Dr. Terry Rondberg: Up Close and Personal

I’ve often written about the benefits of yoga, mostly centering on how much it can help improve health and wellness, flexibility and stamina. I sometimes forget that yoga can also offer tremendous emotional and psychological rewards.

A recent study that appeared online at The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine was an interesting reminder of that “hidden benefit.” Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) found that yoga may be superior to other forms of exercise in its positive effect on mood and anxiety. The study is the first to demonstrate an association between yoga postures, increased GABA levels and decreased anxiety.

The researchers set out to contrast the brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels of yoga subjects with those of participants who spent time walking. Low GABA levels are associated with depression and other widespread anxiety disorders.

The researchers followed two randomized groups of healthy individuals over a 12-week long period. One group practiced yoga three times a week for one hour, while the remaining subjects walked for the same period of time. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) imaging, the participants’ brains were scanned before the study began. At week 12, the researchers compared the GABA levels of both groups before and after their final 60-minute session.

Each subject was also asked to assess his or her psychological state at several points throughout the study, and those who practiced yoga reported a more significant decrease in anxiety and greater improvements in mood than those who walked. “Over time, positive changes in these reports were associated with climbing GABA levels,” said lead author Chris Streeter, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at BUSM.

According to Streeter, this promising research warrants further study of the relationship between yoga and mood, and suggests that the practice of yoga be considered as a potential therapy for certain mental disorders.

SOURCE: “Effects of Yoga Versus Walking on Mood, Anxiety, and Brain GABA Levels: A Randomized Controlled MRS Study,” The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. doi:10.1089/acm.2010.0007. Abstract online.

In the past, whenever I got excited about a new project (or stressed over some problem!) I had trouble sleeping. I’d toss and turn while my mind went spinning. I’d be too tired to get up, but I couldn’t sleep. After eight hours or so, I’d drag myself out of bed exhausted.

Things changed when I started practicing yoga. The physical and mental disciplines I learned helped me throughout the day — AND at night. Almost all yoga students can attest to this benefit, but if we had any doubts, insomnia experts have confirmed this (interesting how we love getting scientific proof to validate our personal experiences).

Ramadevi Gourineni, MD, director of the Comprehensive Insomnia Clinic at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, noted in May that “simple lifestyle changes can replace the need for medications to achieve a better night’s sleep.”

The clinic put priority on educating patients about behavioral changes they can make that will help them sleep. Examples of behavioral changes are kicking bad habits such as consuming caffeine before bedtime and not using the bedroom for work or watching TV. They also counsel patients on stress management techniques and to reduce the worry and anxiety that often keeps people awake at night.

One of the best behavioral changes people can make is to practice yoga. According to the American Yoga Association: “If you suffer from insomnia, whether often or occasionally, yoga can help. Through relaxing physical exercise, breathing techniques and complete relaxation, you can promote more regular and restful sleeping patterns without resorting to sleep-inducing drugs. Such drugs interfere with your body’s natural sleep cycle and can create psychological dependence and undesirable side effects.”

A report published in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback noted: “In this preliminary study, a simple daily yoga treatment was evaluated in a chronic insomnia … For 20 participants completing the protocol, statistically significant improvements were observed…”

Gourineni also conducted a study which showed that practicing deep relaxation techniques, such as yoga, during the daytime can help improve sleep at night. The patients in her study saw improvements in sleep quality, total sleep time, and depression.

In the future, Gourineni and other clinic doctors hope to work with Chicago-area yoga teachers to build a network of recommended places for patients to practice yoga.

SOURCES: “Treatment of chronic insomnia with yoga: a preliminary study with sleep-wake diaries,” Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 2004 Dec; 29(4):269-78).

“Behavioral Changes As Effective As Medication In Treating Insomnia,” Northwest Memorial Hospital, May 7, 2010.

By Rick Ross

Introduction

My work in the area of cults, controversial groups and movements began in 1982 and has included professionally consulting with hundreds of affected families, mental health professionals, attorneys, clergy, law enforcement and the media.

I have been qualified and accepted as an expert witness across the United States in numerous court cases. This has included testimony given in United States federal court, after being accepted as an expert through a Daubert hearing.

My court testimony typically is focused upon the behavior of destructive groups, their persuasion techniques and the undue influence that such groups often gain over adherents.

I am the founder and Executive Director of the Ross Institute of New Jersey (RI).  RI is a nonprofit tax-exempt educational institution devoted to the study of destructive cults, controversial groups and movements.

Researchers and the media often use the Ross Institute Internet Archives as an informational resource. It contains thousands of documents and hundreds of subsections about various cults, groups, movements and related topics and is an institutional member of the New Jersey Library Association.

Each year, through my work at RI, I respond to thousands of inquiries.

One category of groups listed within the archives and responded about on a regular basis is “Neo Eastern Groups,” which includes controversial groups and movements based upon meditation and yoga practices.

I have been specifically asked to review relevant material, including complaints and personal accounts of former employees, students and families, in order to evaluate if the Yoga Room led by Peri Ness DeFay fits the definition of a destructive “cult.”

Self-Realization Fellowship and the Yoga Room

The Yoga Room was once located very close to a Self-Realization Fellowship Temple. Ms. Ness DeFay frequently invoked the names of SRF founder Parmahansa Yogananda, its current leader Sri Daya Mata, and Mukti Mata another long-time SRF devotee.

Peri Ness DeFay seems to use SRF in an apparent effort to legitimize her own authority.

SRF books, CD and other materials were displayed and on sale at the Yoga Room.

