Brain Power Wellness, a program that is currently being used in several hundred NYC Public Schools, includes short activities for students that are supposed to improve focus and self-esteem. My friend told me her principal paid 30,000 dollars for this program, and I believe her, though I can’t back it up with hard evidence. The Brain Power exercises and games are organized under categories such as Team Building, Mindfulness, Neuroplasticity and Citizenship. The activities include mediation, partner-stretching and a lot of counting to ten while doing various clapping sequences. They also include breathing exercises and “brain tapping” to relieve tension. The program was introduced at my school in September by a friendly member of the Brain Power staff named Jane.* As someone who truly believes in the importance of mindfulness and meditation for children, I was interested in this new initiative. So when I was asked if I wanted to be the one to attend the professional development workshops and be the Brain Power Leader/Mentor for our school, I gladly obliged.

In my process to become a teacher-leader in this program, I attended three professional development workshops on Wednesdays in November-February. Although I found them to be a bit “touchy-feely,” I tried to keep in mind that it was common for teachers to practice the activities they expect their students to do. So I engaged in a lot of team-building exercises and high-fives with strangers and an especially uncomfortable exercise called “Brain Power Bakery” where we partnered off and pretended our partner was cookie dough as we gave them a back massage. It was also at this workshop where I first met the founder/director of Brain Power Wellness and author of The Brain Power Classroom, Dave Beal. His leadership style and motivational speeches made me cringe. At one point, he even apologized for “preaching too much.” To make matters worse, most of the teachers around me seemed to be eating it up. He asked a lot of call-and-response questions like “Kids can’t learn when they don’t feel loved, right?” and people responded in unison with “right.” Witnessing the devotion to this male leader was the first time I felt like BPW was a little “culty.” Still, my school had sent me to these workshops, and I got an hour lunch break, so I kept coming back for more.

In February, I was invited to a Brain Power Leadership Training and Retreat in the Catskills. This training was a Monday-Wednesday in early March, meaning I would be excused from work for three days and get to stay in a private room at a hotel. The hotel, Honor’s Haven Resort and Spa, boasted a hot tub and a sauna, not to mention that all my food, lodging and transportation would be paid for by my school. I wouldn’t know anyone there, but would be going with other NYC teachers who had also assumed the roles of Brain Power Leaders in their schools. I would also know Jane, the relaxed and friendly Brain Power staff member who had been working with our school. I agreed to go. 

In some ways, the program was exactly what it said it was going to be. We hiked. We meditated by a waterfall. We practiced teaching BrainPower games and activities. At first, I felt really grateful to be there, essentially being paid to be in nature. But I also found some of the sessions to be a bit….odd. For example, one evening we rotated to different stations during a “Self Care” session, one of which included poking our belly-buttons with a plastic healing stick to “stimulate the gut.” We also did a “yoga” class that did not include the yoga poses I’m used to but instead involved a lot of body-tapping, or hitting ourselves while bouncing up and down to relieve tension. While I felt slightly uncomfortable at times, I kept an open mind.  If people use jade rollers for lymphatic drainage and dry brush their skin to stimulate circulation, this couldn’t be that weird, right?

Luckily, I found myself in the hot tub later that night with the right people. One man was discussing the fact that he had googled the hotel, and discovered that it was somehow associated with a yoga program called Dahn Yoga, which was accused of being a cult about a decade ago. Apparently, this yoga group got into some legal trouble back in the day, including a wrongful death lawsuit when a CUNY professor died while hiking on a Dahn Yoga training retreat in Sedona. 

Later that night, I googled “Honor’s Haven Resort Dahn Yoga” and found this article. I skimmed it. I thought it was interesting but didn’t do any further research. So an alleged cult used to hang out at this hotel and it hasn’t been good for business. That made sense. Did I mention that our group of fortyish people were the only people in this giant place? Talk about The Shining vibes.

It wasn’t until Wednesday that I really began to put things together. That morning, Dave Beal took us on a walk up 120 wooden stairs to a wooden platform and explained that this structure was erected for Ilichi Lee, a Korean spiritual leader who wrote a book called I’ve Decided to Live 120 Years. Dave also mentioned that Ilichi Lee was the founder of Brain Power’s parent company, Body & Brain. I took a mental note of all of this information, and then found myself walking next to someone who was (like me) more interested in discussing how the retreat was weirder than expected than meditating their way up 120 wooden steps. After I complained about Dave Beal’s motivational speeches, my new friend revealed that she had done more research, and was basically convinced that Brain Power Wellness was Dahn Yoga rebranded and repackaged. They stuck a white guy as the leader and marketed it to public schools and tried not to advertise their affiliations with the alleged cult. 

All it took was a little google searching to find out that my new friend was exactly right. Body & Brain, parent company of Brain Power Wellness, is essentially Dahn Yoga re-branded. “Body & Brain” and “Dahn Yoga” are used interchangeably on Wikipedia. I also discovered that there is tons of evidence that Dahn Yoga is, well, a cult—one that includes a fun history of mind control techniques, sexual assault, and monetary manipulation. It has been reported that Brain & Body aka Dahn Yoga is a cult in Forbes and Glamour and Rolling Stone and CNN. Most of these articles are from about a decade ago, seemingly before the rebrand from Dahn Yoga to Body & Brain. There’s also countless message boards and other testimonials about Dahn Yoga being a cult, and apparently much more to discover if you can read Korean. (Anyone?)

It all makes sense now. Honor’s Haven Resort included a room with a squishy floor where no shoes were allowed, which is what all Body & Brain studios are like, according to the Yelp reviews I read. Speaking of Yelp, if you look up the one-star Yelp reviews for any of the 100+ Body & Brain locations nationwide  you will find that these studios are relentless in pressuring people to pay large sums of money to become members and that many people feel uncomfortable and scammed. 

But perhaps the most interesting thing I discovered is that good old Dave Beal had already tried to introduce these “exercises” aka Dahn Yoga into NYC schools back in 2009 but received pushback. Links to this New York Post article and this Gothamist article explain that the program was formerly called “Power Brain.” Clearly, they’ve just switched the order of the words (!!) and are now trying to reintroduce this program a decade later, hoping no one remembers the cult associations. And even though I swear I heard Dave Beal say out loud that their parent company is Body & Brain, there is zero evidence of that on the Brain Power Wellness website. And nowhere on the Brain Power website does it refer to Dahn Yoga founder Ilchi Lee or his book “Power Brain Kids.” The rebrand is intentional, and I doubt they want us to make the connection.

Unfortunately for them, they showed their cards by taking us to Honor’s Haven, which is managed by Ilchi Lee’s son Julian, and still stores their “yoga” equipment in bins labelled “Dahn Yoga.” They also clearly underestimated the amount of googling I could do on a two-hour bus ride back to the city. As it turns out, Beal’s book The Brain Power Classroom clearly states that his inspiration is from Lee and his “Brain Education” Program, but also here’s a website that also links Ilchi Lee to Brain Power Wellness.

