I agree with the comment of Ro Shaery below and worth reading. I adamantly agree there is a distasteful false world created by the trending cult of spiritualism sweeping many levels of society. (I am not religious.) But charlatans exist in every aspect that caters to saving souls. However it was barely twelve sentences when you pulled the 'race card' out to add an element of injustice and vitriol to your argument. You paid for the retreat, it was not forced upon you. Why pursue shallow plastic spiritualism when the spirit sleeps within? Nannies of color ? ( there are many many colors in this world not just one - all of them equal) ethnic friends? assuaging white guilt? Those concepts detract from the validity of your worthy argument, that being, there are 'New Age Spirituality Saviors' charging ridiculous amounts for that which was developed in India with simplicity for the spirit within all of us - equally. You are obviously a talented writer and it is a sadness that such talent, for me, was cheapened by the detraction created by making it about race and not about the shallowness of the retreat itself. Nice writing, but missed it for me. We are all different.