However, Peri Ness DeFay is not professionally associated with SRF

The Yoga Room teaches what has been called “Synergy Yoga.”

A sign once posted at the Yoga Room stated that the “Synergy Yoga Center is not affiliated with the Self-Realization Fellowship.”

SRF unlike the Yoga Room is an international organization. One of its centers is in Encinitas, California, the former location of the Yoga Room.

Though at times controversial, SRF is a relatively benign group. I have received few significant complaints about it historically.

Defining a destructive “cult”

Former employees and students of Peri Ness DeFay and affected families have called the Yoga Room a “cult.”

Noted psychiatrist and author Robert Jay Lifton developed the following definition of a cult. This definition is focused primarily upon three principal criteria and was first published in a paper titled “Cult Formation” in 1981 by Harvard University.

1. a charismatic leader who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose their power;
2. a process of coercive persuasion or thought reform;
3. economic, sexual, and other exploitation of group members by the leader and the ruling coterie.

In my opinion Peri Ness DeFay’s Yoga Room fits well within this definition as described through the three criteria outlined by Lifton.

• A charismatic leader who increasingly becomes an object of worship.

According to former Yoga Room student Terry Rondberg’s book (“A Cult on the Coast”) “students and employees” could be seen “clinging to Peri like slaves cling to their master.”

Ms. Ness DeFay purportedly was seen as a “prophet” where her devotees might “find themselves” through her ‘Original Flow.’”

According to Rondberg many perceived Peri Ness DeFay “as some type of ‘goddess.’” And when she entered a room “all employees had to remain silent, put their hands in prayer position and bow their heads to Peri.”

Her next door neighbor Ed “once witnessed several women strewing flower petals at Peri’s feet as they walked toward her house, then opening the door for her as though she were royalty.”

Ms. Ness DeFay assumed the title of “Master Teacher” and was referred to by participants at the Yoga Room as “Peri Ness…‘our founder and Master Teacher.”

Terry Rondberg observed Yoga Room graduates “in front of Peri on their knees” giving a speech about “their appreciation” and to offer “praise for Peri’s presence.”

Yoga Room students also believed that by staying in a room with “Master Teacher” they might “be blessed with Peri’s healing energy” and that “she exuded ‘healing vibrations.’”

According to one Yoga Room publication, which outlines the “Apprenticeship Program Requirements,” if Ms. Ness DeFay is not able to attend a class she will somehow be “sending…her love and energy!”

Former Yoga Room employee Roxanne DePalma reportedly kept “a large photograph of Peri posted on [a] ‘prayer wall.’”

Another past supporter of the Yoga Room Jeannine concluded, “Everything is all about Peri. The world revolves around Peri…There is no reality check for her. She has no boss, no board of directors…”

• a process of coercive persuasion or thought reform

Within his description of “Coercive Persuasion and Attitude Change,” sociologist Richard J. Ofshe explains, “Coercive persuasion and thought reform are alternate names for programs of social influence capable of producing substantial behavior and attitude change through the use of coercive tactics, persuasion, and/or interpersonal and group-based influence manipulations.”

This is accomplished according to Ofshe by “intense interpersonal and psychological attack to destabilize an individual’s sense of self” and “to promote conformity” within the framework of “an organized peer group.”

Ofshe divides the process of coercive persuasion into four key factors or socialization schemes:

1. The reliance on intense interpersonal and psychological attack to destabilize an individual’s sense of self to promote compliance
2. The use of an organized peer group
3. Applying interpersonal pressure to promote conformity
4. The manipulation of the totality of the person’s social environment to stabilize behavior once modified

One former student labeled Peri Ness DeFay’s brand of coercive persuasion “remote controlled,” which was initiated and/or intensified by something literally called an “intensive.”

The 10-day intensive course offered by the Yoga Room appears to be one of the most organized socialization schemes devised by Peri Ness DeFay “to destabilize an individual’s sense of self” and “promote compliance” through “the use of an organized peer group.” And it apparently was used effectively to apply “interpersonal pressure to promote conformity.”

Each intensive reportedly “began about 7:00 AM and ended anywhere from 6 to 7:00 PM.” Students were “encouraged to eat as little as possible” and to “sleep when the 10 day is over and have as little communication with anyone not participating…including family and friends.”

The intensive included proscribed times for meditation, yoga exercises and “therapy” with both “Peri” and through “Partner Yoga Therapy.”

According to participants the intensive rendered students “weak from lack of nourishment and [exhausted] from the intense yoga practice,” which included repetitious exercises called “sun salutations,” meditation and prolonged chanting.

One chant recited during the intensive reportedly was “I am the bubble, make me the sea.” This recitation is used by the Self-Realization Fellowship to denote a benign sense of oneness, but within the Yoga Room it was used to represent “sacrificing one’s individuality and uniqueness,” according to former student Melinda DePalma.

Likewise repeated confession was encouraged through so-called “yoga routines,” which emphasized “‘sharing’ personal experiences.” This often included disclosing “some traumatic experience” through what was called a “share circle.”

One former student summarized, “This is where Peri gains your confidence, learns your deepest secrets and weaknesses.”

A more extreme example is the written confession of Terry Rondberg (January 12, 2008), which was the result of personal pressure devised and directed by Ms. Ness DeFay. (“A Cult on the Coast” page 83).

Despite being “falsely accused” Dr. Rondberg nevertheless confessed to “performing a spinal adjustment, which hurt” Ms. Ness DeFay.

This example parallels what Lifton calls the “Cult of Confession.”

