This show is so well researched and put together, the host runs a really good pod. Plus I think this pod is posing important questions and bringing to light good stuff. glad this pod exists and that I found it. Thank you Katya (sorry if I spelled that wrong)

I am 28 years old and am just now coming out of a haze. I have been a victim to scams, grifts, and anxious overthinking since i became spiritual. I’m now learning a lot of the things i was subscribing to were repackaged Christianity that fed into my religious OCD. i have spent money that i don’t have and blamed myself for my manifestations not coming true. Katya is doing the *for lack of a better term* Lord’s work with this podcast. I hope she comes back from hiatus because this podcast is a NEED in this space. Especially because a lot of the other folks who are exposing this stuff are not talking about the white supremacy of it all. These conversations are SO necessary. Thank you, Katya!!!!

This is a series of gossip chats as a form of entertainment. Pretty much a collection of rumors and inferences to lead the listener to come to a predefined outcome. No different to a gossip column on famous Hollywood or royal people, just addressing same style to the wholistic community. Unfortunately, unlike humorous gossipers (as the former Joan Rivers who was well networked) the narrator is simply skimming available information online, and is not actually in the actual leadership community of people for which she discusses. And hasn’t even met most of the people discussed in your gossip columns. Beware. “Wholistic” masked as spiritual egoism.

From someone who has been immersed in the spiritual and wellness world for two decades, listening to her mind is akin to taking the words directly from my mind. Only that her vernacular and trance inducing tonality more eloquently conveys them. Her cool interplay of words such as “I don’t want to yuck your yum” and “more spiritual lingo than a bottle of dr. bronners” makes me wish that one day I can learn to be this clever too. Her extensive vocabulary and concise creative intelligence blows my mind.

This podcast is excellent, and honestly, required listening for anyone who spends time online or follows self-help/spiritual influencers. It explains things that you see every day but don’t even know you’re seeing. It also gives clear language to the intuitive “why am I feeling this way,” discomfort and turn-off at all of the success stories and big names online. Cannot stop listening and rehashing. Can’t recommend enough!

This podcast is literally everything!!!!!!!

Host is well-prepared with useful information and a pleasant speaking voice!

I’m a bit late to this party (incidentally sad that there are no current episodes, sniff). Like others, I have been actively listening my way through all episodes; it’s hard to stop when it’s just so riveting & relevant. It was the Uncanceled episode that brought me, off the blogspot no less, I got THAT memo. How the Grift is Grifted is quite a remarkable piece. Well researched & oftentimes elegantly scathing, you provide a much needed critique & exploration of woo-sphere topics. I’ve watched it spiral over the last 30 years & can equally share a few choice words (Jivamukti anyone?). I so appreciate your lens, voice & passion - KEEP GOING!

Katya knows where she stands and what she thinks about the issues she describes, but she isn’t opinionated. She’s always careful to make room for nuance, and to admit to her own limitations in assessing a given topic. At the same time, she’s not afraid to call out the abuses sadly so rife in the wellness/yoga/“spiritual” space. This podcast is a timely—and, if I may say so, elegant—response to that widespread quackery. Where they go low, Katya goes high.

This is the most nuanced podcast about the dark side of “light work.” Katya, you are brave, articulate, compassionate, self-aware—thank you!

Katya offers a much needed critical perspective in wellness realm. As a complex trauma survivor, I am esp. attuned to how survivors are often exploited by those looking to cash in $$$ as trauma is trending. How the Grift is Grifted is brilliant. Katya has a sharp tongue — I don’t always align w/ what I see as her millennial pc rhetoric as it can divide us. And, things need to be shaken up and torn down if we’re going to evolve. She serves that niche.

I really appreciate Katya's perspectives on the wellness industry and the research they are sharing to keep us more aware of some inconsistencies (or some major red flags) from the influencers many of us follow on IG and in the podcast world. Thank you for doing this work! As a person raised in a fundamentalist religion I am too quick to believe and have a hard time being critical of "authorities."

