6 + Years
Powerful alignment-based Bhakti Vinyasa flow
Peace, Resilience, Humility, and Compassion
As a personal trainer and casual yogi, I traveled Europe and Asia for a year to deepen my understanding of wellness. During my teacher training in Rishikesh, India, it was the first time I devoutly practiced asana, pranayama, meditation, and philosophy every day for 30 days and the effects were undeniable. I simultaneously felt lighter and more grounded, with a deep sense of calm and a profound connection to all life around me. I felt intimately the practice had the power to heal so much of our personal, political, economical, and environmental suffering that stems from the diseases of disassociation and disconnection to ourselves, each other, and our planet.
My parents undoubtedly provided me with the love, support, and wisdom that has shaped me into a strong and gentle man. I am in deep gratitude to my teachers Jason Crandell, Stephanie Snyder, Janet Stone, Shems Heartwell, and the Association for Yoga and Meditation in Rishikesh, India for informing the way that I teach. And I am in daily humility to the guru in everyone and everything, from the most benign moments to the most frustrating or ecstatically joyous ones.
My classes are a challenging alignment based Bhakti vinyasa that combines intelligent sequencing and practical philosophy with humor and heart. I encourage my students to stay connected to how the practice helps us show up in the world with more compassion, focus, resilience, humility, and patience. I love creating a safe space for people to test their edge or to simply let go of trying to do anything at all. I often remind my students that it's not the depth of the pose or the sum total of shapes you can make in an hour, it's the depth of breath and the attention of heart we can give to a moment
My mission is to help you feel fully alive, inspired, and in service to your heart's calling. I believe in the power of asana as a cathartic and somatic release from an overstimulating and frenetic world. At the same time, I am firmly grounded in the practice of meditation and the lost art of doing nothing to help us live from our balanced center. I aim to provide an experience that will allow you to cultivate peace, calm, and resilience so you can be fit for service late into your years with the privilege of taking care of others, instead of having to be taken care of.
I love teaching common poses like down dog, cobra, and warriors because there's so much detail often overlooked in the things we do most often and how we do anything is how we do everything. I also love teaching arm balances and backbends for the power and catharsis they offer us.
A favorite is definitely Urdhva Dhanurasana, it's like a kundalini awakening every time!
I'll always be a California boy in spirit! And, the 5 month's I spent living and studying yoga in India captured my soul and connected me to powerful past lives, as did Spain which captured my heart.