Within his book “Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism” Lifton explains, “Confession is carried beyond its ordinary religious, legal, and therapeutic expressions to the point of becoming a cult in itself. There is the demand that one confess to crimes one has not committed, to sinfulness that is artificially induced, in the name of a cure that is arbitrarily imposed.”

Many Yoga Room employees and students have related “personal stories about how Peri Ness DeFay attempted to isolate them from their friends and family” (“Cult on the Coast”).

This can be seen as an expression of the scheme cited by Ofshe, which emphasizes “the manipulation of the totality of the person’s social environment to stabilize behavior once modified.”

Roxanne DePalma explains that she “was being admonished by Peri that her ‘energy was low’ after she spent time with her family.” She was also told not to communicate with her sister for one year and that Peri “loved [her] more than [her] mother…”

“Even when I was vacationing,” DePalma said, Peri had to know where I was and she had be in contact with me daily.”

Roxanne DePalma’s experience provides an example of the social control exerted by the Yoga Room and what was meant by the description “remote controlled.”

Another former student Matt Caron observed, “I put everything I had into the [Yoga Room] and was spending all of my time there and never seeing any of my friends.”

Subsequently, for those that might doubt, question or disagree with Peri Ness DeFay’s pronouncements, instructions and/or teachings there was ongoing and continued pressure to conform through various schemes that she employed to gain compliance and maintain control.

Derek, a former Yoga Room student, explains what Peri Ness DeFay categorized as the opposite forces of “dark and light.” Specifically, those that failed to comply and displeased her were likely to risk taking on “a lot of dark energy,” as opposed to the Yoga Room, which was characterized as “a lot of light.”

Ms. Ness DeFay warned her critics (email to Matt Caron August 22, 2007), “It is extremely bad karma to bad talk the Yoga Room…It is completely and utterly bad thinking and bad karma,” she reiterated.

Matt Caron summarized, “Peri…used spirituality to control people and that is absolutely wrong.”

Another past Yoga Room participant G.M. observed, “She was beyond questioning and her opinion was the last word for everyone.”

Those that disagreed with Ms. Ness DeFay were at times labeled as “evil.”

The negatively laden term most often used to label anyone not compliant and/or critical was that they were “out of integrity.”

There were at times also implied threats of so-called “karmic retribution,” directed at those that somehow upset Ms. Ness DeFay.

Peri Ness DeFay might also redirect criticism about her behavior in a manipulative scheme of role reversal. Those that criticized her were accused of “projecting” their negativity onto her. She explained to one former Yoga Room supporter, “Mukti Ma said…I will always be projected onto. It is my role.”

Peri Ness DeFay reportedly at times might “call someone ‘her Judas’ and compare herself to Christ,” again casting herself in the role of a persecuted suffering servant or martyr.

Thus almost any criticism potentially could be reversed to become a scheme utilized for interpersonal attack.

There was no legitimate reason to leave the Yoga Room, anyone that left was wrong, seen as negative and explicitly and/or implicitly denounced.

One employee was reportedly told, “If you turn your back on Synergy than you turn your back on God.”  Conversely, those that agreed and supported Ms. Ness DeFay might be called “angels.”

In perhaps the most extreme example of interpersonal attack a Synergy Yoga instructor in France reportedly “suffering with cancer” was told by Ms. Ness DeFay that she was actually afflicted “because she refused to let go of the emotions that were holding her back and blocking her from being cured.”

• exploitation of group members by the leader

Training at the Yoga Room could be quite expensive. The 10-day “intensive training programs” were priced at $2,600.00.

Ms. Ness DeFay reportedly also pressured “employees to become a Synergy Yoga teacher,” which required taking “the $2,800 Practicum program.”

The California labor board investigated the Yoga Room. The most frequent complaint was overtime without pay and compensation made through work/trade arrangements, which is illegal in California.

One employee recalls Peri Ness DeFay explaining, “I do not operate on California law. I operate on yogic law.”

Most Yoga Room employees reportedly “were paid from $10-$15 an hour and received no health benefits.”

But Ms. Ness DeFay reportedly received a monthly “salary of $12,000” and “use of the company credit card” for personal expenses along with medical insurance.

Teachers in training did so-called “Seva duties,” which included teaching 108 classes without pay.”

The Yoga Room “failed to provide lunch breaks for employees.”

At times Ms. Ness DeFay denigrated, humiliated and by subjecting her employees to name calling and ridicule.

In once such case the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board in San Diego recognized the grievances of former Yoga Room employee Michelle DePalma. The agency stated in its decision, “Every person has the right of protection from bodily harm, from personal insult, from defamation, and from injury to his or her personal relations.” And the board specifically noted that that DePalma “quit her employment due to insults received from the employer.”

The turnover rate of employees at the Yoga Room was substantial. Peri Ness DeFay acknowledged in one email (June 2, 2008) that she had “employed over 200 people.”

Ms. Ness DeFay also contributed to and/or caused family estrangements and tension in relationships. She reportedly “urged [Terry Rondberg] to get a divorce…”

One “anonymous” former student posting at a Web site describes an emotional collapse that was “sort of a nervous breakdown” after one year at the Yoga Room.

But there was no legitimate reason to leave the Yoga Room according to Peri Ness DeFay.

Whenever someone left it was his or her fault. In one email to Jeff Calcara (June 2, 2008) Peri Ness claims that her employees left “mainly because of their deceit, dishonesty and their ego and their ignorance.” In another communication she cited their “dishonest, disloyal and bad behavior.”

Despite the complaints of former students, teachers, affected families and official opinion expressed by the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, Peri Ness DeFay never accepted any responsibility for wrongdoing regarding the Yoga Room.

