Naman Shrestha
HBO’s ‘Breath of Fire’ is a true crime documentary series that explores the origin and workings of the cults led by a couple of Kundalini yoga teachers — Guru Jagat and Yogi Bhajan. Helmed by Hayley Pappas and Smiley Stevens, the show provides the viewers with a detailed account of the manipulation that the followers, employees, and disciples of these two cult leaders had to go through. Amongst the individuals affected by the bad behavior of Katie Griggs, AKA Guru Jagat, was Charlotte Medlock, who held an important position at her organization.
Charlotte Medlock’s Claims that Her Association With Guru Jagat Was Traumatic
For four years, Charlotte Medlock was employed at the Ra Ma Yoga Institute as the Director of Marketing. When she was first hired in 2016, she was thrilled to be part of Katie Griggs’ organization. However, as time went by, the tyrannical behavior of Katie, also known as Guru Jagat, came to the surface, making Charlotte feel that she wasted four years of her life. As per her claims, Katie was verbally abusive towards her employees and used to scream at them during meetings. Not only were the employees forced to cut themselves off from their respective families, but they were also made to stay on a strict diet of only cheese and listen to nothing other than mantras all day.
In particular, Charlotte was expected to be at Katie’s service every hour of the day and meditate at 4 am daily. As a result, she became sleep-deprived and exhausted. Despite these instances of abuse, she stayed there for four years, but she did attempt to quit three times when it all became too much for her. During a conversation with VICE, the former Ra Ma’s Director of Marketing admitted, “Even after I quit, I practiced every day because I was afraid to stop. I was told that if I did, all of my progress would be erased.” It took quite some time for her to adapt to regular life after she had gotten away from Katie Griggs’ tyrannical grip over her life.
LA-based Charlotte Medlock is a Marketing Specialist Today
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chapman University and the University of Redlands, Charlotte Medlock worked as a Marketing Intern for Esri in Redlands, California. After gaining over a year of experience, in July 2012, she landed a job at Arden Realty, Inc. as a Market Research Analyst. In February 2013, she made a switch to Gladstein, Neandross & Associates, where she was employed as a Public Affairs Associate for over two years until June 2015.
Before she became Ra Ma’s Director of Integrated Marketing from December 2016 to June 2020, she was the Ambassador of MKTG and a Freelance PR and Marketing Consultant at Charlotte Medlock. After several months of break, she bagged the job as a Marketing Lead at Sound Meditation Presents in October 2021. Following her two-year stint at the company, she made a switch to Truthdig in January 2024 and worked as an Administrative Assistant until July of the same year. According to reports, these days, the LA-based marketing specialist has been busy penning down her experiences of being a part of the cult for a memoir.
Charlotte Seemed to Have Moved on From the Cult’s Experience With the Support of Her Longtime Partner
For at least more than a decade or so, Charlotte has been in a relationship with Jack David Frank, who is an actor and comedian. Just like in the early stages of their relationship, they still travel together and explore new places, attend concerts, and celebrate festivals like Halloween together. Besides her long-time romantic partner, she also keeps in touch with her friends, including Rachel Ann David and Emily Blanchford Casey.
In the summer of 2023, she went on a roadtrip with Jack to the Southwest where they saw many caged American Alligators. In February 2024, she made an appearance in Cults to Consciousness podcast where she talked about her time being employed for Katie Griggs and much more. Much more recently, in June 2024, Charlotte also chatted with Sarah and Nippy on their podcast titled ‘A Little Bit Culty.’ Residing in Los Angeles with Jack, she currently leads a rather peaceful life surrounded by her loved ones.
Read More: Peter Blachly: Where is Yogi Bhajan’s Former Follower Now?
