Its very encouraging that FACT posted an expose, now others have some more information to consider and reflect on.
I agree that people were pulled into the group through consultations, meetings after class and through friends already in the group.
Corboy, from my own experience and research - this gives detail of the requirements people were following in the group or as they were entering the group. In my opinion it is quite a clear overview of the group, how people are drawn in and the various aspects, stages and processes of being in the group. Hope it offers insight. The following is taken from documents written by some of Uma’s closest followers in 2014 :
“Requirements Step 1. Preliminary Requirements for Participation on Forum
Initial Steps:
First step - Class: For those wanting to practice with Umaa you can attend Laya - Kundalini Tantra Yoga classes at Yoga Barn, these occur three times a week. It's a public class where you can learn about the tradition of this practice and have greater context for the teachings. You will be able to experience an essential and preliminary part of the process. Class is a practice of clearing the way, purification, removing blocks, both mental and physical, being in a circle, transparency, asking questions, speaking what
arises and listening. This is the beginning. Teachings are weaved throughout the practice. Some may have no resonance for the teachings and others may have experiences that lead to a desire for greater integration. Its a step into the process of what it is to "relax all expectations" (U). It's a way to determine whether you
wish to engage further.
Second step - Satsang: There is no invitation and you show up self responsible. It's an open system and doors are always open. This involves a greater degree of participation and self
responsibility. It is also a place for you to have a voice, where
every one is free to come and speak their concerns, fears,
doubts, objections, questions, experiences and to integrate
further. It is also a place where you can co-create a conversation with Umaa. The only requirement is that you offer up your transparency as it spontaneously arises, what happens is relative to this. Transparency because when sitting in a circle others can often feel what is not spoken, which can lead to undigested residue. There is an understanding that there is no "private world of thoughts and feelings" (U). This is where you come with “no expectations and prepare for anything" (U).
Third step, if there is a desire to immerse yourself into a greater degree of commitment and sustained and continued integration with Umaa, then you may do so through active participation on the forum. The forum is a place where we can meet Umaa in 'Naked Truth' as the mirror of Absolute Truth. This comes from a desire for Absolute Love.
This is a process that once begun may take 12 years or more to complete. It is a process of going into all that was hidden and what arises may not seem spiritual. It is painstaking work,
intensive and can take hours to integrate, it's a sacrifice of time. This process is relentless once begun and can seem endless. This process is death. "Enter at your own risk" (U). It is not for everyone.
All conditions and requirements are seen in light of the
subjective circumstances unique to each individual, "for whom, where and when" (U).
Forum Participation
The only requirement for interacting on the forum is the offering up of transparency. To speak anything and everything as it arises and to leave no stone unturned, to speak the smallest insignificant thoughts. To not speak them may leave you unable to digest what you experience here. To speak them is showing up transparently real in front of all, as a way to purify what is latent within us.
Prerequisites to Joining the Forum:
1. State in writing what joining the forum means to you and why you desire to do so.
2. Sign the waiver.
This insures that you are self responsible for your choices and
any and all consequences related to this. It is an acknowledgment that you are a willing participant, that you have been warned of the dangers of Laya - Kundalini Tantra Yoga and and having read them you choose to engage further.
2. Sign the nondisclosure agreement.
This protects the identities and information of forum members
both in Bali and abroad. It also protects material from Umaa’s
teachings or classes from being sold or marketed without
Umaa’s consent, including but not limited to audio, video,
books, and live classes or workshops.
Requirements:
Full disclosure of your mental and medical history. Laya -
Kundalini Tantra Yoga practices carry certain risks, and it is
essential that you provide this information before you begin this process.
Full disclosure of any addictions including pornography,
facebook, food addictions, eating disorders, gambling and any
debt.
Full disclosure of any and all drug use, this applies to
recreational, medicinal plants, and prescription medication
outside of a doctor's recommendation, alcohol and cigarettes.
Those taking such substances will be evaluated on a case by
case basis and it maybe determined and recommended that some not participate further. Any addictions and drug use can be harmful to those practicing Laya - Kundalini Tantra Yoga and this would need to be addressed before participation on the forum. They are simply ways of retoxing your body when we are in the process of detoxing and purifying, its counter to the purpose of this practice. Also if Kundalini has been awakened in you then there is also a potential for danger.
