February 16, 2012

Dear friends,

With deep compassion for John Friend and profound sadness in my heart I am writing this letter to let you know that Wednesday night, February 15, I sent John Friend and the office a letter to resign my license agreement with Anusara, Inc. Yesterday I sent a letter to our local students in Sarasota and then to folks on my national workshops list. Now I’m posting it on FB.

The Anusara kula has been my spiritual family for the past 19 years, and I treasure the friendships and connections I’ve made, and always will. To my esteemed colleagues on the certification committee, the curriculum committee, the ethics committee, and the recent Interim Committee, I have enjoyed our collective efforts of service to support Anusara and the kula. Especially I have been inspired by your greatness, by your un-defended egos. I have never worked with a group of people I held in greater respect. I thank you for your continual inspiration. I have loved my work as the co-chair of the certification committee, and so relished talking with so many new teachers as they completed the certification process.

I offer John Friend my deepest gratitude for the teachings of Anusara and for believing in me before I believed in myself. That was one of the most profound gifts I’ve ever received. It touched my heart and transformed my life. It is a gift I can never repay, except to pass it forward, which I endeavor to do in my teaching.

I will continue to teach locally as well as travel. My teaching has always been a synergy and reflection of my own core practices of meditation, pranayama, asana, study of yoga and philosophical texts, writing, reflection, and personal growth work, all supported by my studies with leading scholars and teachers for many decades. In other words, my teaching will continue to be the way it is now and I will incorporate the ways in which I continue to grow and evolve, as always.

Ultimately I regard the success and efficacy of yoga to be revealed not so much by touching our toes or standing on our hands, as beneficial as that may be(!), but by the way we live our lives. Given what has come to light over the past 14 days about John Friend’s behavior, I can no longer stay in this organization. My hope is that John will get the therapy and healing he needs to return to balance, a yogic life, and the seat of the teacher.

In order to stand in the Truth of my heart, it is now time for me to resign my Anusara license. I remain a Certified Teacher, despite the fact that I am relinquishing my license. I will continue to offer classes, workshops, Immersions, and Teacher Trainings, and I trust that all hours of study with me will count toward Anusara credit for the duration of 2012. In that way I can honor my commitment to the students registered for such programs.

Blessings to all in this time of upheaval. I look forward to new beginnings as well as maintaining our heart connection.

With sadness & love,

Betsey