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DAYA Foundation

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For your own sanity, do not work for Sarahjoy Marsh - Anonymous employee DAYA Foundation Employee Review

1.0
May 22, 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The only reason I stayed as long as I did was because of the students at the studio (they are mostly oblivious to the behind the scenes chaos that the studio owner leaves in her wake) and my fellow co-workers (we supported each other through Sarahjoy's crazy-making).

Cons

There is high turnover in her office and for good reason -- working for or closely with Sarahjoy is toxic. At first, you might think she is a brilliant teacher and working for her is a dream. Yes, she has carefully crafted an elegant approach to the way that she teaches. However, if you get to know what lies beyond that facade, it will be deeply disappointing. After some time working with her more closely, you will slowly start to recognize that she is not the persona she portrays to her students -- she is manipulative, disrespectful, controlling, completely unwilling to receive feedback, and talks poorly about people (students, teachers, and employees) behind their backs. She displays strong narcissistic characteristics. For anyone thinking about working for or with her in any capacity, my advice is do so with extreme caution. When she likes you, she likes you. In fact, she chooses favorites (and cycles through them). But then something will happen (and believe me, it likely will) where she becomes suspicious of your intentions (and you might not have even a clear idea of what you did "wrong"), it will not be a pleasant experience. Take my word for it, or the word of over 25 people in the past decade that have worked closely with her that have had similar experiences.

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DAYA Foundation Response
8y
We value all constructive feedback from previous and current employees and appreciate the time you devoted to describing your personal experience. The mission of the DAYA Foundation includes upholding the principles and ethics of the yoga tradition, including that self-study and self-inquiry are integral to freeing ourselves from the human conditioning that leads to, or perpetuates, the challenges we all face. The DAYA Foundation and its staff have always supported a large vision and relied heavily on personal and organizational resourcefulness. We have aimed, and will continue to aim, to not forget the inherent goodwill in each team member, our founder, our teachers, our students, and our program recipients. This includes the vital contributions you made while you were employed at DAYA. Our gratitude for you and your efforts goes on. That being said, we are disappointed by your usage of Glassdoor to attempt to label Sarahjoy Marsh with defamatory descriptions and feel that some of the language used in your post is against Glassdoor’s Terms of Use. In holding to the mission of our non-profit organization, we will continue to value and appreciate the humanity in us all, including the humanity of our students, past and current employees and volunteers. We are committed to our own paths of self-study and self-inquiry and will continue to align ourselves with others who practice toward the same integrity.

Explore other reviews about DAYA Foundation

5.0
Oct 18, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The team at the DAYA Foundation has been incredibly inspiring to me. Being mentored to teach authentic yoga, connected with the roots of yoga in India, has spared me from the high burnout factor of other yoga teachers. I have been both personally and professionally mentored by Sarahjoy, whose dedication to teaching authentic yoga for over 30 years inspires me so much. She brought yoga to Oregon's prisons after living at Breitenbush Hot Springs. Leaving Breitenbush to come back into the city on behalf of prisoners is something that I really admire in her. Not only is Sarahjoy a source of encouragement, the staff, other teachers, and the students are also so encouraging.

Cons

I have no cons to offer. Seems like other people had some personal issues to work out, but those comments do resonate with my experiences.

1.0
Jan 15, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

On paper, an inspiring mission

Cons

Owner is a true narcissist. Gaslighting and gossip, as the other reviews state, are worse than ever.

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