I also went ahead and found this article that states that Dave Beal was a Dahn Yoga instructor back in 2006 (and Dave’s son’s name is also named Julian? Coincidence?) This article also let me know that Dave’s wife is Dawn Quaresima and here she is teaching Dahn Yoga exercises and yes these exercises are pretty much exactly what we did on my “retreat.” 

In addition to Dahn Yoga, there are several other organizations that fall under the Ilchi Lee umbrella, such as Earth Citizens Organization (ECO), which has a leadership program called “Heroes.” Turns out these Heroes did a training program at Honor’s Haven that is quite similar to what I did. I also found some 2017 photos of my girl Jane on the ECO website, and some 2013 photos of Jane and other BPW staff while scrolling through #dahnyoga on Instagram. This is especially interesting as Jane recently told me she had only been working for Brain Power for three years. While this technically may be true, these Ilchi Lee organizations are all one and the same to me now. 

So here is your TL;DR: Brain Power Wellness is a part of Dahn Yoga aka Body & Brain. This is an organization founded by Ilchi Lee who has been called a cult leader and has been the subject of several lawsuits including wrongful death and sexual assault. At my BPW leadership training we were not doing yoga or even tai chi, we were doing DahnHak exercises or “Brain Education”: pseudoscience that started with Ilchi Lee and that has been linked to mind control techniques and cult-like manipulation. These exercises were developed for adults, and are now being re-packaged as though they are mindfulness techniques for children in classrooms. And the NYC Department of Education bought into it and now this program is in 400 NYC public schools. From a certain perspective, this is extremely clever marketing. And while the exercises are seemingly harmless and I’m sure many of them do promote team-building and focus, I now don’t trust where any of this is coming from. Maybe I’m overreacting, but I am completely freaked out. 

On Thursday, I told my administration about my discoveries. So far, I’ve been told they are “looking into it” and will get back to me. Will they pull the program? Will Jane (who emails me frequently to schedule me and my students for more workshops) start asking questions if I say I don’t want to be a part of this anymore? What if my principal still expects me to continue teaching my students Brain Power exercises? What if this post goes viral and then I die a mysterious death? At least it would be more interesting than dying of coronavirus. Either way, I’ll keep you posted. 

 

*name changed

55 Comments

  1. Kyric Koning

    This is a post where I get to be simultaneously intrigued and concerned. I look forward to the updates. Stay mindful.

    Reply
    • Mary

      Can you also check out Ilchibuko Todd
      Sedona Mago President

      My friend of 20 years has gone to a few retreats and suddenly quit talking to family, also decided I am dark and selfish etc put her new husband in a separate house

      Reply
    • Anonymous

      I have been practicing Dahn Yoga, or whatever name it has been given, since 2008. The combination of Tai Chi, Qi Gong, yoga, breathing, and movement based on ancient Asian practices provides a means of building strength, balance, and coordination. While I agree that most of the principles and practices included in Body & Brain are not new (as they say, “There is nothing new under the sun”), there are thousands of “repackaged programs” that millions of people ascribe to that essentially offer commonly accepted (or at least popular) practices under different labels and catch-phrases. What I have found with Body & Brain is that it uses some very well researched practices including Mindfulness, cognitive behavioral practices, and neuroscience including the understanding of how the nervous system (e.g., the vagus nerve) interconnects with the brain and vital organs.

      For me, the program offers a means of maintaining my own physical and mental health and learning a variety of self-care and stress relief practices. I am fully aware that with this group and the godly status its most dedicated followers afford to Ilchee Lee could be dangerous for the unwary and has the potential to put someone in debt if they are not practiced in saying, “No, thank you” to extra trainings and programs. It is like anything else, take it for what it has to offer and be true to your own values, integrity, and spiritual beliefs.

      Reply
      • Michelle

        Yes! I totally agree. I was a member for a few years and the exercises really helped me physically and mentally. But the god-like status they put on Ilchi Lee goes from mentor and teacher to messiah once you get invited into those higher classes and trainings. I was told to pray to his spirit. I think that it would be better for him to tell his members to really learn to listen to the opinions of others but ultimately rely on themselves.
        It’d be great to see an update if you continued the methods and if you saw a difference in your students’ learning experience or not. Best wishes.

        Reply
    • Sonja

      Former Dahn Hak member 2001. Lost my childhood friend to this cult. She didn’t see it. I went on televised news with George Knapp KNTV-8 to help get Dahn Hak out of schools in Las Vegas and to help bring awareness of this dangerous international CULT organization

      Reply
      • Sammy

        what do you mean lost a friend? any chance you can talk off this board?

        Reply
      • Piko

        Sonja, whatever happened to your childhood friend in Las Vegas practicing Dahn Yoga, now called Body and Brain Yoga Taichi?

        Reply
  2. Geneva Langeland

    Hot dang! This is fascinating and weird stuff. I’ve picked up a fair bit of info about cult-adjacent organizations from two great podcasts: The Dream (investigating the wellness industry) and Sawbones (a comedic look at medical missteps and quack remedies throughout history). This group reeks of pseudo-psychological snake oil.

    Reply
    • Dafna Fink

      I did Dahn Hak Yoga in Chicago from around 1999 till about 2001. My boyfriend at the time was very into it. I will say that the Korean masters were very kind to me and seemed to be on a different spiritual level. My master once did a very healing reiki treatment on me when I came in from fighting with My boyfriend at that time and was upset. (My ex was abusive at the time.) I was very young.

      I am someone who never fully buys into anything and I think they knew that I wasn’t going to ever buy into the program. I saw the parts of it that were cultish. They were trying to get disciples to pay to become master’s and dedicate more of their lives to the center and practice. To buy their books and pay to see Ilchi Lee speak. To spend weekends there for seminars. My ex did all of that. I would never spend money on things, as I had none, and they would figure out ways to let me do things for free.They taught me to be more connected to my body and to speak some Korean, so I never held anything against the program as it was only positive for me. I stopped going as I saw that it was quickly turning into an Americanized version with all American masters and no one would answer me as to where the previous masters had gone. It lost most of it’s initial appeal for me.

      I just watched ‘The Vow,’ on HBO and it triggered my brain to recall my time at Dahn Hak and how if I’d been a more susceptible person, I could have been sucked in. I decided to look.up if Dahn Hai is actually a cult, and found this article. Good to know my intuition was right.

      Reply
      • Amy

        Ah! I always joke with my friends that I accidentally joined a cult in college because I was a member of dahn yoga for a month freshman year. I Google them every now and then and was interested to learn they rebranded. I can’t believe they’re in NYC public schools now! That’s so scary.

        Reply
        • Annonymous

          After reading some comments I felt the need to reply here. I was a student and sabum in early 2000-10ish, have been literaly around the dahn world, and know several of the people mentioned here.

          First, it is possible to experience great – incredible things from this practice and for it to still be a cult. Not mutually exclusive.

          Second, an honest practice speaks honestly. Dahn does not.

          Third, i wondered after reading this, how many former or current masters replying here were ever tasked with “scrubbing the internet” of “negative information” as i had been. Manipulating internet rankings and comment sections is not the mark of an honest practice.

          Fourth, simply, I know for a fact that many accusations leveled against the organization are true.

