Attn: Will Dana, Managing Editor
Will.Dana@RollingStone.com

Dear Mr. Dana,

Rolling Stone is very familiar to me due to my music background and it is often quoted in various news media.  Over the years, I have grown to respect your editorial philosophy and your thoroughness in covering all sides of an issue. However, your coverage of the recent controversies related to ex-employee lawsuits against Dahn Yoga does not meet the standards I expect from your magazine.

The purpose of this letter is to give you a personal input from a very satisfied member of Dahn Yoga so that you have an opportunity to see a side of this controversy that is not reflected in your article.  First, I understand that most of the claims in the lawsuit have been dismissed and that all claims could be dismissed.  This case is in process, but your story makes it seem as if the accusations have been proven true by the court.  Although the dismissal of their claims did not necessarily mean that there was zero merit, it indicates some problem with the factual basis for their claims and should have given you pause in repeating what the plaintiffs had to say.

My wife and I have been a member of Dahn Yoga for five years and, between the two of us, we have attended almost all of their trainings.  They are physical, mental and spiritual in nature and we have benefited greatly because of them.  Some of them are a bit pricy, and if someone who attends the training perceives that they didn’t get much out of it, they could ertainly complain.  With all of the trainings I felt that we made progress proportional to the effort we put into it.In any case, it is all voluntary and you can stop at anytime.  Certainly, the facilitators try to encourage continuing to push through the discomforts, but I have never seen anyone forced to go beyond their willingness.This is quite similar to the same limit pushing that is used in a wide variety of other self-improvement workshops unrelated to Dahn Yoga.In that respect, I don’t think Dahn Yoga is that much different from other workshops I have taken.

My personal experience with Dahn Yoga is that they are a benevolent organization with an admirable goal of increasing the number of people on Earth with a consciousness that could lead to world peace.  Their founder has dedicated his life to this goal for over 30 years and has made great progress including in roads with the United Nations and many nations’ governments around the world.  To support these goals, Dahn Yoga is running a business which charges fees for services and makes expenditures in alignment with the organizational goals. 

While attending my trainings at the varioustraining centers of Dahn Yoga and their affiliates in Arizona, Colorado and British Columbia, I have not personally seen any evidence of an inappropriate life styles being lived by anyonefrom the Dahn Yoga organization.  Similarly, the founder, Ilchi Lee deserves security, privacy, logistical support, staff services, and the like no matter where he goes.  He is, after all, a well-known leader, successful businessman and public figurein his home country and beyond. Like many other leaders, he needs such support and security to accomplish his work.

My wife and I continue to lead very normal lives and continue to worship in the same church with which we have been members for over 30 years.  Our experience with Dahn Yoga has improved our experience of life and has deepened the beliefs that we have always had.  Our physical health, mental health and spiritual health have all benefited. I wish your reporter would have talked to us, so this type of information could have appeared in your article, that could have fairly represented all sides of this situation.  

Sincerely,

Larry Young