I have been blessed to have some of the greatest living teachers lead me on the path of yoga, and without them I would not be who I am today. As I describe them, you will see how they each contributed to my journey. In their own way, each initiated me into some aspect of yoga, educated me, and supported me personally and professionally. I have so much gratitude for them and strive to honor them in my own behavior and teaching. They are listed in chronological order

Richard Freeman taught me the art and science of body as mudra: to listen and move with the pulsation of breath, to channel energy with bandha, the focus of drishti, and dedicated practice. He supported me as I became a new teacher, allowing me to teach classes at his studio. He also whetted my thirst for yoga philosophy and again supported my first attempts at teaching that. I am so grateful for these gifts and many others Richard bestowed.

John Friend gave me back my yoga asana practice which was threatened by physical injury. He showed me how to align my body to be pain free, introduced me to the profound practice of opening to grace and the tantric philosophy that everything is a manifestation of the divine. He consistently challenged me physically, emotionally, and spiritually to soften, connect with source, and become a vehicle for divine light. John taught me how to be an excellent yoga teacher and bolstered a well-rounded studentship, and these two gifts serve me well to this day and have allowed me to build a career doing what I truly love.

Douglas Brooks ignited in me a profound love of the deep teachings of yoga through its stories, culture, and philosophy. His particular interpretation of yoga philosophy turned my world upside down in a way that taught me a radical affirmation for and appreciation of the many gifts the divine is offering me in this life. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of something I’ve learned from Douglas, his teachings have had a profound effect on me, my life, and my own teaching and I am forever grateful our paths came together.

My studies with Paul Muller-Orgega fulfilled a call of my heart which was clearly clamoring for something more, and produced a more expansive shift in my being than I thought possible. In a word the greatest gift he has given me: sadhana. He taught me effective techniques, the value of a regular meditation practice, and self-sufficiency, the result of which has been a profound realignment in the core of my being with the supreme pulsations of the highest. This guides me daily and allows me to serve as a teacher in a more effective way than I ever thought possible. Paul fed my appetite for a systematic understanding of yoga philosophy, particularly the Tantras, but as well honoring Patanjali’s teachings about meditation. And Paul bestowed upon me the gift of becoming a meditation teacher, allowing me to serve in an even greater capacity. The work I am doing with Paul feels like the crowning jewel of 35+ years of yoga study and practice, and I look forward to much more.

I must acknowledge Christopher Wallis, whose brilliant book “Tantra Illuminated” helped clarify many philosophical concepts. In addition, his translations of the traditional texts have been incredibly useful to me personally, and they are upleveling the availability of the teachings of Tantra into a world that desperately needs them.

From these teachers I repeatedly heard an honoring of their own teachers, a remembrance of those who helped them on their own paths. So, finally, I would like to honor with a deep bow, the great lineage of teachers, all those who have held the teachings, kept the practices alive, and passed them on for the benefit of all beings.

I applaud the many scholars coming forth to provide translations of texts that have been languishing in homes and libraries. Each is a gift, and I am so grateful for the translations that are coming forth, including from those I mentioned above.

From my teachers and the teachings, I’ve heard a deep respect for the manifest and unmanifest divine and have received the call to attune, again and again, to That which is the ultimate teacher, That which flows through all teachers in service of the greatest Truth. With the help of our teachers, may we all find and align with the highest which serves to empower and support us.