The Secret Practice: Eighteen Years on the Dark Side of Yoga Audiobook By Joelle Tamraz cover art

The Secret Practice: Eighteen Years on the Dark Side of Yoga

A Shocking True Story

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The Secret Practice: Eighteen Years on the Dark Side of Yoga

By: Joelle Tamraz
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About this listen

WINNER Spring 2024 PenCraft Best Book Award - Memoir
FINALIST 2024 National Indie Excellence Awards - Relationships
FINALIST 2024 Independent Author Network Best Book Awards - True Story
HONORABLE MENTION 2024 Readers' Favorite Book Award - Religion/Philosophy

His yoga focused on control and manipulation.
Until she broke the sequence.

The Secret Practice is the shocking true story of Joelle Tamraz's 18-year ordeal under the control of a master manipulator. For fans of Netflix’s Bikram, Tara Westover’s Educated, and Megan Phelps-Roper’s Unfollow.

'Phenomenal.' —Daniella Mestyanek Young, author of Uncultured

'An intense and suspenseful memoir' —Kirkus Reviews

'Such an important story...a captivating and hopeful story of growth and self-awareness.' —Jean Brown of SEEK Safely and author of This Sweet Life


Joelle Tamraz was barely past twenty when she traveled to India in search of spiritual enlightenment. In Rishikesh, the home of yoga, she met an alluring older man who offered to teach her a secret practice. This encounter would realign her next twenty years. Joelle was controlled emotionally, financially, socially, and physically until she was finally able to break the cycle of abuse.

Despite signs there was more to her Arun than his winning smile, she persisted in seeing him as her spiritual master, soul mate, and key to her destiny. Until one day she dared to open her eyes and change her pose to one of strength and harmony.

From darkness to light, from dependency to self-awareness, from psychological need to genuine love, her memoir is at once an exposé of a malignant narcissistic, the exploration of a marriage, and the exhaustion of a disciple’s faith.

Heartfelt, gripping, and illuminating, The Secret Practice is a powerful story of falling prey to, and awakening from, the dark side of yoga and spirituality.

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I really appreciated how honest and vulnerable the author was in sharing her journey. She didn’t shy away from the hard parts, and that raw honesty made her story all the more powerful. I’m so glad she broke free from those mental and physical chains—her strength and growth are truly inspiring. This book is a reminder that healing is possible, and freedom is worth fighting for.

A Powerful Journey to Freedom and Healing

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Saw this book on knitting cult lady's video and knew it must be good if she recommened it lol. The story was engaging enough and kept my attention for most of the book. it's an interesting telling of a young woman's relationship with a toxic, likely narcissistic yogi who fashions himself as a guru and uses that to get what he wants. at times I wanted to scream at her for being so gullible but it's important to understand how these relationships take place. overall it's a good listen

interesting story about a toxic relationship

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From the beginning made it sound like she was in an abusive relationship and that Yoga was tormenting her. She even went as far as saying the identity of the characters in the book was changed to protect them. From what? I seriously doubt you would spend the majority of your life obsessed with yoga then wake up one day and say, yeah, It's bad. Sorry but I just didn't think your story was a warning to anyone that is conjuring up the spirits. You married a man who took advantage of you. Happens all the time. The End.

Well not what I expected

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