Offerings:
Dakshina is an offering to Umaa of goods or services. There is no requirement for offerings of anything save transparency. All successful offerings of dakshina are made out of an overflow of gratitude from the abundance of the giver. Money given with expectations, conscious or not will be returned or diverted to a project appropriate to the intention of the giver. Currently all members of the forum, including Umaa, are of independent financial means.”
“Requirements Step 2. Introduction to the Forum
A forum for the naked truth - This forum is a living work that
thrives through active participation from us. It needs to be fed. If you’re merely observing posts on this forum without actually
responding with reflections or offering up what is true for you,
you’re likely not digesting what is offered here...and what
doesn’t get digested becomes toxic. The moderators will go
through the list of forum members every month or so and
remove those who haven’t participated in recent weeks (after
advance notice).
"If you fear that what you get is not what you need....Take heed. What you get has nothing to do with what you think you need. Which is why what you get only starts when you relax into what is. What is, is what happens when you allow it ALL to be. You forget too easily the bliss beyond duality. The whole new way of being beyond hard or soft. That you ride into when you allow me to be whatever it takes. To reveal the choice you can make.Between Free and your compression into 2-D." Umaa”
Definitions:
Non-participating observer: Someone who watches what
happens without speaking or engaging in any way. Perhaps s/he believes s/he has a private world of thoughts or feelings. Nonparticipating observers receive little to no fruit and actually
toxify themselves by not speaking up their questions, concerns, judgments. On the forum, this might be someone who only read posts occasionally, who never responds to other posts and doesn’t write any posts of their own.
- Participating observer: Someone who stays on the outskirts but listens actively to discussions and may ask some questions. On the forum, I consider this to be someone who reads others’ posts but never responds and/or someone who only posts their own experiences/questions without engaging with others.
- Co-creating participator: Someone who fully engages and
participates, who surrenders fully to offer up him/herself
transparently. On the forum, for me this means jumping into the stream of posts, offering reflections to fellow svakul and
offering up your own questions, concerns and experiences
without editing your thoughts as they stream into text.
First Posts:
-A detailed biography of your life to date. This will be posted
under your name, in the ‘US’ subforum.
-Your experiences with Umaa and your context for this relating.”
I agree that people were pulled into the group through consultations, meetings after class and through friends already in the group.
Corboy, from my own experience and research - this gives detail of the requirements people were following in the group or as they were entering the group. In my opinion it is quite a clear overview of the group, how people are drawn in and the various aspects, stages and processes of being in the group. Hope it offers insight. The following is taken from documents written by some of Uma’s closest followers in 2014 :
“Requirements Step 1. Preliminary Requirements for Participation on Forum
Initial Steps:
First step - Class: For those wanting to practice with Umaa you can attend Laya - Kundalini Tantra Yoga classes at Yoga Barn, these occur three times a week. It's a public class where you can learn about the tradition of this practice and have greater context for the teachings. You will be able to experience an essential and preliminary part of the process. Class is a practice of clearing the way, purification, removing blocks, both mental and physical, being in a circle, transparency, asking questions, speaking what
arises and listening. This is the beginning. Teachings are weaved throughout the practice. Some may have no resonance for the teachings and others may have experiences that lead to a desire for greater integration. Its a step into the process of what it is to "relax all expectations" (U). It's a way to determine whether you
wish to engage further.
Second step - Satsang: There is no invitation and you show up self responsible. It's an open system and doors are always open. This involves a greater degree of participation and self
responsibility. It is also a place for you to have a voice, where
every one is free to come and speak their concerns, fears,
doubts, objections, questions, experiences and to integrate
further. It is also a place where you can co-create a conversation with Umaa. The only requirement is that you offer up your transparency as it spontaneously arises, what happens is relative to this. Transparency because when sitting in a circle others can often feel what is not spoken, which can lead to undigested residue. There is an understanding that there is no "private world of thoughts and feelings" (U). This is where you come with “no expectations and prepare for anything" (U).
Third step, if there is a desire to immerse yourself into a greater degree of commitment and sustained and continued integration with Umaa, then you may do so through active participation on the forum. The forum is a place where we can meet Umaa in 'Naked Truth' as the mirror of Absolute Truth. This comes from a desire for Absolute Love.