          Fifth, the people who you meet in dahn will be the kindest, best, purest people. They are amazing. Sadly, they have been mis-guided. A friend of mine who left, who was victimized in the worst ways mentioned here, eventually returned to the organization. She did this because the people she met “outside” we’re too competitive, dishonest, and outright bad in comparison to the people she knew from her years in dahn. Can you believe a true victim would go back to their victimizer rather than lead a normal life in the normal world? She did.

          Everyone’s varied positive and negative experiences can all be true, or at least have elements of truth. However, to me, I don’t really care how good you feel or how healthy you’ve become working and training with sexual victimizers and con men. You should know better.

          This organization does not deserve a nickle nor a dollar, nor a moment of time from you – no matter how good it makes you or your ego feel

          Reply
          • Rachel

            I was in Dahn for about three years from 2009-2012. Ilchi lee steals from other spiritual/ metaphysical practices and rebrands the stuff as his. I worked for Dahn, Power Brain, and Body and Brain. Ilchi Lee is making money from all these things. I experienced great healing but was absolutely taken advantage of financially and brainwashed. I was pressurred to do things that were not ethical all for being part of a bigger vision according to Ilchi Lee. Nora who was in charge of the Power Brain branch at the time is one of the biggest bullies you will ever meet. Ilchi Lee recruited college age kids from Korea, who were young and naive and had them come over here and stayed, some illegally, who became the first masters. But they don’t ( none of them) know how to properly run a business and thus lean into pressuring clients to buy more and pay for things at exorbitant prices. I could go on. Dave Beal has been trying to get into the NYC school system for years. This is not new. He is squarely in Ilchi Lee’s pocket. Anyway, I finally had enough and walked away, but not before they got a few grand from my parents.

          • nicole

            This organization targets the vulnerable. If you have a childhood history of trauma or suspect that you may suffer effects of an unsupportive home environment, I advise you to steer clear of this organization, because it may be hard for you to make your own decisions or trust your own intuition. I devoted my life to Body and Brain for over three years and put total faith in my teacher and on my finally being “healed” by continuing to tap my dahn jon and do whatever my teacher said. Now that I’ve left the practice, I am healthier, happier, and more peaceful than ever before.

            Things I know they do, from my own experience:
            1. Advise against professional medical advice.
            2. Advise you to read only Ilchi Lee books.
            3. Urge you to do whatever your teacher says
            4. Click and click and click on Body and Brain websites so as to make them appear higher in searches.
            5. Make you pay $6,500 and more for a weeklong ONLINE training program.
            6. Urge you to open a credit card to pay for their services (I did this)
            7. Manipulate you so that you will dance sexily on the floor (I did this, not thinking there was anything wrong with it at the time. In retrospect, it was abuse. I was totally brainwashed).
            8. Yell as loudly as you can “Suseungnim!!!!” (Their name for Ilchi Lee, which means Spiritual Teacher).
            9. Teach you a song that goes like this “As a jeja, I have let go of myself, let go of myself, let go of myself. As a jeja I have let go of myself, I’m never looking back again. With Suseungnim at my center, charging forward with one mind, by achieving Son-tan-gan-wan, I will make our Huan-Se-Ge…”

            It’s sick. But the physical practice is astounding. I was never stronger than when I was practicing EVERY DAY. And I definitely felt loved. And I do believe that my teacher loved me. In his own deluded way. I hope you’ll steer clear of this practice.

    • Anon

      Body and brain mind body training principles require profound sincerity and the true desire to heal one self. It is a sacred path that focuses on aligning the chakra system for optimal health, encompassing mental, spiritual, emotional and physical well being. This path leads to spiritual awakening and transformation. If we focus less on the ego we can connect with who we are as souls, beyond the judgments, preconceptions, false conditioning and illusions of the ego. The ego seeks to separate while the soul seeks oneness and harmony. To think that we live in a society where connection, love, and healing seem “cringe” speaks volumes of the condition of humanity and its consciousness. Is this how deeply disconnected we’ve been? That basic human needs have been disregarded to the point of seeming and feeling unnatural? I pray that as a whole we can learn to focus more on the pure intention of those who seek to awaken us to the reality of who we are, along with our connection to each other, the earth and our divinity. Rather than being so quick to judge those who God created as our equals, a better use of our time would be to focus on how we can change ourselves more deeply and spend our time contributing to a greater, more purposeful and selfless cause.

      – a grateful body and brain practitioner of 9 years

      Reply
      • Michelle

        Aren’t you also judging the other comments? If it triggers you, you might be holding some concerns yourself. A dissenting opinion from a teacher or a questioning mind shouldn’t be seen as unworthiness or insincere. It would be insincere if they didn’t explore their negative thoughts and emotions. Plus it’s important to remember that although the center masters dedicated their lives to improving the world and connecting deeper with their true selves, they are still human and learning and will make mistakes but are not above criticism.

        Reply
  3. Gabe

    Thank you for sleuthing and unraveling the mystery, Caroline—both for us readers and the nation’s youth!

    I am already waiting for a April update.

    Reply
  4. Morgan Sterling

    Hi Caroline,

    I am a former Dahn Hak Sa Bum (instructor or master); that is the unbranded original Korean title. Dave and Dawn were both Sa Bums while I was a still in the organization. I don’t know how old Julian is now, but Dave and Dawn’s son was born before they became disciples of Il Chi Lee. So unless Julian is younger than ten there is no relation in the name of Il Chi Lee’s son and Dave and Dawn’s son.

    Dahn Yoga is an American branding of Dahn Hak. Dahn Yoga was already trying to rebrand itself as Body & Brain Yoga before the 2010 article in Rolling Stone was released.

    To be fair you are in no physical danger, the CUNY professor (Julia Silvers) that died was undergoing an initiation to become a disciple of Il Chi Lee. In Dahn there is a strong emphasis on overcoming the limitations of the body and mind. Julia and her other initiates were on a day long hike in the Arizona desert with either limited water or no water, consequently she suffered heat stroke and died.

    I would strongly encourage you to talk to your principal and show him the links between Brain Power Wellness and Dahn Hak. If you are a teacher I would also encourage you to talk to your union rep with your concerns, and also bring this up at PTA and school board meetings.

    Dahn hak and its affiliated programs are not secular mindfulness techniques.

    Il Chi Lee is explicitly teaches a spiritual guide, Guru, or Seu Seung Nim( Korean honorific that Il Chi Lee says means spiritual father) . He has explicit directed his “masters” to receive donations to cover the expenses of a very expensive mansion (Mago’s Castle) in Sedona AZ. He said that unless enough people donated $10,000 to the Mago Castle project the world would end in 2030. Dahn Hak is properly understood as a new religion that incorporates traditional shamanistic, buddhist, taoist and mind-body-energy techniques from Korea markets them as Yoga or Brain Power.

    If you are looking or allies in the community I would talk to pastors or rabbis, because if they are not allowed to provide scriptural education in the school due to separation of church and state, Dahn Hak should not be allowed to teach your students Power Brain exercises. Power Brain exercise or based on a spiritual or metaphysical and Chi (energetic) vision of the world and Il Chi Lee constantly teaches that his teachings on understand of ChunJiKiUn (Cosmic Energy) will save the world.