Instead, in an email sent to Jeff Calcara Ms. Ness DeFay concluded that “evil mongering people” and “monsters” had engaged in “a conspiracy” against her.

Notes:

Robert Jay Lifton, M.D., “Cult Formation,” The Harvard Mental Health Letter, February 1981.

Richard J. Ofshe, Ph.D., “Coercive Persuasion and Attitude Change,” Encyclopedia of Sociology, Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan, 2001.

Robert Jay Lifton, M.D. “Thought Reform and Psychology of Totalism,” University of N. Carolina Press, 1989

April 23, 2009

I’ve always loved exercising, working out, doing yoga, and practicing martial arts. But there are times I’d much rather roll over and stay in bed, sit in front of the computer, or do just about anything but move my body. While I’ve come up with some incredibly inventive excuses, “I don’t have time” and “it’s not a priority right now” are two of my best standbys. And, in the last few years, I’ve added another good one to my repertoire: “I’m getting too old to exercise like I used to.”

Most people over 50 (or even over 40!) use the “I’m too old to exercise” excuse and it’s the worst thing they can do for their health.  Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the guru of aerobics, put it this way: “We do not stop exercising because we grow old, we grow old because we stop exercising.”

It’s not just an astute observation; it’s a proven fact. A recent study at Ohio State University focused on yoga, but we’d probably see the same results from any similar type of exercise. The researchers found the regular practice of yoga exercises may lower a number of compounds in the blood and reduce the level of inflammation that normally rises because of both normal aging and stress.

The study, reported in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, showed that women who routinely practiced yoga had lower amounts of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in their blood. They also showed smaller increases in IL-6 after stressful experiences than did women who were the same age and weight but who were not yoga practitioners.

IL-6 is a normal and important part of the body’s innate inflammatory response — but too much stress (and/or too little exercise) causes it to elevate to a level where it can contribute to heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, arthritis, and a host of other age-related debilitating diseases. Reducing inflammation may provide substantial short- and long-term health benefits, the researchers suggested.

“We know that inflammation plays a major role in many diseases. Yoga appears to be a simple and enjoyable way to add an intervention that might reduce risks for developing heart disease, diabetes and other age-related diseases,” wrote co-author Ron Glaser, a professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics.

“In addition to having lower levels of inflammation before they were stressed, we also saw lower inflammatory responses to stress among the expert yoga practitioners in the study,” explained Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychiatry and psychology and lead author of the study. “Hopefully, this means that people can eventually learn to respond less strongly to stressors in their everyday lives by using yoga and other stress-reducing modalities.”

Bill Malarkey, a professor of internal medicine and another of the project’s researchers, pointed to the inflexibility that routinely comes with aging. “Muscles shorten and tighten over time, mainly because of inactivity,” he said. “The stretching and exercise that comes with yoga actually increases a person’s flexibility and that, in turn, allows relaxation which can lower stress.”

Prof. Malarkey sees the people’s adoption of yoga or other regular exercise as one of the key solutions to our current health care crisis. “People need to be educated about this. They need to be taking responsibility for their health and how they live. Doing yoga and similar activities can make a difference.”

Since I can’t use the “too old” excuse, I guess I’ll have to either rely on the “too busy” one or, better yet, stop making excuses and drag out the yoga mat!

An interview with Terry Rondberg

Like every hero’s journey, Dr. Terry Rondberg’s began with a quest.  Although a respected health care professional who has enjoyed success in business, some time ago Dr. Rondberg found himself seeking a way of living that would improve his physical well-being and nurture his ever-growing spirituality.

Much to his delight, he thought he’d discovered a small island of peace and healing in Encinitas, California, the day he first walked into the Yoga Room.  Little did he know, however, that his modern-day quest led into the dark forest of a 21^st century sorceress, whose dragon-filled lair has burned dozens of seekers right here in Southern California. What follows is an interview with Dr. Rondberg, never before published, that sheds light on how his quest for well-being ended up turning into a dead end… one that required a serious U-turn, and some reflections on truth, spirituality and lessons learned.

Up Close and Personal: Terry, why are you telling this story?

Terry Rondberg: I like to think that we are all spiritual beings who want to seek and realize God. To know God is to know the truth. And I just feel that the truth has to come to light, and eventually it will win out. My story needs to be told in order to help heal those who have suffered at the dragon’s hand, and to guide other seekers away from the sorceress who weaves a spell to entrap the unwary in the dark forest of the psyche. So I’m dedicating this story to my fellow seekers. It is also dedicated to the teachings of all the great saints, mystics, prophets, avatars and gurus who have been sent to enlighten us. I respect and believe in the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) as well as the many other spiritual teachings including the universal truth hidden within many of our great religions.

UC&P: What is the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF)?

Terry Rondberg: SRF is an international nonprofit society founded by Paramahansa Yogananda, known worldwide as one of the preeminent spiritual figures of our time, who introduced millions of people to the eastern Indian traditions of yoga and meditation. It was Yogananda who said:

“When you make up your mind to do good things, you will accomplish them if you use dynamic will power to follow through. No matter what the circumstances are, if you go on trying, God will create the means by which your will shall find its proper reward…. If you continuously use your will power, no matter what reverses come, it will produce success and health and power to help people, and above all, it will produce communion with God.”

I want to take this opportunity to offer a special thanks to the Self Realization Fellowship and its founding guru, Paramahansa Yogananda.

UC&P: So where and how does your story begin?

Terry Rondberg: The Yoga Room, in Encinitas, California, was founded by Peri Ness DeFay, a self-appointed “prophet.”  Peri promotes the Yoga Room as a sanctuary for spiritual growth, knowledge, love, and light.