Finally, someone speaking calmly, clearly and boldly about the darkness in the wellness world. Although it deals with darkness and heaviness, somehow this podcast doesn’t leave me feeling despondent. For me, it makes the light that does exist in the wellness world shine more clearly. This is also the first podcast that I’ve encountered where I’m devouring every single episode. Once I listen to all of them I will be eagerly awaiting new ones. UPDATE: Ok, but I do feel weird about her outing someone on her show… I feel like there was a way to make that point without doing that.

Katya provides a thoughtful and nuanced perspective on the ‘patchouli scented madness’ in a tone that is more accessible and queer femme focused than others in the same discourse space, and provides some thoughtful call-ins and call-outs along the way. Her perspective is important and valuable. Please keep up the good work

This podcast articulates that weird icky feeling I often have in the wellness spaces I move in. It is helping me do better, be more aware and to speak up.

Oh my. I’m a queer person, who has been out for many years and i think this polarity stuff sounds really gross. However outing someone on your show by name because you matched with them on bumble (no matter how many disclaimers you give) also feels really gross. I do actually mean this as constructive criticism. This is not how I do queer culture and I hope you won’t drag people out of the closet in the future even if you don’t like the things they have to say.

I am deeply impressed by the nuance and depth and breadth of Katya’s podcast. She elucidates ideas that I have thought about on a surface level in really helpful ways. She communicates in a clear and concise way that I can understand as someone more on the fringe of the wellness community., and yet addresses so many complexities. Thank you for your work.

I have listened to every episode- it’s addictive to hear about the rise and fall of dangerous cults, grifters, pseudo-spiritual bros and culture-appropriators. Katya is really showing us what’s behind the veil of new age spirituality. Thank you for the work you put into your podcast.

Thank you for the amazing show and the work you put into each episode.

Wow bingeing every episode. Thank you for shining a light on so many issues I have come into contact with and some I did not know about.

Not sure if you can fix the whistling sounds when you pronounce the “S” letter . It hurt my ears To listen and I want to keep listening . Sorryyyyy it was just bugging me .

I love this show. The topics are fascinating and Kataya is always very thoughtful, nuanced abs w well researched. As an herbalist and yoga teacher, I’m grateful for her genuine commitment to helping folks discern between the harmful nonsense mixed in with high quality spiritual and wellness services and information.

I love Katya’s level headed take on the wellness community and woosphere! She is a gem who shares critical information about the good, bad, and ugly parts of this movement. Listen, you won’t be sorry!

Katya attacked cult reporter Be Scofield and Conspirituality for not appearing on her podcast. She messaged them saying she was a huge fan and only a few weeks later published podcasts attacking them. She’s nuts and is knowingly publishing false information.

Listening is always time well spent, thank you. This theme has become deeply personal on many levels so the analysis and critique is a gift - and to top it off you make it so entertaining!

Thank you for this episode, I def will NOT listen to conspirituality (which I hadn’t heard of until now) unless or until they can incorporate other voices (than cis white male) into their realm and start taking responsibility for their cis white maleness taking up space and not taking responsibility.

OMG TY for talking about the Empath/Twin Flame trend. That stuff is seriously terrible.

All the things that need to be talked about in spiritual communities. Amazing content!

The biggest problem for me was Katya’s claim to being “reprimanded” by the Conspirituality podcasters. She made a big deal about it it, but didn’t share exactly what was said that gave her that impression. It sounds like they simply redirected her to message their main account. I messaged her personally about this. She made a lot of immature and scoffing remarks towards me, and said things like, “The vibe that comes across is that in your knee-jerk reaction to be defensive of them, you’re scrambling for anything to project on me that will invalidate my critique.” Not only is this untrue, it’s patronizing; and a huge red flag that she’s unable to take accountability for her own words. This is not the type of behavior I expect from a podcaster on this topic. And she blocked me when I challenged her to look up what was specifically said that made her feel reprimanded by them.

Y’all it’s good content. Check it out.