    Reply
  5. Jess

    I was a member of Dahn yoga in the early 2000s. When I saw what was happening, I stopped going after about 6 months. While I attended I enjoyed hours of exercise almost every day with positive people. I had a 4 pack with all of the abdominal pumping exercises. I gave them the last of my money (I was a grad student), which was $600. I felt ok about it since it was for a 6 month membership, so $25 per week for a great exercise program. Then I saw what was reallllyyy happening. They tried to groom me to be a “master,” suggested that I move into a dorm (that I never visited). A friend in the program divorced her husband and married a Korean “master.” Another friend kicked her husband out of their house and was preparing to divorce. A poor lady from Europe was duped into signing contracts to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars as I recall, to become a “master.” When she wanted out they forced her to pay off the contract and last I saw here she was working her butt off at a lousy hospital to pay off her Dahn debt- she just wanted it behind her so she could return to her homeland. The woman who introduced me to Dahn had been recently hospitalized for psychiatric reasons just before I met her. She was fun and creative and I so I went to a class with her and they roped me in. She ended up getting deeper and deeper in, traveling to Sedona AZ and then to Korea. What I know firsthand is this: they lured me in with love and flattery. They tried to convince me to give up my friends and move in with them. They taught me Korean. They told me they loved me every day and gave great hugs. They were basically preying on my low self-esteem and need for love to collect my money and get me on board to recruit others. I spent at least one day passing out fliers and trying to recruit people on street corners in Chicago. I saw friends get completely brainwashed and leave their families. When I called to say I was not coming back (or maybe they called me?) they tried the good cop bad cop thing. One “master” suggested I come back because it was so good for me, and the other tried to shame me into returning. I never went back.

    Reply
  6. Lori

    Very interesting article! I also joined a Dahn Yoga studio in Phoenix. I attended a weekend long workshop at Mago Garden back in the early 2000’s. There was no doubt in my mind when I left this workshop that it was a cult. The weekend was exhausting, I left that workshop and never went back to the Dahn Yoga Studio. After reading many articles that came out in 2010, I’m glad I had the insight to walk away! I took my mother with me to this weekend retreat and as we were driving away from Mago Garden, I told her that we just experienced brainwashing exercises and this is a cult!

    Reply
  7. Loree

    I just take the classes and try to get the most out of them. There have been great benefits over the years; I’ve been going for several years, (inconsistently). I always re-join after I take a break because I really do get a lot out of it, in an energetic & spiritual way as well as a physical way. But — and this is a big BUT — I went to one of their Sedona retreats a few years ago, and I can say, yep, it was majorly cultish, so much so that I walked out of one of the big group sessions where we were all going to meet Ilchee Lee. One of the masters followed me out. I told him the truth, that I love the exercise classes (I’ve learned to not cringe or weird-out when there’s touchy-feely or woo-wooey talk or exercises or meditations), but that I am never going to take it to the place that all these members are, with worshipping Ilchee Lee like he’s a deity. Never. It was really weird and really cultish. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone wondering how all these people could not see what was going on. They were absolute followers of and believers in the god-like Ilchee Lee. The prep
    leading up to his grand entrance was crazy in that we practiced over and over how we would greet him once he entered the room. We were to chant, “Suseneem” That is what they called Ilchee Lee. After a ton of giddy anticipation, Ilchee Lee entered (so dramatic) and everyone was ecstatic! A fascinating education for me to observe — but I just had to walk out in order to keep my sanity. It was more than weird and culty, it was disturbing. I am a curious person. Please note: this did not scare me in any way. It was all very interesting, albeit disturbing. And revealing. And nothing like I’d ever experienced — not to mention a great story to tell friends and family upon my return! I am a direct person in my communications, so when I got back to classes in the Chicago area where I live, I told the instructors (the masters) how I felt. I did so directly but still with respect. I said I’d like to continue with classes but that I was extremely uncomfortable with the cult aspect. I said that as long as no one pushes me to take this any further than just the classes, I’d like to keep coming. I used the c-word (cult). I felt heard. No one at my center treated me any differently than before I “outed” them. Things continued as usual.
    I wish I could find the same practice that doesn’t have this ulterior cult-like motive (that I absolutely would never become a follower of, of course.) But thus far, it is the best practice I know for me. I’ve gone to other traditional yoga classes. They’re fine. But Body & Brain Yoga (previously Dahn Yoga) — which I like to call holistic fitness as opposed to any sort of yoga — works for me. I breathe and relax and feel great five minutes into a class. And that feeling lasts and even improves throughout the stretches, tapping, vibrations and moving meditations. Each class is different and I love the variety. And I’ve gotten a lot out of attending some weekend workshops too. Yes, it’s weirdo seeming stuff: belly-button healing and slapping yourself up and down your arms and legs and doing bowing meditations and saying some words in Korean and hugging people sometimes and… but there’s much of it that’s not odd at all to my sensibility, and that IS healthy and expansive (if you will) and great for the body and the brain. Bottom line for me is that it’s helpful — and harmless. No one pushes me into anything, ever. And I’ve never spent an excessive amount of money on it. Everyone is nice and caring and helpful. No one has ever tried to talk me into anything I said I wasn’t interested in. As long as I keep what I know to be a healthy boundary and keep my sense of my sane self, I’m more than fine attending classes. I take from it what I need and leave the brainwash/cult part completely out of it. I wish that aspect of this practice did not exist, but I’m cognizant that it does and willing to ignore and avoid it. I just stay away from it — which is easy actually. I see it as a holistic mind & body exercise practice, and nothing more.
    So here’s the million dollar question: If I know it’s a cult but I also know that I am taking from it what I need and leaving what doesn’t make good sense (the cultish aspect), then, am I a member of a cult? Haha. I’ve had this discussion with a friend. He says I am. I say I’m not, of course. I am anything but brainwashed, though in Sedona, I clearly saw it to be a cult.
    I’m glad I found this site. Thanks for sharing your story. I hope my story was validating. I also hope it might put your mind at ease a bit. Nothing scary if you think for yourself and if you take only the good.

    Reply
    • Ari

      Btw you don’t need to go to Body & Brain/Dahn for that, a lot of the best parts of my Dahn class were from Qigong, Tai Chi, and meridian therapy (part of Traditional Chinese Medicine). The tapping, the movements, all of that comes from these other very legit and well-established practices. And no cults!

      Reply
      • Charles R Hilderbrand

        I started practicing Tai Chi Gung with Rasaji. He now calls the group Circle Of Chi. It is very cult like and after doing my research on him I decided it was time to expose him for what he is. He focuses on your financial well being and is constantly selling books, beads and trinkets that are supposedly blessed etc. All the suggestions he gives on boosting your income benefits him like taking his teacher training course, direct marketing scams like Tranzact card, bitcoin, Gold etc. He started doing ascension tours regularly which are very expensive. He also has another company/business called Prosperity For Life and he will invest your money for you and if you invest 500 dollars or more you will be guaranteed a 1 acre lot at the lamasery that is to be built. Go to duvalclerk.com and look up his real name Randy D Lillard you will see divorces, bankruptcy’s, and collection lawsuits. The one that really shocks me but not really is the domestic abuse charge. Watch who you follow and check them out some states like Florida it’s very easy to look up information about your guru.