When I first started attending classes at the Yoga Room, the atmosphere was very light and loving.  With yoga, I felt physically and emotionally wonderful, a sensation that remained long after my class was complete.

My experience was so positive that I increased my sessions at the Yoga Room from three times a week to daily.

Two months into my yoga practice, however, the atmosphere began to change. Suddenly it seemed I was being encouraged (and then later pressured) to sign up for their 10-Day Intensive program, at a cost of $2,800, which I was told was designed to help me “transform my life.”

I resisted the pressure for the first nine months, then the atmosphere and attitude towards me gradually shifted from light and loving to a feeling of being coerced.  A red flag went up in my mind, and I began noticing how Peri and her disciples practiced mind control over many attendees in an effort to dominate them in a very “cult-like” manner.  The goal of this manipulation was to pressure the student to gain control over them and encourage them to spend more money at the Yoga Room.

UC&P: Can you describe the “pressure” tactics and what you mean by “cult-like”?

Terry Rondberg: The pressure to spend more money and sign up for more training heated up.  When I resisted, Peri called in her head instructor (and slave), Roxanne DePalma, a young woman. I remember Roxanne later telling me that Peri told her I was like “ripe fruit waiting to be picked.”

Even more red flags went up when I observed interactions between Peri and Roxanne that seemed unusual; she was clinging to Peri like a slave to her master.  I witnessed Peri turn an insignificant issue into horrible scenes of threats and verbal abuse. For example, I once saw this young woman beg Peri for over 30 minutes to “please forgive” her for what most would consider minor errors in judgment.

During these episodes, Roxanne would cry and beg for Peri’s forgiveness, promising to do better in the future. It was humiliating for her, as well as difficult and embarrassing for me to observe. It was a slave/master situation in which Peri became the Svengali.

This distorted and perverted relationship was hard to fathom at first, but seeing first-hand how the two women played it out over and over again made me realize Peri was employing brainwashing techniques. On the surface, the average person walking into the Yoga Room at first would meet Peri and her staff and walk away with a feeling of love and kindness. In hindsight, it seemed more typical of a cult.

As to money – if someone completed the 10-Day Intensive program they were pressured again to feed the Yoga Room’s continuing appetite for money and control by insisting these students would not achieve full spiritual growth unless they enrolled in yet another level of programs, the “Practicum” also known as the teacher certification program (at the cost of another $2,800), along with their “No Refund Policy” being strictly enforced.

At this point in my yoga lessons, I knew my days at the Yoga Room were numbered, and so I began investigating their business and Peri Ness to see what I could learn.

UC&P: What did your investigations discover?

Terry Rondberg: Because the Yoga Room is in such close physical proximity to the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) temple overlooking Swami’s Beach in Encinitas, Peri and her minions at the Yoga Room led new members into believing that they were in some way officially connected to or sanctioned by SRF.  As I began my own investigation, I discovered that this was completely untrue.

Regrettably, it appears that the Yoga Room and its followers were more like a “cult,” which has become a pejorative word describing many legitimate spiritual leaders. Unfortunately, that word has been associated with SRF itself. Studies of the psychological aspects of cults focus on an individual person (cult leader) engaging in absolute “mind control” of a victim. The most common tactic used by cult leaders is coercive persuasion which suppresses the ability of people to reason, think critically, and make choices in their own best interest.

UC&P: So, to be clear, are you saying Peri Ness DeFay is a cult leader?

Terry Rondberg: Yes, it is my opinion that the characteristics of a cult describe the Yoga Room and Peri Ness DeFay perfectly. Studies of cults have identified a number of common tactics used in this type of coercive persuasion:

1. People are put in physically or emotionally distressing situations; at the Yoga Room they begin stripping away an individual’s sense of self by selling their so-called “10-Day Intensive” program, which includes food deprivation, psychological and physical exhaustion. The staff at the Yoga Room constantly insist that members undergo the 10-Day Program to “transform their life.”  This program costs $2,800.
2. Peri and her disciples practice the “broken record” type of manipulative communication; they repeatedly emphasize that members should practice “synergy yoga” everyday to find true spiritual bliss.
3. It is demanded that the students (aka victims) of the Yoga Room have absolute commitment and loyalty to Peri and her disciples.
4. Broken down victims find that they lose their own identities, resulting in inevitable family conflict when they return to their “real” life.
5. Entrapment and access to outside information is severely controlled.

UC&P: You seem to know a lot about cults.

Terry Rondberg: Yes, I actually hired a cult expert, Rick Ross — who’s been studying cults since 1982 — to investigate the Yoga Room and write a detailed report on his findings. Secular cult opponents tend to define a “cult” as a religious or non-religious group that tends to manipulate, exploit, and control its members. Specific factors in cult behavior are said to include manipulative and authoritarian mind control over members, communal and totalistic organization, aggressive proselytizing, systematic programs of indoctrination, and perpetuation in middle-class communities.

While acknowledging there are multiple definitions of the word “cult,” Michael Langone states that “Cults are groups that often exploit members psychologically and/or financially, typically by making members comply with leadership’s demands through certain types of psychological manipulation, popularly called “mind control,” and through the inculcation of deep-seated anxious dependency on the group and its leaders.”

A similar definition is given by Louis Jolyon West:

“A cult is a group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea or thing and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control (e.g., isolation from former friends and family, debilitation, use of special methods to heighten suggestibility and subservience, powerful group pressures, information management, suspension of individuality or critical judgment, promotion of total dependency on the group and fear of [consequences of] leaving it, etc.) designed to advance the goals of the group’s leaders to the actual or possible detriment of members, their families, or the community.”

