A video went viral this week. A woman said: if I handed you a dozen donuts and told you one was full of shit, you would avoid all of them. She's right. And I want to go further.
This episode is about Cornell University, where a 20 year old woman was assaulted by seven fraternity members and some of them were offered the option to write an essay as punishment. It's about Jivamukti Paris, where a survivor trained for over 800 hours and was asked to stay silent to protect the studio. It's about the word misandry — what it actually means, why it's a trap, and why I'm stepping out of it.
Women are not angry enough. This is the case for why wariness is not hatred. It is pattern recognition. It is what happens when a system fails you so completely that caution becomes wisdom.
This is also the first episode of a new chapter. I Don't Take Spiritual Advice From Men is moving to Substack. The podcast will always be free. But if this episode landed for you, here is what paid subscribers get every month:
The full Clinician's Corner — peer reviewed research and clinical analysis on the wellness trends, myths, and cultural narratives that affect your body and your practice. This month: cortisol washing, why you cannot supplement your way out of a nervous system problem, and what Ayurveda actually says about stress that the supplement industry doesn't want you to know.
20% off all courses — currently The Inner Ecosystem, a two hour workshop on your gut, nervous system, and microbiome, and Good Intentions Are Not Enough, a 38 minute ethical literacy class for yoga teachers and students.
First access to new workshops before they open to the public.
The newsletter in full — The Feature, Clinician's Corner, and What's Going On, every month.
Ten dollars a month. One hundred a year. First issue October 6th.
magnoliazuniga.substack.com
About Magnolia Zuniga:
Magnolia Zuniga is a former Certified Ashtanga yoga teacher and one of only 20 women worldwide who were certified by the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute (KPJAYI) before publicly walking away from the lineage. After abuse allegations against Pattabhi Jois became public, she stopped teaching Ashtanga sequences and lost her certification—choosing survivor solidarity over professional advancement.
She now teaches at ABQ Yoga Lab in Albuquerque, New Mexico, focusing on decolonizing yoga practice, recognizing cult dynamics in spiritual communities, and building accountability in yoga spaces. She speaks publicly about institutional abuse, guru culture, and what yoga becomes when you remove the harmful power structures.
Find me at www.magnoliazuniga.com and https://www.youtube.com/@MagnoliaSezSo