        Reply
    • nicole

      Loree, I like what you’ve said. Unfortunately, I am someone with CPTSD, though I didn’t know it at the time, and I was very vulnerable to all Body and Brain offered. I left a couple of years ago, realizing that the practice was not offering the healing I sought, and was, in fact, quite damaging to me. This practice needs to become trauma-informed. Or maybe they prey on the traumatized, the vulnerable…?

      Reply
  8. kerry doyle

    This is really well-thought out and presented. Kudos to you!
    & best of luck…

    Reply
  9. DM

    I know a teacher who is very upset about these classes in her NYC class for KINDERGARTEN. She’s asking for a religious accommodation.

    Do you have an update on what transpired with your own situation?

    Reply
    • Caroline Nyczak

      Hello DM-

      I think your friend is absolutely justified in asking for a religious accommodation! I ended up telling my principal I didn’t feel comfortable working with the program anymore, and they said that was fine. This also happened right before school shut down for COVID, and then I ended up moving schools anyway (unrelated to the BrainPower issue) so it ended up not being an issue. Still, I told my admin I was uncomfortable and they were understanding. They kept the program in the school but I think other staff are working with them now. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  10. Hans Dinglebeider

    The practice is a compilation of mild exercises and brain teasers intended to “wake you up” and eliminate negative thought patterns. It clearly employs psychological techniques intended to hook you in to the organization. Honestly, the techniques work tremendously well and can be life changing. The downside is that, if you are susceptible to the mind control techniques, you will be “fleeced” for all that you have, financially, psychologically and energetically. The ultimate goal of the organization is to establish world domination through submission to the philosophy, which is based upon total unexamined submission. Feels good? Yes. Seems creepy? Yes. That is your inner voice telling you to protect you personal autonomy and free will. Because the concept of the “guru” has become outdated, the organization itself is slowly diminishing in influence and ability to continue.

    Reply
    • Jim

      Back in early ’10, I went through Dahn’s orientation. Very touchy feely, an attracive woman with a strange hushed voice. I put up some resistance to her hard-sell of three sessions for $150.00 as I’d had a cheaper (authentic) yoga lesson down the street. What sold me was her asking,”Well, how do you feel now?” “Well, good.” Soon after, I googled Dahn for reviews, and as you know, 2010 was the year all the horror stories came out, three of which I chanced upon. / I wrote BBB and they sd I could my get check canceled if I contacted Dahn in 72 hrs, the “buyers’ remorse law.”/ You know, that woman was the first person who’d touched me in years. Our society is too formal and they exploit that.

      Reply
  11. Jessica

    Hi Caroline,
    My name is Jessica. I’m a studio manager of a Body and Brain Yoga in Las Vegas, and I would like to speak to some of the experiences you had in your article. First off, I recognize you’ll take my word with a grain of salt, because of course, I’m on the inside. If you believe Brain Power Wellness is a cult and that I’m part of it, you may easily turn your ears off to anything I have to say. I would like to offer my opinion anyways. I know Dave and Dawn personally. I worked with Dave Beal for 2 years in New York. I also worked in New York City Public schools when the program was Power Brain and not Brain Power. I can see how you would interpret some of the things that happened as cult-ish, and wierd. And it’s easy for all of the people who have previously had bad experiences to jump on the bandwagon of this article. I’ve been teaching and training for 10 years, and I’ve never indoctrinated anyone.
    I started this practice after leaving an unfulfilling nursing career. Can Dahn Yoga/Body and Brain Yoga be weird? Yup. Maybe it’s similar to the experience I had when I was in 9th grade and tried to learn about Buddhism for my anthropology class by going to a Budhist monastery. I couldn’t find one, so I ended up in the basement of this white dudes house, and he mostly talked about all the stuff he couldn’t tell me. Perhaps, foreign is a better word. I have been reading the book “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche lately, and I can see so many similarities to our practice and theirs. Body and Brain Yoga isn’t a religious group, it’s a spiritual one. We have a guru, Ilchi Lee. We don’t worship him, but we do consider him an enlightened spiritual guide, or teacher. Seuseungnim, the word, just means “teacher” in Korean.
    The mind body techniques developed by Ilchi Lee are from his years studying martial arts in Korea before his enlightenment experience. If you study or learn about enlightened teachers or gurus, you will know that many of them participate in an ascetic practice to have a moment of awakening. They often then find consider it their mission to deliver their awakening to others. You can use Sadhguru as an example of this kind of teacher.
    Most mind-body practices have their roots in eastern asian philosophy, whether it be from India, China, Korea. The Tai Chi that everyone loves nowadays is developed by enlightened Masters in China and passed down to their students or disciples, and then shared with the public (think Oogway in Kung Fu Panda). The Indian Yoga that is widely popular and accepted in America now has it’s roots in enlightenment training. The stretches and breathing postures were developed so Yoga masters, or Yogis, could sit for long periods of time in meditation, for the purpose of personal enlightenment, or ascension.
    I believe you would be hard pressed to find a mind-body practice that includes breathing, stretching, or meditation, that does not have it’s history and the foundation of it’s practice in a tradition that includes a lineage of a teacher and students studying enlightenment principles and practice. That being said, if it seems that the separation of Brain Power Wellness and Ilchi lee is intentional, you may be right. It is not, however, meant for the purpose of deception. For the same reason we don’t have youth pastors in the public school system, I imagine Dave, as a former school teacher in the NY city public schools system, is very aware of the meaning of separation between Church and State. It would be inappropriate to share about his teacher to students or teachers. That does not mean that basic mind-body principles of breathing and meditation cannot be effective for teachers and students alike however, and can’t be used in a secular way in public schools. There are numerous scientific articles outlining the benefits of yoga, tai chi, and breathing. I get 2-3 people a week who say their doctor asked them to try out Tai Chi, which is most likely because of the recent JAMA (Jouranal of the American Medical Association) article that highlights a study on the Effects of Tai Chi on Sleep.
    You also neglected to mention the outcome of the lawsuits against Ilchi Lee. None of the lawsuits against him were won, or even settled. They were all dismissed. You can just read plain old Wikipedia for that information.
    I’m sorry you had a weird experience. I love the yellow stick that I poke my belly button with. It helps my digestion and, well I won’t get much more detailed than that. 

    Reply
    • Lisa

      I think the girl who freaked and wrote the original article is quite fear based and negative…I definitely agree to try it out and see for yourself. Isn’t a yoga studio who doles out free classes to get you hooked into membership just as scary? Food for thought….

      Reply
  12. Anonymous

    My sister had been involved in this mess for years spending thousands upon thousands of dollars in membership, products, healing sessions, retreats and trips. Often contributing money to her center when they couldn’t meet their monthly expenses. I tried it 3 different times. It’s creepy and high pressure to buy more and more sessions, attend their retreats, buy their products and spend $250.00 per one if their healing sessions. I couldn’t stand it!! No different than any so called religious leader who gets wealthy off the backs of the vulnerable and less fortunate. The leaders in their centers are called masters (male and female) and they are paid very little. Many of them live in communal houses to be able to afford housing. It should be shut down. It’s a cult.!