This is a process that once begun may take 12 years or more to complete. It is a process of going into all that was hidden and what arises may not seem spiritual. It is painstaking work,
intensive and can take hours to integrate, it's a sacrifice of time. This process is relentless once begun and can seem endless. This process is death. "Enter at your own risk" (U). It is not for everyone.
All conditions and requirements are seen in light of the
subjective circumstances unique to each individual, "for whom, where and when" (U).
Forum Participation
The only requirement for interacting on the forum is the offering up of transparency. To speak anything and everything as it arises and to leave no stone unturned, to speak the smallest insignificant thoughts. To not speak them may leave you unable to digest what you experience here. To speak them is showing up transparently real in front of all, as a way to purify what is latent within us.
Prerequisites to Joining the Forum:
1. State in writing what joining the forum means to you and why you desire to do so.
2. Sign the waiver.
This insures that you are self responsible for your choices and
any and all consequences related to this. It is an acknowledgment that you are a willing participant, that you have been warned of the dangers of Laya - Kundalini Tantra Yoga and and having read them you choose to engage further.
2. Sign the nondisclosure agreement.
This protects the identities and information of forum members
both in Bali and abroad. It also protects material from Umaa’s
teachings or classes from being sold or marketed without
Umaa’s consent, including but not limited to audio, video,
books, and live classes or workshops.
Requirements:
Full disclosure of your mental and medical history. Laya -
Kundalini Tantra Yoga practices carry certain risks, and it is
essential that you provide this information before you begin this process.
Full disclosure of any addictions including pornography,
facebook, food addictions, eating disorders, gambling and any
debt.
Full disclosure of any and all drug use, this applies to
recreational, medicinal plants, and prescription medication
outside of a doctor's recommendation, alcohol and cigarettes.
Those taking such substances will be evaluated on a case by
case basis and it maybe determined and recommended that some not participate further. Any addictions and drug use can be harmful to those practicing Laya - Kundalini Tantra Yoga and this would need to be addressed before participation on the forum. They are simply ways of retoxing your body when we are in the process of detoxing and purifying, its counter to the purpose of this practice. Also if Kundalini has been awakened in you then there is also a potential for danger.
Offerings:
Dakshina is an offering to Umaa of goods or services. There is no requirement for offerings of anything save transparency. All successful offerings of dakshina are made out of an overflow of gratitude from the abundance of the giver. Money given with expectations, conscious or not will be returned or diverted to a project appropriate to the intention of the giver. Currently all members of the forum, including Umaa, are of independent financial means.”
“Requirements Step 2. Introduction to the Forum
A forum for the naked truth - This forum is a living work that
thrives through active participation from us. It needs to be fed. If you’re merely observing posts on this forum without actually
responding with reflections or offering up what is true for you,
you’re likely not digesting what is offered here...and what
doesn’t get digested becomes toxic. The moderators will go
through the list of forum members every month or so and
remove those who haven’t participated in recent weeks (after
advance notice).
"If you fear that what you get is not what you need....Take heed. What you get has nothing to do with what you think you need. Which is why what you get only starts when you relax into what is. What is, is what happens when you allow it ALL to be. You forget too easily the bliss beyond duality. The whole new way of being beyond hard or soft. That you ride into when you allow me to be whatever it takes. To reveal the choice you can make.Between Free and your compression into 2-D." Umaa”
Definitions:
Non-participating observer: Someone who watches what
happens without speaking or engaging in any way. Perhaps s/he believes s/he has a private world of thoughts or feelings. Nonparticipating observers receive little to no fruit and actually
toxify themselves by not speaking up their questions, concerns, judgments. On the forum, this might be someone who only read posts occasionally, who never responds to other posts and doesn’t write any posts of their own.
- Participating observer: Someone who stays on the outskirts but listens actively to discussions and may ask some questions. On the forum, I consider this to be someone who reads others’ posts but never responds and/or someone who only posts their own experiences/questions without engaging with others.
- Co-creating participator: Someone who fully engages and
participates, who surrenders fully to offer up him/herself
transparently. On the forum, for me this means jumping into the stream of posts, offering reflections to fellow svakul and
offering up your own questions, concerns and experiences
without editing your thoughts as they stream into text.
First Posts:
-A detailed biography of your life to date. This will be posted
under your name, in the ‘US’ subforum.
-Your experiences with Umaa and your context for this relating.”