In each of the above definitions, the focus tends to be on the specific tactics of conversion, the negative impact on individual members, and the difficulty in leaving once indoctrination has occurred. In the case of the Yoga Room, Peri’s personal entourage of disciples are testament to this type of cult-like mind control.

UC&P: You keep mentioning “mind control.” Why?

Terry Rondberg: One only has to think back to Jim Jones leading his cult to committing mass suicide to understand the power which mind control can wield and how it can destroy lives and families.  I’m not saying that the Yoga Room has risen to this level, but there should always be concerned vigilance.

Peri demands absolute and unchallenged obedience of her disciples and followers. Peri’s goals seem to be gaining personal wealth and power over others. She teaches that she has sole possession of truth and knowledge, and her belief is superior to those of other religions or beliefs. As a group leader, Peri seemingly has free rein to decide what her followers will believe.  Since open discussion or debate is discouraged and unquestioning obedience praised, her subjects have learned to suppress any sort of independent thinking.

UC&P: You refer to Peri as a “dragon” and a “sorceress,” but she must have seemed very nice to begin with. When did you begin to notice a change in her behavior?

Terry Rondberg: Let me give you some examples from my stint at the Yoga Room. The class begins and ends with Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.  “Om” is the original sound of creation. “Shanti” means peace. One is led to believe that the school promotes spirituality and promotes SRF teachings as their main objective. However, what is not revealed is that Peri uses SRF as a cover for power over others and monetary gain. There is indeed a very evil side with many dark secrets; much later I discovered there are upwards of several hundred people in my community who have been emotionally scarred by the Yoga Room and its leader Peri Ness.

One of the former yoga room teachers, David Lakin, told me that Peri believes she is the reincarnation of the great Saint Lahiri Mahasaya, who was Paramahansa Yogananda’s teacher and spiritual leader. Roxanne believed Peri was her own source of spiritual knowledge and that Peri was her spiritual teacher. One can be assured that, in words similar to vice Presidential candidate Senator Lloyd Bentsen when he said to candidate Dan Quayle (describing himself as on part with President John F. Kennedy): “I knew Jack Kennedy, I served with Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was my friend. Let me tell you, you are no Jack Kennedy.”  Well, I’m here to tell you, Peri is no Lahiri Mahasaya.

I personally observed how Peri controlled others in the most horrific way, so much that they have lost their own thoughts, will and common sense. On one occasion, Roxanne told me that she would do anything Peri tells her to do without question. Then she said if Peri told her to wear a pink blouse she would go and change without asking why. What does this suggest?

This is not what the Great Masters teach us, nor is it consistent with the true beliefs of SRF. It is a perversion of the purity and integrity of Yogananda’s actual philosophy and teachings.

UC&P: But if Peri is such a monster, why would anyone associate with her?

Terry Rondberg: What my investigations discovered was that Peri has antagonized many of her neighbors and has had countless “parting of the ways” with many people with whom she has done business. I find it very telling that after doing four 10-day intensives a year for 10 years, she maintains very little ongoing communication with most of her former students or teachers. Indeed, there is only a handful that still communicate with her!

It becomes obvious that Peri is obsessed with her own perceived power over her victims and appear to constantly crave yet more power to feed her own unrelenting appetite for more control.

Sadly, many students and staff at the Yoga Room are particularly susceptible to this type of abuse because they have histories of either substance dependencies or sexual abuse that are preyed upon in order to achieve Peri’s agenda.

Many times I noticed that when someone quit or left the Yoga Room, Peri and her staff would hurl insults and lies and often demand other staff members to cease all communication with this person again.  If they disobeyed this would be considered an act of betrayal against the Yoga Room.  This is all so astonishing that it would be laughable if it wasn’t true; the people who work there feel helpless and afraid of criticizing their leader or losing their jobs so they mindlessly go along with this bad behavior.

Peri has also convinced her followers that when someone leaves unhappily from the Yoga Room it is because her original Hatha yoga practice is so powerful and has removed so many layers of emotional blocks that the student can’t handle it and they turn on her.  She once complained how hard it is for her to see so many former students at the SRF Temple after she gave them all so much and then they turned on her and betrayed her.

Peri also denied her own natural physical health problems. She explained it would not look good since she believes, and instructs her staff to tell everyone, that yoga can heal you. The Yoga Room has signs hanging on the windows and walls telling the public that daily yoga practice can cure almost anything wrong with you. Leader Peri knows how hypocritical and embarrassing this would look if the students knew how little yoga has helped her heal.

UC&P: Let’s talk about some lessons learned. How can people avoid your experience?

Terry Rondberg: There are some basic rules you can follow to protect yourself against cults like the Yoga Room:

1. Learn to cope with stress. All of us face different levels of stress in our lives. When we feel it is starting to get the best of us, we are most likely to be seduced by someone selling happiness.
2. Never be afraid to question. Always be wary of anyone who tries to prevent or discourage you from questioning.
3. Learn to recognize common cult recruitment tactics and situations.
4. Be diligent about checking out people offering services who are excessively or inappropriately friendly.
5. Beware of people who pressure you to do something you don’t really want to do. Don’t be afraid to say NO.
6. Beware of people who confidently claim that they can help you solve your problems, especially when they know little about you.
7. Likewise watch out for people who make claims about achieving enlightenment, or following the road to happiness. If their claims seem too good to be true, they are probably false.
8. Beware of people who promise quick solutions to difficult problems or who always seem happy, even when common sense dictates otherwise.