    Reply
    • Charlie

      Question: if you hand over your money for services you receive is that not just a standard business practice?
      I have been attending only the monthly membership classes. I don’t actually have extra funds to spend on the retreats or the deep dive classes , so I do what I can afford. No one has pressured me into putting it on a credit card or borrowing money or mortgaging my home. I will say my experience of the exercises was weird at first, cause it’s unlike any traditional yoga or exercise class I have ever been to, but most classes don’t also focus on the brain either. In my very first session I experienced a calm and something I have never seen in my entire life….aura colors. I actually had to ask, “what is this purple and blue light I keep seeing?” It would happen when we would be doing exercises where’s my mind could become clear. Apparently not everyone gets that experience. I experience it in every class and have trouble clearing my mind at home to have the experience there. Also my appetite level decreased, had more energy, felt less stressed, and I my gut is so much better. For what it’s worth if you don’t have money for the other classes be honest and say so. Everyone is out there trying to earn a living. No different than a personal fitness instructor. No ones told me “you could be a master” . Did I feel guilty I couldn’t do more, when asked? Yes, cause that’s me, I would love to be able to afford a deep dive into my health. But I’m not a person that spends money like that. For the company I work for we do a sales technique called obf. Where you find the benefit or feature to present to the customer by showing them that a need is being met. This is a standard sales practice in many places and none of them are called cults yet they get people to buy into services and products every day. If you feel you’re susceptible to something like this and feel like you’ll hand over everything then maybe don’t go, but for most people we can attend a gym and not sign up for the personal trainer; just be smart. Also been very pleased that sometimes we come into class and the instructor will focus on something that may be troubling a majority of us . Like anxiety or sadness, and will change/modify the exercises to help the brain through this. Often have thought my sister should attend as she suffers through anxiety and I have a lot of stress as well. When I leave class I’m clear , energetic and feel I have given myself some self care and love, even if only twice a week. As for this being taught in schools..I see the brain and relaxation benefit, and I have never felt I was in a religious setting , but I grew up with Buddhism and Christianity around me didn’t feel like this was anything other than new agey type teachings. Some parents and people are uncomfortable with that in itself as their own religious beliefs will oppose those practices as something evil. I think if they keep it to the relaxation mind body exercises only then it is fine. No different than prince Harry who went on air and showed us how he taps himself for his anxiety.. there’s a lot of tapping and bouncing in these classes.

      Reply
      • Robert

        Good for you Charlie, it takes a lot of inner strength not to become vulnerable in a situation like this and it sounds like you are managing to maintain your distance and be a member on your own terms without being exploited.

        Reply
  13. Paul Wiggins

    I was a member of Body and Brain in Brighton, England for around a year. In that time I attended classes about once a fortnight and also did one of the weekend courses. Body and Brain attracts people seeking to make the word a better place and to make deep and meaningful connections with other people. I think anyone learning about Dahn for the first time, who is considering joining or has just joined and who is reading this article would do well to reflect on a couple of questions about the organisation. 1) Why does Body and Brain describe itself to new members and in its marketing as a Yoga and Tai Chi centre when it’s primary activities are spiritual 2) Why has the orgnisation needed to be rebranded so many times and to use so many affiliate organisations? In the UK alone it has been called Dahn Hak, HSP, Dahn Yoga and Body and Brain all in a 10 year period when most other businesses would be carefully protecting and building their brand name.

    If you are a seeker, if you want to make the world a better place, if you want to spread love you are not alone, there are many others like you. But please invest this love and this energy into an organisation that won’t take advantage of you and isolate you from friends and family members who aren’t in the group. The love will be there when you first join Dahn Yoga but will it remain? So here’s the final question. 3) Where are all the long term members? Ilchi Lee has had a global presence since the 1990s and has ambitious plans to recruit and enlighten 100 million followers. If they have been going for 30 years where are the thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of enlightened members who have been in the organisation for 10, 20 or 30 years? Ask at your centre how long people have been in Dahn Yoga. Then ask again at a regional level. Then ask again at a national level.

    Reply
  14. Anyonymous

    I was a member of a Dahn Hak centre in Toronto for approximately one year before my “masters” convinced me to quit my job and volunteer at the centre full time. With no source of income, I had to ask my mother for loans. The training was very expensive and after a week long trip to Sedona, I was told the next step was to pay $10, 000 for training to become a sabum. When I told them that my family was having serious doubts, I was told that it wasn’t a problem. I could move to Korea and I’d never have to deal with my family’s negative energy again. This is a very scary organization. At that time, I had been working in a school and was constantly pressured by the organization to get Dahn Hak into schools. This seems to be one of Ilchi Lee’s ultimate goals. How terrifying.

    Reply
    • Susie

      That sounds like a YOU problem? Who quits their job to volunteer somewhere full time? That’s not on anyone but you lol

      A lot of these replies are people playing the victim. YOU choose what to do with ur life. Mind control is not real hahaha

      Reply
    • Kathleen

      What year were you there? I also attended the location, around 2001-2003, and went to Sedona as well. I was pretty involved but decided to pull back. I have always wondered what happened to some of the people I knew at the time. Especially a master there, Crystal, who felt like a big sister to me. This message is a bit old so I don’t know if you will see it, but if you do please respond – I’d love to connect with anyone who attended at that time.

      Reply
      • Kathleen

        My comment should say “the Toronto location”. (North York to be precise)

        Reply
  15. Liane Torcoletti

    Anyone aware of Dahn Cult Support Group? I was victimized also

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      This person did very good research. I am impressed. I was involved with them for years. Gave up my marriage, gave them all my money and all my assets, became a master and gave them many years of my precious life. In the end they betrayed me and pushed me out. Doesn’t it sound funny? Actually it happens to many people! A cult that takes takes takes and then boots you out on the streets. It’s a very strange business model, honestly. I was gang abused, manipulated in a Machiavellian way with energy. Some people are more susceptible to energetic manipulation tactics, not sure why. I guess I am one of them….

      Here is the truth though, Dave and Dawn are not bad people. Many people in the program (members and some masters) are some of the best people you will meet. I left but to this day I feel such love and connection with anyone who was ever involved in it. What I did see is that as people move up in rank they lose their good hearts and good sense. They become overly focused on money, the worship of their leader and control.
      I honestly got a lot out of it, but have decided it’s time for the next chapter.

      Reply
  16. Dave Beal

    My name is Dave Beal and I’m the Executive Director for Brain Power Wellness. I recently saw this article being circulated on teacher chat groups among understandably alarmed teachers. The idea that a cult program is being taught in our schools is certainly scary and the article paints a precarious picture. On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of NYC students, teachers, principals and parents with whom Brain Power Wellness has had the honor of partnering, I feel compelled to respond with some key clarifications.

