Integrating spiritual philosophy into an embodied way of living

My Journey

I started my exploration of integrative therapies in the mid-1980s after I experienced a physical injury that Western science couldn’t explain. I started seeing a chiropractor, acupuncturist, energy healing practitioner, and psychic. I made some improvements but never fully regained the physical function I once had.

My experience inspired me to explore ways of helping others in their healing process, and I entered massage school in 1990. while I was learning the curriculum, I had a spontaneous awakening to perceiving subtle energy. In one mystical moment, I went from knowing the physical to feeling and moving some unseen force with my hands. After several years of working in private practice, I realized I needed to be more mind skilled. This led me to Naropa University, where I studied Contemplative Psychology, Shamanism, Yoga, and Ayurveda.

Helping to reduce the level of violence in the world.

I help individuals and small groups understand how they use their personal power/energy to either heal or harm. Learning what sets energy into motion requires deep contemplative practice and awareness. The inspiration for working through consciousness arose after reading Aghora at the Left Hand of Goda by Robert Svoboda. The eight mind snares in the tantric text are listed as anger, delusion, disgust, envy, fear, greed, lust, and shame. I developed a forgiveness practice based on skillfully detaching from these snares.

As an individual and a culture, it is helpful to become more aware of how these snares manifest through social and institutional language and images. Does the language spoken and the images projected create unity or separation? Separation of the individual, a group, a community, or a culture tends to lead people into harmful and sometimes violent actions toward themselves or others. Integrating a spiritually informed philosophy into an embodied way of living for self-actualization is the fundamental purpose of my work.

Training

Consciousness Studies, Goddard College, MA

Contemplative Psychology, Naropa University, BA

Ayurveda Practitioner Program, Kanyakumari School of Ayurveda

Registered Yoga Teacher, Yoga Alliance