Your devotion, faith and belief in God are your primary defenses against psychological manipulation. PROTECT IT!!

UC&P: What else have your investigations turned up?

Terry Rondberg: I discovered that a former teacher at the Yoga Room found out that Peri had stolen her yoga therapy techniques and all the information used in her yoga therapy training manuals, from a school based in Hawaii called Phoenix Rising. 

It seems to me that the Yoga Room staff should ask why they pretend to follow the SRF teachings, which teach you to love God and become self-realized.  Perhaps they should devote the rest of their lives to repenting and asking for God’s forgiveness.

One of the core concepts at the 10-Day Intensive program is that when you speak about the things in your life that have caused you so much emotional pain, you can release the fears you are holding onto from all of these experiences and this will transform your life. Unfortunately, it is a naive and dangerous approach to mental health. This experience reminded me of the Soup Nazi.

UC&P: The Soup Nazi? Please enlighten us.

Terry Rondberg: “The Soup Nazi” is a famous episode of the NBC sitcom, Seinfeld. The Soup Nazi is a stone-faced immigrant chef with a thick Stalin-esque moustache, who is renowned throughout Manhattan for his delicious soups. He demands that all customers in his restaurant meticulously follow his strict queuing, ordering, and payment policies.  Failure to adhere to his demands brings the admonishment, “No soup for you!”

Nothing I can think of describes the Yoga Room better than this. If a student or staff member dares to question Peri they are told to get out and stay out for being so disrespectful and not “honoring their Source” or “acting with integrity.”  And yet, Peri does not walk her talk, instead she proclaims, “No Yoga for You!”

In the book Bringing Out the Best in Our Relationships With Others, Yogananda does not recommend hurting others’ feelings. Nor does Yogananda recommend unprovoked and negative battles in his translation and commentary of the Bhagavad-Gita. Yet this is the reality at the Yoga Room and how Peri behaves. Former staff have been known to leave the Yoga Room in humiliation after faithful service only to be treated with disdain and called the worst things imaginable, i.e., drug addicts, psychopathic liars or pedophiles, all because they did not comply with Peri’s views.

This did not happen occasionally. Many people on staff have been asked to write horrible and cruel letters to those who quit the Yoga Room telling them how unwelcome they are, what horrible people they are and never to come back because they are not welcome.   Many of these former students and teachers have opened their own yoga schools in the area and have been able to transcend the hypnotic effect of the mind control exerted at the Yoga Room.

UC&P: Would Yogananda or the SRF condone such behavior if they knew this was commonplace?

Terry Rondberg: In Living Fearlessly by Paramahansa Yogananda, we learn how to break the shackles of fear and overcome our own psychological stumbling blocks.  Filled with life-transforming counsel, Living Fearlessly is a testament to what we can become if we but have faith in the divinity of our true nature as the soul. The “how-to-live” wisdom of applied spirituality from the voluminous teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda presents practical keys for bringing into daily life the inner balance and harmony that is the essence of yoga. Through the practice of meditation and the application of the universal principles of right action and right attitude, we can all experience every moment as an opportunity to grow in awareness of the Divine while rising above limitations, fear, and suffering to live a truly rich life.

Yogananda does not teach us to be vindictive or to strike out and hurt others when they are not in conformity with our own personal beliefs.  He does not teach that to achieve a state of fearlessness one must manipulate and dominate others resorting to false accusations and lies.  This is in sharp contrast to what happens when someone quits the Yoga Room and they are ostracized and considered outcasts and enemies, branded as “acting out of integrity.”

UC&P: So what do you hope will be the ultimate result of your investigation and this story?

Terry Rondberg: I would estimate that there are hundreds of “walking wounded” who have been victims of this cult, considered by many to be a morally bankrupt and fraudulent business.  We must be fearless and not hide our heads in the sand.  It is time for all of the victims to stand up and be heard, which can only result in healing yourselves.

This is why I believe that this story is so important for our community.  It has the potential to serve as an oasis for survivors of the Yoga Room and their questionable programs, as well as a place that can provide an opportunity to share read about a similar experience so they know that they are not alone.

I hope my journey has been a beacon of light to the dozens of people I have personally met who still carry the psychological scars and emotional wounds received at the Yoga Room, and to those countless others who may even now be considering the Yoga Room as a legitimate sanctuary. In my opinion, based on the high-pressure tactics, the Yoga Room seems to be designed to amass personal wealth for Peri and Charles DeFay rather than provide any true sanctuary for others.

These are some of the reasons why I feel compelled to share my experiences with those who might fall victim to this cult. I hope and pray that this story will be shared with others in our community.

I also grateful that leaders of SRF became aware of and took action in distancing the Self Realization Fellowship and the great name of Paramahansa Yogananda from this fraudulent cult of the Yoga Room and its leader Peri Ness DeFay and her husband Charles DeFay.

I hope my story offers the potential of preventing similar pain and suffering among sincere seekers of truth and self realization, as well as an alternative for you who are looking for healthier ways to cope with stress in your lives.

Much Love and Light to You on Your Spiritual Journey,

Terry Rondberg, DC

[Editor’s Note] After this story originally came to light, the Yoga Room in Encinitas closed. Peri and her husband have moved on, but they continue to practice their business (now known as Synergy Yoga/Surf Therapy Yoga) in Point Arena in Northern California.

Update: I recently posted the Yoga Room Report prepared by Rick Ross, and expert witness in the area of cults, as well as this declaration from myself (Terry A. Rondberg) and another declaration from Michelle (Roxanne) DePalma.