    I began teaching in NYC in 2002. I started practicing yoga in 2004 to manage my stress and found the wellness techniques I learned to be extremely beneficial for my students. After helping my principals in Brooklyn and Freeport design school-wide wellness programs for three years I made the difficult decision to leave the classroom and accepted a position with a wellness company named Power Brain Education, which was owned by one of Ilchi Lee’s companies. Over the next two years with PBE I had the honor of sharing mindfulness and wellness techniques with around fifty schools in NYC. In 2009, Ilchi Lee was the subject of a lawsuit filed in Arizona from former yoga employees who alleged undue influence and unfair business practices. All claims in the lawsuit were either dismissed by the Court or dropped by the plaintiffs in 2013.

    However, several media outlets picked up the story. The NY Post ran a misleading article, which they immediately retracted, connecting PBE’s work in NYC to the lawsuits. Because of this negative publicity the DOE understandably suspended PBE from working in NYC schools. Because I had dedicated my life to sharing wellness and mindfulness with schools this was obviously a crushing blow. While I was extremely grateful for the wellness methods I had learned from Ilchi Lee I felt it was time to move on. In 2010 I resigned from PBE and began running a private teaching and consulting practice. But I never gave up on my dream of sharing wellness with schools and being part of a principled movement for systemic change within our educational system. In 2016 I started a new company (BPW) and we have proudly shared mindfulness, community building and wellness with hundreds of schools in NYC and around the country.

    Clarifications:
    • Brain Power Wellness is a completely independent company (the article falsely asserts that Body & Brain is the “parent company” of BPW. This is not true.)
    • BPW programs are informed by a variety of research-based findings from the fields of education, neuroscience, mindfulness, Asian health theory and psychology.
    • Our average satisfaction rating from our partner schools is “excellent”
    • While all of our methods may not be for everyone, 94% of our retreat participants rate our retreats as “excellent” or “very good” and 95% of teachers agree BPW helps their students with emotional regulation
    • Participation in all BPW activities from students and teachers is optional. We strive to create a safe and comfortable environment and actively solicit feedback from our partners to continuously improve.

    I wish all of you well and I’m grateful for this opportunity to be heard.
    Peace ~

    Reply
    • nicole

      As I scroll through all of these comments, I find myself saddened by the negativity that people are so attracted to. I’m going to choose not to go down that path, however, and instead reconnect to the gratitude I feel for the practice of Body and Brain yoga in my life. My friends and family members may see all these negative comments, and a couple of years ago, I would have been embarrassed. Now, however, I simply don’t care. The healing I’ve experienced is real, the love of myself and my life that I now feel are real, and if Body and Brain is a cult (what IS a cult, anyway but some “label” to arouse the emotions), then I’m happy to be a part of it! I would spend every dollar I’ve spent again, and more! You cannot put a price on love! Truly grateful for my transformation!

      I feel that you, Caroline, are doing a great disservice to others by trying to sabotage something that didn’t feel right for YOU, but that has been transformational for countless people. Most of humanity today is more attracted to negativity that positivity, so your words, unfortunately, will resound. Those of us with the positive voices are just going to have to step up our game. I’m ready!

      Reply
      • Nicole

        This is Nicole, two years after writing that I’d pay anything to Body and Brain. I was brainwashed, and I am out, thank goodness.

        Reply
  17. Loraine Ferrara

    I was involved in Dahn Hak “yoga” for about three years. Ditto on the initial love followed by the deep interest in the checkbook. After attending a $1,000 “Shim-Sung” workshop, I quit. During this workshop, techniques “borrowed from the Catholic Church, Alcoholics Anonymous, and even Weight Watchers were re-packaged and sold to the crowd as “tools of enlightenment.” I agree with the former statement that even good things from a bad person might not be a great idea.

    Reply
  18. Anonymous

    Thank you so much for writing this article! I JUST went to an hour long Body n Brain class and then a day long workshop in Las Vegas and was SO weirded out. It was extremely cultish, and yet they kept talking about mind/body health, so I was thinking maybe I’m just overreacting?? But I felt awful afterwards, so I started googling and found the lawsuits you mentioned against the founder. Reading your article really confirmed my suspicions and made me feel so much better that I was not alone in feeling this way. Thank you again!

    Reply
  19. JD

    I recently had a wonderfully meaningful and impactful experience at Honors Haven with Dave Beal, his Brain Power team and a group of school leaders. We stretched, focused our intentions on breathing correctly and our bodies’ alignment, participated in team building activities, reflected regularly in journals, meditated inside and outside, and took nature hikes to a pristine waterfall. Dave and his team were open, reflective, engaging, encouraging, and it was apparent that they’ve had experience with building strong teams of adults before. We left Honors Haven refreshed and with a positive outlook. Thank you Dave and to your amazing team for working with us on such a deep and transformative level!

    Reply
  20. EM

    I had several friends have bad experiences with this cult back when they were called Dahn Yoga in Seattle years ago. One friend went in for some kind of advertised “free aura checkup”. They told her upsetting things about her aura and then pressured her to sign a contract for thousands of dollars while she was still upset and sobbing Fortunately, when they tried to hold her to the signature, she directed them to her family lawyer and that was the end of it . Another less fortunate friend got sucked into months of classes until a concerned friend literally walked in and pulled her out of the school. Please beware of these crooks.

    Reply
  21. Jane

    I’m not questioning any of the history mentioned, but I’ve taken body and brain classes before in desperation–no exercise or meditation joints near me at the time (knowing an aquaintance I’ve mind got a little too involved) and they were great. It waseasy access qigong and the most culty thing we did was drink some tea together at the end and clap and say “I am a good Earth Citizen.” Very cute and silly. It varies a bit depending on the teacher. I just said no thanks to any extra trainings. In some rural or suburban areas, these are the only thing going, so I’m grateful they exist. Not doubting some of the history, but like with anything, you need to use your discernment. And what’s wrong with aiming for a 120 years? I’ve read that book and its main point is continuing to engage in life and be of service to others. If you want to talk about brain washing and mind control, look no further than your own cellphone.

    Reply
    • Mary

      This organization is without a doubt nothing more than a cult. While many of the people are lovely, they are mis-guided and brainwashed. The Masters give up their whole lives and work for pittance all for the greed of Ilchi Lee who owns lots of homes, cars, yachts and private jet. He is their god. The Christian version would be Joel Olsteen who reaps gross amounts of materialism off the backs of a very low socioeconomic population.
      I did get some healing out of the classes and I think the exercises and meditation are noteworthy, however, it is clearly not yoga in any way shape or form. They brand it this way to appeal to the larger masses of “normal” people.
      The absolute main goal of the center is to rob you of your money because they must spread this enlightenment to 100 million people. I was literally harassed for $10,000 dollars to become a Master. As soon as you take one class they bring you into a dimly lit room to basically interrogate you to purchase a membership. They usually push for a year but also 3 years. There are no class cards or monthly payments…..it’s please dole out the big bucks. You are told this will complete your soul and you will take this to help others. Money is on their mind at all times. They are pressured to make quotas and money every month.
      Ilichi Lee writes dozens of books. I’ve read a few. While some of the information is a good message the goal is to get on the NYT best seller. I understand one Master bought 1,000 books of a Call to Sedona to help it get on the list which it did. Everyone is told to buy the books and give them flowery reviews. I actually feel sorry for the people who work at these centers as I truly believe their aim is to do good but aren’t aware they are brainwashed.
      They search the internet high and low to make rebuttals on negative reviews of this cult-y organization. They have people reviewing and always telling members to write positive reviews.
      They will try to financially rob you and if you’re vulnerable they will achieve it. Their ploy is to get you into a “healing session”, open you up emotionally and then go for the jugular…..MONEY. They want to know all of your trauma, past hurts and tell you that you can heal by helping others (which is just telling everyone they need to come on board to make their god richer).
      I could really keep going on this but I won’t. Bottom line: If you want to just take the classes and set very strong boundaries with them, the classes are good. But the whole operation is a scam and a cult and think about whether you even want to be a part of it. They will deny all this because they truly feel they are doing good work for the greater society but they’d be better off putting their energy elsewhere. This Ilchi Lee is no more enlightened than me or you. He’s just a shrewd brilliant man who has duped people who are mostly vulnerable and in pain. Run for the hills…….

