221 | Emilía Rún: Kundalini Yoga, Spiritual Red Flags & Discovering Freedom in Disenchantment

Emilía Rún joins Richard Blake and Joseph Anew this week to share her personal journey with Kundalini Yoga—a practice that profoundly shaped her life. In the wake of HBO’s documentary series Breath of Fire, which exposed the darker side of Kundalini Yoga and some of its most well-known teachers, Emilía offers a fresh perspective. Rather than discarding the practice entirely, she explores how we can hold onto beneficial spiritual practices by approaching them with discernment, integrity, and a deeper understanding of our own vulnerabilities.

Drawing from her firsthand experiences—including time spent practicing at RA MA Institute in LA, a central focus of the documentary—Emilía unpacks the transformative power of Kundalini Yoga, the risks involved, and the fine line between spiritual devotion and cult-like dynamics. This conversation delves into the importance of critical thinking in spiritual spaces, the disenchantment that she believes is inevitable on a spiritual path, and how that disenchantment might actually be a necessary part of the journey. 

What You'll Learn

• Transformational Potential and Risks: Learn about the powerful practice of Kundalini Yoga, its potential for emotional release and the risks associated with such intense practices. Because any spiritual practice requires an element of surrender, it is so important to be aware of our vulnerabilities, especially when our mind is altered from breathwork, yoga, or psychedelics. Emilia recounts her deep involvement with Kundalini Yoga in England, Texas and California, including the intoxicating atmosphere of Sat Nam Fest in Joshua Tree.
• The HBO Documentary “Breath of Fire”: Hear insider insight behind the recent documentary about Kundalini Yoga and RA MA Institute, where Emilia and Joseph primarily practiced. The hosts explore whether Kundalini Yoga can be classified as a cult, red flags in spiritual communities, and the responsibility of spiritual teachers to be trauma-informed.
• The Inevitable Disenchantment on a Spiritual Path: Emilía believes that anyone on a spiritual path is guaranteed to become disenchanted, and how the practice of seeing clearly, as taught in mindfulness, can set you free by separating the practice from the package of the teacher. If you don’t learn to expect their humanness, you will always be disappointed that spiritual people are not meeting your expectations.
• False Gurus, Projection & Attachment to Spiritual Identity: Emilía shares the why we tend to project idealized qualities onto spiritual teachers, citing the deep human desire of wanting to believe that such goodness exists. Learn why insecurity can cause people to construct an identity around spirituality, and become more vulnerable to power-seeking teachers.
• The "U-Turn" in Mindfulness: Emilía explains the mindfulness concept of the "U-turn," emphasizing the importance of turning back to oneself and one's own inner wisdom rather than blaming others for our own experience and wanting others to change, or outsourcing power to teachers.
• The Finger Pointing to the Moon: The parable of the finger pointing to the moon is invoked as a reminder that any teacher or practice is simply a guide pointing to a greater truth, not the ultimate truth itself.
• The Future of Kundalini Yoga: Is it time for a big comeback in Kundalini Yoga? Emilía is optimistic about the future of this powerful practice, with practitioners now approaching it with more grounded perspectives, fewer expectations, and less attachment to teacher identities.

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