’s corporate structure and/or bylaws). In other words, no exact path has been laid out but the discussion will continue. Further, Tracy Silver (wife of Noah Mazé) was nominated by John and the group in the course of the mediation to chair this interim committee, and move all action items forward. She was elected in part because she is not a certified teacher, and thus is committed to holding space as objectively as possible.
•	The Interim Committee will continue to explore with John the best courses of action to take to help separate John Friend, the man, and John Friend, the Teacher, from the Anusara brand, to ensure the Anusara yoga method’s long term viability and the ability of all who rely on Anusara yoga to continue to earn their living(s) unharmed by the actions of any specific individual.

Yesterday was a first step, and a very good first step, in a healing process. We all left the conversation feeling unified and cautiously optimistic. Still, this may remain a difficult process that will involve all of us in varying capacities, and it will certainly require your patience with us, and your forgiveness of our certain mistakes as we cut a path through new and uncharted territory.

Thank you all for your support. We welcome your input.

With love and hope,

Tracy Silver
Deb Neubauer
Ellen Saltonsal
Jimmy Bernaert
Andrew Rivin
Desiree Rumbaugh
Todd Norian
Martin Kirk
Denise Benetiz
Betsey Downing
Suzie Hurley
Noah Mazé

Both letters viewable here: