HBO’s Breath of Fire Explores the Sudden Fall of Celebrity Yoga Teacher Guru Jagat

As I delve deeper into the captivating story of Guru Jagat, I find myself both intrigued and disheartened by her journey. On one hand, she was a trailblazer who leveraged social media to build a vast following of young women seeking self-help, offering spiritual advice that resonated with many. Her relatable demeanor, as portrayed through Instagram posts and online classes, made her seem like an approachable guru.

In my latest review, I’m diving into the captivating world of “Breath of Fire,” a riveting documentary series that delves deep into the extraordinary yet enigmatic life of Guru Jagat, a renowned Kundalini yoga teacher. This intriguing figure was thrust into the spotlight by Haley Phelan’s 2021 Vanity Fair story titled “The Second Coming of Guru Jagat,” offering a wider audience a glimpse into her rise and unexpected downfall. It’s a tale that promises to be as mesmerizing as it is thought-provoking.

The four-episode series debuting on HBO on October 23rd delves deeper into the Vanity Fair article by gathering, for public scrutiny, acquaintances, relatives, and past colleagues of Guru Jagat, as well as practicing Kundalini yogis from various levels, to discuss the true nature of Guru Jagat and the paradox of her yoga enterprise. This business was intended to assist people in thriving professionally, yet it faced financial difficulties itself.

Three years after Katie Griggs, known later as Jagat, tragically passed away from cardiac arrest at the age of 41, Breath of Fire is released. However, in Breath of Fire, friends and family do not shy away from expressing their feelings about her. As her mother, Nansy Steinhorn-Galloway, puts it: “It’s difficult to consider her as a cult leader, but what other term could you use?

Kundalini yoga, explained

Of the many different ways to practice yoga, Kundalini yoga is considered to be on the fringe.

According to Philip Deslippe, a knowledgeable figure in the history of yoga and a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (featured in the series), Kundalini can be likened to an unruly branch that deviates from the main tree of yoga.

Kundalini yoga incorporates various elements such as physical movements, breathing techniques, and chants. As Deslippe describes it, each Kundalini class can be quite unique compared to another, whereas Hatha yoga classes tend to follow a more consistent pattern.

Kundalini yoga was developed by Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, a former customs officer who later became a well-known yoga instructor and was recognized as the “Spiritual and Administrative Leader of Sikh Religion in the Western Hemisphere” by some sources in 1977. At that time, there were reportedly over 100 spiritual communities around the world following his teachings. Today, Yogi Bhajan is primarily recognized for founding Yogi Tea.

Yogi Bhajan, a proponent of vegetarianism and meditation, found himself perfectly aligned with the sentiments of the counterculture revolution. As Deslippe describes, rather than preaching to the hippies, Yogi Bhajan listened, understood their needs, and positioned himself as the yoga teacher they were seeking. In essence, he combined different practices and referred to it as Kundalini yoga.

Guru Jagat’s rise to fame

In what circumstances did Katie Griggs, who was born on a farm in Colorado in 1979, transform into the renowned yoga instructor known as “Guru Jagat”?

In a particularly challenging phase of her life, Jagat sought spiritual methods as an alternative to rehabilitation. Her past included being raped during college, and the emotional toll resulted in drug and alcohol dependency. The movie “Breath of Fire” includes a segment where Jagat discusses her journey towards Kundalini yoga. She explains, “I was healing from addiction, from the pain of heartbreak.

As a passionate cinephile might say, following the narrative, I found myself regarding Harijiwan, my Kundalini yoga guide who was taught by Yogi Bhajan, as a paternal influence. I never knew my real father, having lost him at just a year old.

In the documentary series, her mother, Steinhorn-Galloway, notes that she searched for both a biological father and a guiding spiritual figure throughout the remainder of her life.

Rabbit Galloway, Harijiwan’s step-father, explains, “The ‘daddy issue’ provided an opportunity for [Harijiwan] to delve deeper into her inner mind…If someone has a wound related to a topic like fatherhood, you can take advantage of that vulnerability. I believe that’s what transpired in this case.

As a passionate film enthusiast, I can’t pinpoint the exact moment when I started my journey with Harijiwan, but by 2011, I found myself striving to carve out a niche in his realm, adopting the moniker “Kundalini Katie.” My friends began noticing a change as I started wearing a turban. In 2012, I decided to publicly go by Guru Jagat, and in 2013, I established my first studio, Ra Ma Los Angeles. Soon after, sister studios popped up in cities like Boulder, New York, and Mallorca. At the pinnacle of my Kundalini yoga career, my classes attracted big names such as Christy Turlington, Russell Brand, and Alicia Keys.

According to Phelan, who spoke with many associates of Jagat, it was Harijiwan whom Jagat viewed as the embodiment of his vision for the future of yoga.

In Breath of Fire, I share that Harijiwan was on the hunt for a vibrant, young woman to join him in setting up a yoga studio and boosting his public image. Given my perspective, it seemed he recognized that as a middle-aged white man, he might not be the ideal figurehead for this fresh endeavor. Instead, I believe he sought a female partner because he could foresee the growing trend of yoga and wellness industries towards young women.

As a movie buff, I’ve come across some fascinating tales, and this one about Guru Jagat is certainly captivating. Deslippe’s account reveals that she managed to create a substantial fanbase primarily composed of young women seeking self-improvement, often feeling dissatisfied in their financial status, relationships, or careers. One of her most successful ventures was her virtual business school, where she offered spiritual guidance tailored for those aiming to conquer the corporate world.

Jagat embraced Instagram as one of her early platforms, frequently sharing brief glimpses into her teaching sessions that were accessible to online subscribers. Her videos of jamming to tunes gave her an approachable image and sparked enthusiastic praise from followers.

Guru Jagat’s fall from grace

Kundalini yoga has stirred debates since its inception, with some viewing its founder as a divine figure for the current age, while others label him as a fraud and a religious deviant. TIME magazine reported this contrasting perspective in 1977.

Prior to his passing in 2004, Bhajan was accused of rape and inappropriate sexual behavior; however, these claims were not extensively discussed until the emergence of the #MeToo movement in 2017.

2020 saw Pamela Dyson, once both an intimate partner and employee of Bhajan, reveal in her memoir that Bhajan forced her to undergo an abortion upon learning she was pregnant with his child. This disclosure prompted other devotees to share their own allegations of mistreatment. In the recent documentary series, Mahan Kirn Khalsa, born within a Kundalini ashram, bravely recounts her experience of being raped by Bhajan. Despite this traumatic event, she has vowed not to let it define her. She expresses relief in the docuseries, stating, “It felt liberating just to speak about it,” and adds, “I waited 25 years to say those words, but now I am free.” Mahan Kirn Khalsa continues to instruct yoga, has entered a new marriage, and started a family.

With accusations against Bhajan emerging, the situation became challenging for everyone involved in Kundalini yoga, as Deslippe explains. Teachers like Harijiwan and Guru Jagat found themselves answering tough questions and undergoing scrutiny. The trust of followers of Guru Jagat waned when she questioned the validity of sexual abuse survivors’ stories by defending Bhajan online. In an article for Vanity Fair, Phelan mentions that Jagat posted a video on Instagram that discredited Dyson’s account and captioned it, ‘The truth, as always, is in the eye of the beholder.’ Nicole Norton, who was once Guru Jagat’s personal assistant, discusses in the series the paradox of Jagat advocating feminism while instructing her yoga studio employees to express support for contentious figures like Bhajan.

The article upset Jagat’s staff members, who started voicing their concerns anonymously on the internet about the toxic work environment they experienced. Previous employees have shared their stories in the publication “Breath of Fire“, claiming they were underpaid and received less than minimum wage while the studio faced financial troubles under Jagat’s leadership. One questionable fundraising strategy involved Jagat offering a mentorship opportunity for a substantial fee of approximately $20,000, which came with an application requiring personal details about applicants’ eating habits. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jagat became known for propagating COVID denialism and anti-masking conspiracy theories.

However, prior to any significant reflection or accounting, Guru Jagat tragically passed away on August 1, 2021, at the age of 41 due to a heart attack. Her health complications began after ankle surgery, leading to a pulmonary embolism. In the eight years preceding this event, Ra Ma had flourished in business, boasting a website attracting approximately 2 million unique visitors each month and a substantial online following of 20,000 subscribers. Remarkably, it continues to thrive today.

2024-10-23 19:07