Scott Sonnon Cull: Who is therma

**therma** · Posted On: 10/16/2010 1:31pm

Originally Posted by sambosteve

IIF, in terms of his resume', I would add the questionable yoga lineage and training which he states is the foundation stone for his prasara yoga. This had not been discussed in this thread, but, it has been covered in other threads here on Bullshido and WWG. I think it is important to include here if his resume' and possible prblems with it are being discussed:

I found this photo on the flowcoach blog about her. Looks to be the arati puja which to my knowledge is only for select private students of a yoga guru.

That's obviously him on the right. Judging by this trailer from the movie they made about her called Darshan:
YouTube - trailer for DARSHAN: a film about Amma by Jan Kounen
That looks to be her too. Can someone verify whether this is a doctored photoshop job or the real thing?

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 10/17/2010 4:31am

Interesting photo for sure. He may very well have been to see he speak, etc. But, training with her is another story...particularly in the way he claims regarding yoga (physical yoga), which is not what she is known for. I have been to see Thich Nhat Hahn speak several times, but I don't claim to have trained with him.

**therma** · Posted On: 10/17/2010 4:49am

Originally Posted by sambosteve

Interesting photo for sure. He may very well have been to see he speak, etc. But, training with her is another story...particularly in the way he claims regarding yoga (physical yoga), which is not what she is known for. I have been to see Thich Nhat Hahn speak several times, but I don't claim to have trained with him.

Where does he claim that she taught him hatha yoga?

**therma** · Posted On: 10/17/2010 5:29am

So I checked and arati puja is something reserved for private students, since it requires specific study to learn the ritual, and it's obvious he didn't "just go to see her speak" since he's involved in the actual rituals. And since you contacted their ashram in India it seemed like someone should actually find out if he had any proof of being a student of hers. The photo obviously confirms his claim. With 26 million students (says Wiki), I'm not surprised that they don't keep any formal records.

Here (http://www.rmaxinternational.com/flowcoach/?p=568) he states that he studies devotional (bhakti) yoga with her. I don't see any other reference to him claiming to study hatha or raja with her.

After googling, I checked here too http://www.prasarayoga.com:

"Traveling the globe, I studied in the labs of the x-Soviet Olympic coaches and special forces trainers, and research scientists, to learn the science of flow. Despite having won international championships in wrestling and kickboxing, it took a tiny yoga guru to show me that my true power had been untapped."

"I learned from this petite teacher that my visual, physical and mental challenges allowed me to see, feel and think in a unique and empowering way. I didn't want to hear that the many hours of daily exercise only scratched the surface of my true process. Yet I saw my teacher, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, spend day after day hearing the story of her students, without fatigue, without exhaustion. She actually grew with energy as she flowed from one individual to the next. I had been getting tired after only a couple hours of practice, and here she went on for days without eating. She's "hugged" 30 million students in 30 years. That was the energy that I've truly wanted!"

"Before I met my little Indian guru, I was sure that I could express my power. But the yoga I learned from her targeted each vulnerability in my body that professional sports science hadn't touch. In one "Hug" I realized that Amma "had me." I surrendered all that I thought I understood about "body-flow" and began to working on the yogic routines called Prasara which would address each and every weakness throughout the human body. Just imagine, when this 51 year old woman could do things that a 32 year old world-class athlete couldn't even approximate. I tell you this: it deafens any of the ego's prideful protests. The power that Amma taught me to uncork had such an all-encompassing and immediate impact upon me that for the past seven years I have been sharing my discoveries with thousands upon thousands of people from around the world, young and old."

"Prasara was written about in 200B.C. in the "bible" of yoga"

"Before Prasara Yoga, I had studied the science of flow with the top researchers in the former Soviet Union, where sport was a political platform. Billions of Rubles were spent in this "think-tank" of Olympic Coaches, Special Forces Trainers, Psycho-Physiologists and Biomechanics Researcher Doctors. I had the privilege of being the first American to study behind that "Iron Curtain" and benefit from their findings. They applied "flow psychology" to all of their athletes and military personnel with uniform success which made the USSR a legendary opponent. But it wasn't until I was blessed by becoming a devotee to a living saint that I understood how the Science of Flow is an Art of Living; I discovered how this cutting-edge science came from an ancient physical discipline."

It reads exactly as he claims on his blog that he's studied devotional yoga with her and that inspired his development of Prasara based upon his studies in Russia. Anything else sounds like you're trying to interpret something that you think he's implying. But what you claim to my research has never been stated by him. That is, unless you have a different link to something else where he actually did state he was a hatha or raja student of her.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 10/17/2010 5:58am

You do know lying and saying you googled when everything you use as proof is tied to Scott Sonnon and The Rmax (please notice Therma's name) name doesn't work right?

Please show evidence that isn't written by Sonnon's own hand. If you make a claim back it up with outside sources not your friend and business partners website.

You will be getting banned as I have let you slide a little further than other. Get an advertising package if you want to post your links.

It reads exactly as he claims on his blog that he's studied devotional yoga with her and that inspired his development of Prasara based upon his studies in Russia. Anything else sounds like you're trying to interpret something that you think he's implying. But what you claim to my research has never been stated by him. That is, unless you have a different link to something else where he actually did state he was a hatha or raja student of her.

Where does SamboSteve say anything about Hatha or Raja in his post? Interesting misdirection.

**therma** · Posted On: 10/17/2010 6:24am

Originally Posted by It is Fake

Where does SamboSteve say anything about Hatha or Raja in his post? Interesting misdirection.

Originally Posted by sambosteve

Interesting photo for sure. He may very well have been to see he speak, etc. But, training with her is another story...particularly in the way he claims regarding yoga (physical yoga), which is not what she is known for. I have been to see Thich Nhat Hahn speak several times, but I don't claim to have trained with him.

"Physical yoga" is Hatha or Raja Yoga.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 10/17/2010 6:30am

So, is this where I point out your contradiction or do you see it yourself? If you are going to hold SamboSteve to a standard you must hold Scott to the same standard.

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 10/17/2010 11:37am

OK, sonnon teaches a physical Yoga. Does this not sound like Sonnon is discussing physical yoga...

"Before I met my little Indian guru, I was sure that I could express my power. But the yoga I learned from her targeted each vulnerability in my body that professional sports science hadn't touch. In one "Hug" I realized that Amma "had me." I surrendered all that I thought I understood about "body-flow" and began to working on the yogic routines called Prasara which would address each and every weakness throughout the human body. Just imagine, when this 51 year old woman could do things that a 32 year old world-class athlete couldn't even approximate. I tell you this: it deafens any of the ego's prideful protests. The power that Amma taught me to uncork had such an all-encompassing and immediate impact upon me that for the past seven years I have been sharing my discoveries with thousands upon thousands of people from around the world, young and old."

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 10/17/2010 11:45am

So if "Prasara was written about in 200B.C. in the "bible" of yoga" according to Sonnon's website, why did he trademark the term in 2005? He has since let it lapse.

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield...010:faeass.2.1

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 10/17/2010 11:51am

And, if he did not study Physical yoga with her, where is Sonnon coming from with Prasara? She is the teacher he cites on his page. He claims to teach:

http://www.prasarayoga.com/rmax-info.php

Wing 2: Prasara Yoga (Six Degrees of Freedom)
Prasara provides counterbalance to the body through dynamic flow, thus compensating for positions adopted during daily routines or prior activities. Prasara represents the 3rd mode of Hatha yoga, incorporating both Asana, or postures, and Vinyasa, or breath linkage. Prasara’s "flow" moves the body through all "Six Degrees of Freedom" - its full potential grace as a three-dimensionally energetic being: