To the Community of Sri Shyamji's Students and the Friends of the Chakra Institute,

The transition from an institute centered around our extraordinary teacher, Sri Shyamji Bhatnagar,  to one of that can properly hold his legacy and teachings, is one of the more challenging transitions for this type of institution. Every organization built around the teachings of a great spiritual teacher faces this moment of transition. It is rarely easy. We meet this moment with gratitude for all that Sri Shyamji gave us, and with full commitment to honoring that gift by building something worthy of it.

We want to help our community understand how this organization actually works, why leadership is structured the way it is, and what we are building together. We believe this understanding is the most meaningful thing we can offer right now.

1. Who Owns the Chakra Institute? 

A nonprofit organization cannot be owned by any individual, manager, or student. It does not even belong to the public. It is a strictly regulated entity that effectively belongs to the government, held in a sacred trust. 

No one can buy it or sell it. The leadership does not "own" the institute — we are strictly its stewards and custodians, legally appointed to protect Sri Shyamji's legacy.

2. The Difference Between a Trustee and a Manager 

Communities often confuse these two roles because the managers are the face running day-to-day meetings. However, they have completely different responsibilities.

Management: Day-to-day management involves tasks like scheduling, running meetings, and community coordination. These tasks do not grant any legal status or authority to open corporate bank accounts, file federal taxes, or manage the higher legal aspects of the organization.

Trustee: A Trustee is a governance role. Unlike day-to-day tasks, a Trustee is focused entirely on the big picture, the long-term vision, and the survival of the institute itself. Most importantly, by law, the Trustees carry 100% of the legal and financial responsibility. Sri Shyamji explicitly appointed Galeet Farrow as Vice President to hold this Trustee responsibility.

3. The Three-Year Deadline Crisis 

When Sri Shyamji left his body, the institute was in serious legal danger. The organization's federal tax filings had not been updated in three years. In the United States, if a nonprofit goes three consecutive years without filing, the government automatically revokes its status.

April was the final deadline. If that deadline was missed, the Chakra Institute would have legally dissolved overnight. Because a manager without proper legal standing cannot execute these filings or open the necessary accounts, our Vice President had to step forward alone — using her own name and credentials and assuming total personal financial liability — to rescue the institute's nonprofit status before that deadline was lost forever.

4. Why We Engaged a Lawyer 

We engaged a governance specialist to handle a corporate succession matter. This was not an aggressive action — it is a common and necessary step that organizations take during a transition to maintain accountability with local and federal law.

This specialist is helping the Board understand the significant task ahead in bringing this organization into a modern, sustainable structure. This includes developing appropriate policies, liability protections, and independent contractor agreements so that everything is transparent, fair, and orderly for all who participate.

5. Planting the Tree for Future Generations 

The foundation is now legally secure. The tax filings are complete. Sri Shyamji's intellectual property is protected.

Our focus now turns to the horizon. To ensure that these sacred sounds, recordings, and teachings are preserved perfectly for decades to come.

By building this secure infrastructure today, we are ensuring that the profound wisdom Sri Shyamji Bhatnagar shared with us can expand to reach future generations of mothers, babies, and seekers. We are doing this foundational work now so that we can plant the tree that our granddaughters' granddaughters will sit under.

With respect and full commitment to this work, 

Galeet Farrow, President 

Gabrielle Tuschak, Vice President & Treasurer 

Kavita Macmillan, Secretary 

The Chakra Institute  |  Sri Centre International