Sahaja Yoga (Nirmala Srivastava)
Movement founded by Nirmala Srivastava ('Mataji', 'Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi') in 1970 teaching kundalini awakening. Followers believe Srivastava was a divine incarnation. Long-running disputes over Britain's Sahaja Yoga school led to closure.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — guru-centric movement; founder revered as divine incarnation by followers.
Profile facts
In context
Sahaja Yoga teaches a self-realisation experience said to awaken kundalini through founder Srivastava's grace. Followers ('Sahaja Yogis') consider her the Adi Shakti incarnate. Critics document patterns of arranged international marriages, separation of children into ashram schools (notably the closed UK school), and substantial financial expectations. Movement continues post-Srivastava (d. 2011) under family-led trust.
Key control doctrines
- Srivastava as Adi Shakti incarnate
- Kundalini awakening through her grace
- Arranged international marriages
Recovery resources
- ICSA Helpline — International Cultic Studies Association — questions about high-control groups, referrals to cult-aware therapists, peer support.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation — BITE Model assessments, exit-counselling resources, family education.
- ICSA Cult-Aware Therapist Directory — ICSA-maintained directory of licensed mental-health professionals with specific cult-recovery training.
- Combatting Cult Mind Control — Steven Hassan, 1988 (revised 2018). The foundational BITE Model book; CLCI Hub's core methodology source.
- Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships — Janja Lalich & Madeleine Tobias, 2006. Practical recovery workbook.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Notable public ex-members
- Multiple ex-members documented in BBC and Guardian coverage
Legal cases & controversies
- UK school closure following Ofsted concerns
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 1970Srivastava's first 'self-realisation' experience
- 1990sInternational expansion; UK / Italy schools established
- 2011Srivastava dies in Italy
Sources
- Judith Coney, 'Sahaja Yoga: Socializing Processes in a South Asian New Religious Movement' (1999) search ↗
- BBC documentary on Sahaja Yoga school closures search ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. The search ↗ link runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.