Randolph Stone

Review of Satchidananda Ashram

As awesome as Yogaville is for an Ashram not all o...

As awesome as Yogaville is for an Ashram not all of the programs and classes accommodate or care for people with handicaps or disabilities. I had the unfortunate displeasure to meet Hope Mel before the Joint Freeing class. As I was explaining my back problems and addiction to pain medication, she was very rude and dismissive. Then she interrupted me and exclaimed that she knows how people become addicted to opiods then abruptly changed subject.

I later attended the Joint Freeing class and had back pain with her exercises and found her sexual innuendos about her pelvis freeing exercises crude and offensive for an ashram setting. I quietly excused myself from her class and left early. When I saw her later that day she impolitely requested that not attend her classes again.

There is something very wrong about a person who does not care about the people they are supposed to care for. I don't know what to think about an Ashram that allows anyone to represent them in this ill mannered way. Maybe the Ashram Bureaucrats don't monitor the classes as long as they produce a profit. I hope that they can correct this fiasco before it ruins them. Peace