Kundalini yoga today feels polished, branded, and spiritual. But "The Serpent’s Tale" rips off the serene mask. The book, written by scholars Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Anya Foxen, takes a hard look at how this style of yoga became a household name.

At the center of this story is Yogi Bhajan, the man credited with bringing Kundalini yoga to the West. He showed up in Los Angeles in the late 1960s and didn’t waste time building his empire. He called it “Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan,” and claimed he learned it from a Sikh master who declared him a Kundalini master at sixteen. But the book shows this tale doesn’t hold up.

Questionable Origins & Compelling Persona

Scholars like Philip Deslippe have already shown holes in Bhajan’s story. "The Serpent’s Tale" backs this up with research. Instead of coming from some ancient hidden tradition, Bhajan’s style seems stitched together. His yoga includes exercises borrowed from Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari and breathing patterns similar to Yogananda’s techniques. It is more remix than revelation.

Pras / Pexels / Bhajan was a brand-builder. The book claims that his group, 3HO, short for Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization, was a marketing machine.

The book points out that he didn’t just teach yoga, he sold it. From turbans to mantras to his famous Yogi Tea, every part of his system became a product.

The tea alone is worth pausing on. Yogi Tea still sells in stores across the world, with calming messages printed on every tag. It is spiritual branding in your kitchen cabinet. But the same brand is tied to a man facing serious allegations.

The Yogi was Building a Brand

Bhajan’s teachings found a sweet spot with Westerners. He called his practice a tool for “householders,” regular people with jobs and families, not monks. That pitch worked. His students wore all white, chanted mantras, and did fiery breathing in yoga studios across North America. It felt ancient, exotic, and somehow accessible.

But now, that image is cracking. "The Serpent’s Tale" digs into the controversies that have followed Bhajan, especially after his death. The book covers the Olive Branch Report, a formal investigation that found it was “more likely than not” that Bhajan raped multiple women and used his power to control students. These are not minor claims. They change how we understand the movement he created.

Many in the yoga world are now rethinking their ties to Bhajan. Some teachers have dropped his name from their classes. Others are questioning the chants and rituals he introduced. The book doesn’t tell people what to do. It just lays out the truth and lets readers decide what it means to keep practicing Kundalini yoga in 2025.

Borkata / IG / "The Serpent’s Tale" is more about how modern yoga movements are born, built, and sold. The authors show how claims of “ancient” wisdom often come with little proof and a lot of marketing.

They explain how Western audiences eat up mystery and authority, even when it is carefully constructed.

In this story, yoga isn’t just a practice. It is a product. And the packaging can be powerful. Bhajan’s white robes, long beard, and booming voice created an image that people trusted. But the book reminds us: image is not proof. And spiritual authority doesn’t make someone a saint.

The deeper theme here is one of questioning. Who gets to speak for tradition? What makes a practice “authentic”? And how do we protect something meaningful from being twisted for fame, power, or profit? These are not just yoga questions. They are questions for every movement that claims to offer healing or truth.