In the world of wellness and spirituality, few figures have risen as high or fallen as hard as Guru Jagat. Born Katie Griggs, the self-proclaimed yoga master and entrepreneur built a multimillion-dollar empire on the backs of devoted followers, celebrity endorsements, and savvy social media marketing. But behind the white robes and glowing aura, a darker story was unfolding.
From Colorado Farm Girl to Kundalini Queen
Griggs’ journey to becoming Guru Jagat began on a Colorado farm, where her mother, a dance movement therapist, exposed her to various forms of spirituality. After dropping out of university, Griggs discovered kundalini yoga, a practice involving intense breath work, repetitive poses, and wearing all white. She claimed to be the spiritual heir of Yogi Bhajan, the controversial figure who popularized kundalini in the West.
Armed with charisma, humor, and a knack for branding, Griggs founded the Ra Ma Institute, turning a single yoga studio into a sprawling commercial enterprise. She leveraged social media to amass a devoted following, including celebrities like Russell Brand and Kate Hudson. Her message of female empowerment and spiritual awakening resonated with millennial women seeking meaning outside traditional institutions.
The Cracks Begin to Show
But as Guru Jagat’s star rose, troubling patterns emerged. Former employees accused her of bullying, lying, and fostering a toxic work environment. According to a close source, Griggs could be abusive, irrational, and prone to outbursts, such as threatening to “ring [sic] your figurative necks” over minor mistakes.
She was taking advantage of people’s various vulnerabilities. She was, as a spiritual teacher, learning a lot of sensitive information about these people but then when they misstepped, when they did wrong in her eyes, she would use that against them.
– Hayley Pappas, co-director of Breath of Fire
Critics also pointed to Griggs’ blatant cultural appropriation, donning the white robes and turban of the Sikh religion to imbue herself with an air of spirituality. “As a Sikh it was alarming and it was heartbreaking seeing our scriptures, our prayers used as decoration,” says Sundeep Morrison, a Sikh activist featured in the documentary.
Descent into Conspiracy and Decline
In her later years, Guru Jagat fell deep into the rabbit hole of far-right conspiracy theories like QAnon. She questioned the existence of COVID-19 and refused vaccination. Her personal and professional life began to unravel as her behavior grew increasingly erratic. Tragically, in 2021, Griggs died of a pulmonary embolism following ankle surgery. She was just 41 years old.
The new HBO docuseries Breath of Fire chronicles Guru Jagat’s meteoric rise and ignominious fall, painting a complex portrait of a woman who inspired devotion and courted controversy in equal measure. Through intimate interviews and archival footage, directors Hayley Pappas and Smiley Stevens explore the allure and dangers of the billion-dollar wellness industry and the void of meaning it purports to fill.
I hope that people can see a bit of themselves in these characters and relate a bit to these stories, as extreme as they can seem. What we wanted to do is portray our characters as relatable and their desires and longings as relatable and understanding and show how slippery that slope is and show where that exploitation takes place.
– Hayley Pappas
In an age of social media gurus and wellness influencers, Guru Jagat’s cautionary tale serves as a reminder to approach spiritual leaders with healthy skepticism and to trust our own inner guidance above all else. As the self-crowned master herself once said, “Reality is a trance. Your reality is a trance of your own making.” It’s up to each of us to ensure we don’t get lost in the illusion.