      Reply
  22. Anonymous

    I practiced with Body & Brain for almost a year in 2018/2019, after I had recently been released from a very traumatic and abusive relationship. In that year, I both found myself again and, just as easily, almost lost myself. At first, I felt that I had found such a loving and accepting community and I loved the physical aspect of all of the classes, so much so that I was attending 6 days a week. Very soon after I joined, the masters began to groom me to become a master myself. I had a successful career, one that I was happy with, so I wasn’t thinking that becoming a master would become my new career. I believed I was simply becoming more spiritual, loving, confident and physically fit. Before I knew it, I was attending workshops at the various studio locations and retreats in Sedona, which cost me $1000’s. I found myself scrounging for money, trying to come up with the fees that just kept rolling in. I was even encouraged to ask my friends and family for money, if it was as important to me as I said it was.

    I started to feel uncomfortable with the organization the deeper into the practice I got. I began to attend after hour workshops that were reserved for their most dedicated members. These workshops were intense and physically demanding and many times I ended up in tears from how emotionally draining it was. I volunteered to help out for a day long, monthly workshop for new members and we did extreme exercises like holding a pose for 20 minutes straight, screaming out all of our pent up anger and pain, and having to “dance” until the master approved you to stop. At the end of these workshops, the members were massaged on their shoulders while they watched a video regarding more workshops…which, of course, cost more money.

    I spent hours each day with the studio, taking classes, attending workshops, doing one on one sessions with the master, and traveling to retreats. When I officially began to train to become a master, I was then expected to stay each night and help clean up the studio. I attended even more after hour (sometimes in the early morning) trainings. The pressure to attend more retreats and trainings increased, so much so that my master had another high level member pay for my training (without my knowledge or consent) and, then, expected me to pay that member back by the time her credit card statement came in the mail. The training was $4,000. I sold my truck in order to do so.

    Thankfully, that same member that paid for my training began to reveal more and more of what would be expected of me as a master and this is what opened my eyes. The masters all lived in one house together and with how busy they kept the masters, they rarely had time to travel or visit family. Masters were also the managers of each studio and, as manager, you were expected to bring in a certain amount of money each month. This was why, at the end of the month, the masters would begin to pressure current members to buy more workshops, trainings, and healing sessions. They would even call former members to try to get them to purchase more memberships again. Masters were not encouraged to have relationships, as I’m sure they wanted them to commit to the practice instead. I noticed that my own master would never go visit her family, and I could only assume this was because there was no time and also the masters were paid so very little, which made living in one home make more sense. As I had been kept from my family for the previous 13 years by my abusive partner, I was not willing to give them up again.

    I voiced this concern one night, after yet another expensive workshop. When I was told by the master of this studio that it wasn’t that I couldn’t visit my family, it was that I may not be able to visit them as much as I would like to, I knew I couldn’t continue. I stopped attending class and, after a week, I went to the studio to turn in my uniforms I had been given and told my master I would not return to Body N Brain again.

    I went through a period of grief after this. I had committed so much of my life to this organization and to the masters I worked with. I thought I had found a new family and community, but left feeling manipulated and taken advantage of. I shared personal details of my life that I wish I hadn’t, opened my heart to people I shouldn’t have. I almost gave up my career, my home, my pets and my family for Body N Brain. I’ve just finished paying off my debt from them. I am forever grateful I listened to my gut and saved myself from Body N Brain. I’m flourishing in my career, I’ve gotten married, have a beautiful family with my amazing wife, and have a closer than ever relationship with my mom and siblings.

    If you do choose to get involved with Body N Brain, just be conscious of how much time and money you put into the organization. Keep your wits about you and don’t give them the power over you.

    Reply
    • anon

      Anonymous,
      My heart goes out to you. I was manipulated as well. I so deeply desired love, and I thought I’d found it with them. Turns out, it’s been right inside me all along, and I never would have found it by staying with BnB.

      Reply
      • 버니즈

        hi! there has been a controversy surrounding dahn world once again in Korea. There has been suspicions of a Korean entertainment agency being involved and thus forcing their artists to put in messages related to it, but there hasn’t been any direct link nor evidence yet so I won’t dabble too much into it. But that’s how I came to know about this article.

        One thing that this article, along with the comments, made sure is that dahn world/ body and brain/ dahn yoga (Jesus… how many names could they EVEN possibly have??? I have lost count) is 100% a cult.

        I speak Korean and there has been personal stories spreading around on YouTube comments and storytimes. And most of them follows the same pattern: losing yourself or losing your loved ones to the cult.

        Since this is from 4 years ago, I doubt if anyone will even see this, but Global Cyber University is also founded by Ilchi Lee/ Seungheon Lee and their “brain education” curriculum is based on the Brain Operating System and ohmygod this IS not scientific nor educational AT all. I think they use “brain education” as a buzzword, as to make people think they’re studying neuroscience. I wouldn’t take anyone who “learned” about the brain education seriously.

        Since this university seem to operate online, I chose to write this out in hopes that someone who attends or used to attend the school takes a second look. This university is known to have some famous students, and I’m actually worried people will enroll there just because their favourite celebrities are also going too.

        Reply
        • 버니즈

          ** “I wouldn’t take anyone who “learned” about brain education there seriously” / typo.

          Reply
      • Anonymous

        Thank you! My heart goes out to you, as well. I’m sorry you too found yourself being manipulated by those that claimed to have your very best interest at heart. The further I’ve gotten away from Body N Brain, the more I realize that there are so many that are manipulated by this organization, the masters included. Sending you only positive thoughts on your journey to healing and self-love.

        Reply
  23. D

    I practiced Dhan at their Flushing, NY location in the late 1990’s. Expensive to join, but I found the energy work enjoyable. What turned me off were the requests to contribute additional funding, and they were always trying to get me to go on retreats. The place screamed “cult” and I left after 8 months. I never looked back. Shortly after, the CUNY professor died and I was glad my inner bullsh*t detector sounded the alarm when it did.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

post calvin direct

Get new posts from Caroline (Higgins) Nyczak delivered straight to your inbox.

the post calvin