I’ve been doing “spiritual work” for more than 3 decades and have been thinking about, talking about an investigating the problematic aspects of it, especially in our current times. I very much enjoy and appreciate what Katya brings forward and am grateful to have found her voice and perspective that reflects a broader intersectional view than is happening on these topics elsewhere.

I found this podcast via reviews of Conspirituality (which I hate to even bring up as a comparison point given she has been around longer) after being frustrated by the exhaustingly pretentious long winded white man vibe of their show. Katya provides reporting that is far more accessible and concise, and centers feminism, queerness and POC in a way that Conspirituality willfully refuses to. A refreshing , well researched take on spiritual grifters!

Who posts an entire episode bashing another podcast for not agreeing to be interviewed on your show??

While I am all for the topics of anti mlm and snake oil pushers that are all over our screens these days I can’t help but be completely turned off by the immaturity during the conspirituality episode. While you’re allowed to have your opinions I think it’s super odd to make an entire episode just to bash another podcast who is also talking about important topics. Seems like you’re bitter that they didn’t respond about collaborating on a podcast which reeks of total entitlement, no one owes anyone a response and everyone is busy . Also myself and many people I know love long form podcasts so the “not respecting a listeners time” is a super awkward and assuming dig to throw in there. They also have had women and people of color as speakers on their show so I’m super confused at your snark. A whole episode dedicated to it was a bit white knighty and so besides the point of the real people doing REAL HARM out there like the mlm, anti vax and woo woo community. Stick to the plot…..

The New Age movement is sadly rife with charlatans looking to make a buck off of people’s hope for a better life and escape from the painful and even mundane existence of human life. Even well-intentioned folks who want to help people can end up causing harm when they don’t have the proper training and credentials to do so. This podcast offers a much-needed look into the misleading and often harmful ideologies & practices that New Age “leaders”/coaches/influencers/businesses use to manipulate people who just want to feel good about their life. It’s easy to fall for this stuff, and it’s often devastating to come to terms with having been manipulated by seemingly trustworthy people. (I’ve seen this firsthand as I grew up in a cult.) I hope more people find this show to spark critical thinking about spiritual MLMs, cultural theft, white supremacy, continued oppression of BIPOC and LGBTQ+, and the disturbing rebranding old-school patriarchal gender essentialism in the spiritual packaging of polarity. The podcast is a must-listen, though I do have one complaint. At one point in the Conspirituality episode, which brought up really great points, the host went off on a tangent about the privilege involved in long-format podcasts. While I certainly have plenty of privilege, I thought it was off-putting to paint people who listen to long podcasts as if they’re just swanning about, eating vegan and organic chia seed bon-bons while frittering away their days by tuning into these programs. Haven’t you heard of multitasking? As someone who squeezes in and enjoys longer listens while driving to work, cooking, and scrubbing toilets, I was put off by the host’s repulsed tone of voice as that complaint was brought up. Maybe it’s just me, but that rubbed me the wrong way. But that’s my only complaint and it’s a minor one at that. Give this podcast a listen, and if you’re invested in New Age spirituality at any level, prepare to be challenged in a really important way. Hold off on ascending, stay grounded, and take in what’s been shared. We need you here on Earth with your feet firmly planted as we all try to help make life better for everyone! Blessings, y’all!

So happy to have this found this podcast. Sincere, sensitive and not condescending

I love your content so much! I so appreciate the way you approach everything from a grounded and informed perspective, while still being in the “woo-sphere” yourself. I’m similar in that way and have found myself disenchanted by a lot of the “woo” things over time. This podcast is so helpful in naming these aspects that make me uncomfortable and ways we can educate ourselves and those around us to be more aware and do better. Thank you so much!

This is 100% my favorite podcast. Katya is so thoughtful and intelligent and does so much research and prep for every episode. Her voice is soothing and relaxing but her message is powerful and thought-provoking. Love your work!