Those of you who know me recognize that yoga is a big part of my life. Many people think yoga is associated with a certain type(s) of religion, but that’s not the case. I wrote this article to demystify the practice of yoga and to provide some background on the yoga’s science and systems.

Yoga is an Age-Old Science

by Terry A. Rondberg, DC

Yoga is an age-old science, meaning to ‘yug’ or to merge the soul with universal wisdom. But most of us cannot define our soul and universal wisdom is beyond our comprehension. Universal intelligence is identified differently by different nationalities. It is referred to as Brahman, Paramatma, Consciousness, Universe, Life, Sat Nam, the Word, God; The Absolute etc.

Some consider yoga a science. Dogmatic rituals are not supported by yoga and yoga encourages continuous religious practice. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, is against rules because it can enslave the mind. The purpose of yoga is to erase the ego and bring the inner peace.

As human beings, we all want love, joy and peace, which yoga defines as the experience of truth. One path would uphold for everyone since our levels of intelligence and personal experiences vary.

Each person has their unique philosophy, which creates diversity and is quite beneficial, allowing individuals to discover their unique path. But we are all more alike than we are different. For example, every human being is made of the same five elements, consciousness and energy and the desire to be happy, joyous and free.

The yoga systems (sadhanas), are designed to transcend the mind, so we may become more aware. Yoga’s four categories offer something different for every person but all four types can be practiced together. Typically, we prefer one type which may be the primary focus of our yoga practice.

The four Yogas are Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga (Hatha Yoga), Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. Most yoga practices fall in one of these categories.

JNANA YOGA

Jnana means wisdom which translates to worldly knowledge and self-knowledge. Jnana Yoga is the latter. Many of us often wonder, who we are and where we came from instead of asking, in which direction are we headed?

Jnana Yoga disregards abstract ideas and beliefs. Jnana Yoga teaches a student to sit quietly, close the eyes and ask, what do I know? One must be completely honest and question previous notions. Honestly answer, who am I? Are you certain you are living up to you given name?

Jnana Yoga is a path of inquiry. Some of the great Jnani Yogis were, Buddha, Gandhi, Maharishi, Nishagahata Maharaj, and Socrates.

The goal of modern-day Jnana Yogi is to continuously ask who is successful, who has failed, who is happy, who is sad, who is altruistic and who is egotistical?

BHAKTI YOGA

Bhakti Yoga centers around unconditional love for all and is said to be the path to God’s glory. Bhakti is utter selfless love focusing on sacrifice and acts of service. Bhakti Yogis practice the oneness of mankind and do not discriminate against race, gender and religion.

Bhakti Yoga has three stages: being a servant of God; a child of God and God and His servant become one. These are the three philosophies: Dwaita (duality – us and God), Vishistadwaita (non-qualified duality – we are one), and Adwaita (non-dualism – all is one without separation).

The first order under Bhakti Yoga is to establish one’s level of experience and act accordingly. One should not live a belief system if he has not experienced it.

If our experience does not involve God, then Bhakti Yoga would encourage us to dedicate and selflessly work for God. This helps the disciple erase the ego and connect more with God.

In the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna says God has a higher and lower nature. God’s higher nature, Purusha or consciousness, resembles the reflection of sunlight on water. It remains unaffected from this nether world.

God’s lower nature involves the mind, the intellect and the ego, which are referred to as Prakriti or nature. Nature’s three qualities, inertia, activity, harmony (tamas, ragas and sattva), are considered responsible for all that takes place in our world.

Vedanta philosophy states that truth or untruth (mithya) does not exist. Like the scene on a movie projector, the truth is not influenced by the scene (energy or nature) on the projector.

One way to see our universe is to comprehend that energy or light combines with consciousness. Though consciousness and light are often referred to as two different things, realistically, they are one.

RAJA YOGA

Raja Yoga (king) aims at mastering the mind and is referred to as the king of methods.
However, practitioners differ on which method is most useful. For example, Bhakti Yogis claims it is the ultimate path, offering happiness. Raja Yoga is a disciplined path, involving hours of practice in asana, pranayama and meditation.

Hatha Yoga is said to be a preliminary of Raja Yoga. Ashtanga (eight limbs) Yoga is for more advanced practioners. In Patanali’s Yoga Sutras Patanali starts by saying, “Atta Yoganushasanam,” meaning ‘now, the practice of Yoga begins,’ emphasizing that preparation is necessary before you begin practicing Ashtanga Yoga.

There are no rituals in Hatha Yoga but in Ashtanga Yoga, universal and individual codes of conduct lead to more advanced techniques. Without a clear mind, asana, pranayama, and mediation are useless for spiritual growth.

KARMA YOGA

Karma Yoga is the path of action and suits 99% of the people. However, the ability to sit with a still mind is difficult. For those who tend to be more spiritual, Karma Yoga is the act of submission to God. Karma Yoga involves actively using our senses. Observing the mind’s reactions is also part of Karma Yoga.

With Karma Yoga you:

Eat when you eat,
Work when you work,
Play when you play,
Sleep when you sleep.

It is paramount to act completely selfless and disregard any potential rewards from your actions. Yoga’s purpose is to still the mind and connect better with God. If we are only concerned with fulfilling our desires, we may get what we wish for and probably crave more. Some call this greed. If we don’t get our way, we may get angry. Neither greed nor anger still the mind.

“Motivated action i.e., action performed with an eye on the fruits thereof, is far inferior to desireless action; seek thou refuge in equanimity; wretched are the result seekers”. Bhagavad-Gita

It is evident the various yoga methods offer some benefit for every unique individual.