This is a quiet, solid, well-researched, curious, and timely podcast that I have recently discovered but blitzed through. It helps me to clarify some of my questions/meditations on certain social patterns that exist in early 21st-century America. It reminds me to judiciously question, to use my own discernment, to investigate reality, and it helps me to make more informed choices. I like how gently it is produced—after more than a year in quarantine, it feels like a soft conversation that I am hearing, and, paradoxically, considering some of the subject matter—it is not anxiety-producing. It feels like a touchstone.

As a queer person that’s been “wellness” community adjacent for a few decades. (A diverse community that is 50% amazing, uplifting and healthy and 50% cultic, snake oil MLM scams and filled with toxic navel gazing narcissists.) Needless to say I’ve been rolling my eyes at the snake oil for a long time well enjoying yoga, qigong, wholistic food, nature and wholistic health practitioners. I even studied chi nei tsang for 3 years well in university getting a degree in bio-psych to merge eastern wellness theories into my academic life. I’m in deep. There is so little “breakdown” of all the issues so prevalent in these communities from a queer perspective. So-I was thrilled to find your podcast after being, well I’ll just say it, annoyed at the pomposity and egomania of the Conspirituality podcast hosts. You are a breathe of fresh air. TY

I can't say enough how much I appreciate this podcast while we are living in a frenzy of gaslighting and misinformation for financial gain or power. As someone who is spiritual, has a spiritual practice and a victim narcissistic abuse, it has been hard to not get sucked in (and I have sometimes) to these harmful rhetorics. Thank you, Katya.

I’m all for education and being empowered with truth but all this podcast is, is for a sad whiny women to vent, harass and act superior. This does ZERO good for helping people move towards positive changes and actually helping people. HARD PASS

Oh this is so good! I just finished the Whole Foods episode and as a former employee I can endorse and verify much of what was said (beyond her personal experiences of course). I’m so glad that Katya is investing her substantial intellect, talent, and wisdom to this work of debunking, critiquing, and demystifying the woo sphere and I can’t wait to listen to all the episodes.

Katya speaks intelligently and thoughtfully about the dark aspects of the woosphere. Everything she speaks about is not only well-researched, but it is also delivered in a personable manner that is thought-provoking and interesting. I highly recommend this podcast!!! I can’t stop listening.

This podcast is a must listen for anyone who feels “off” about the magical, Yoga, astrology, or love & light worlds. It is well researched & critical without feeling hater-ey. As someone who has experienced a ton of gaslighting, spiritual bypassing, & straight up harm from witches, astrologers, & other white straight cis new age folk, in general I just feel done with all of it. Grateful to the host for doing this: I’m sure it was really difficult.

This podcast is excellent. It’s well researched and accessible / easy to follow. Now more than ever we need level headed and skeptical “woo” people go step forward and share their experiences in this wild world. If you are feeling overwhelmed/confused/manipulated in the new age spirituality world, please listen .

It’s been awhile since I felt at home in the Yoga-sphere, for a lot of the reasons outlined by this podcast - cultural appropriation, reliance on gurus, centering white women’s experiences, etc. this podcast makes me feel like I could still find community somewhere with other yogis, and use these observations to suss out which communities are OK and which aren’t.

This show is exactly what I need in my life right now. This presidency and pandemic has revealed so much ugliness that was buried deep within the Spiritual community and this country. Thank you!!

Honestly, this show is amazing! After being part of the “woo” crowd, this year has shown me how far right it has become. Thank you for putting my thoughts into words!!

A lovely and enlightening perspective on the “woosphere”. Just because something is packaged as spiritual or “love and light” does not mean it is not harmful or toxic. She provides a nuanced and multifaceted perspective of the spiritual community, touching on topics like the spiritual girl boss culture, mlm’s, and my personal favorite the purity obsession. This podcast really knocks down some of the ways we try to identify with the spiritual community in order to feel superior to others. It also brings to question how perfect some of these spiritual influencers are...how they can be spreading misinformation under the guise of love and light just as much as those pesky conservatives can. Be prepared to feel a little broken and a little disenfranchised if you have been blindly following your life coaches and tarot readers...