ABOUT
Ever since I can remember, I have been on the search for more, for something greater. Growing up in LA, I never truly felt comfortable in my own skin. I hungered for knowledge and growth through perspectives that differed from myopic western systems. After reading some Alan Watts and Krishnamurti my thirst grew stronger and, although I didn’t know it at the time, I began my path seeking out yoga.

For years the altered sense of reality I found in drugs seemed to be the answer. I felt alive. I didn’t worry about pleasing my parents or peers. I felt good about myself despite my faults. After experimenting with many substances and heightened states, by the time I was 17, I found myself addicted to heroin. Heroin made every inch of my body buzz with pleasure, and released my mind from worry and fear; it gave me peace, a feeling I chased for a long time. The nirvana that came from being high was so powerful that nothing else in my life mattered anymore. Within 2 years, I was homeless, strung out, emaciated and ready for a change. I knew this was not the path for me, but my addiction was stronger than my ability to change on my own. The police did for me what I could not do for myself. A felony landed me in LA county jail for a year. Withdrawals in lockup were unforgettably horrible, so was the sadness of a notoriously bad jail system. Following my introspective incarceration, I was released with a newfound passion for seeking.

Some of my old friends had found yoga and invited me to classes with them. At first, I rejected the notion. My assumptions about yogis kept me away: there was no way I was going to start eating tofu, opening chakras and chanting to Gods I knew nothing about. Thanks to my persistent friends, I walked into a Bryan Kest class in the summer of 2000. His down to earth approach was exactly what I needed and I instantly resonated with the physical benefits of the practice. The practice was a perfect companion for my recovery: my body healed from the abuse of addiction, and my mind grew clearer. The high I had experienced with heroin was now replaced by calmness, balance and equanimity. My practice grew and I found another great teacher that gave me new insights and pearls. Govindas showed me the soul of yoga. However, my seeking did not subside.

After finishing graduate school in mathematics at UCLA, I noticed that Bryan was doing a teacher training in Mexico. I wasn’t interested in teaching, but wanted to deepen my practice and travel. The training exposed me to new ideas, two of which I connected with immediately. The first was a 3-day Iyengar intensive with Lisa Walford. My analytical mind was intrigued by the depth of alignment instruction and precision she presented. I was hooked. In addition to intense physical practice every day, we meditated at the end of the evening for 45 minutes. This was the next step for me. Even though I had achieved great control over my body, I realized I had almost no control over my own mind. Meditation was the most challenging part for me in the training, and at the same time, the most rewarding.

When I got back from Mexico, I signed up for a Vipassana meditation course and sat silent for 10 days. There is no savasana better than the clarity of getting up from an hour-long sit. I discovered that my mind was the cause of most of my stress and unhappiness, and began integrating meditation into my daily practice. I had found peace, at least enough to show me the way. Everything I sought in the years past, were now found. Yoga and meditation changed my life.

Bryan invited me to teach yoga at his studio but I didn’t think I had much to offer, and wasn’t interested. He convinced me to give it a try, and I taught my first class in 2005. Despite my fear to lead it, the 3 students who showed seemed to walk out lighter and more peaceful. In spite of me, yoga worked. As I continued to teach, more students came, and I began to see that I have something to share. I am so very grateful for the gift to pass on the teachings that changed my life. Teaching has made me accountable for my own practice. I can only talk it if I walk it. Being at Power Yoga for 7 years now has been a blessing. I never thought I’d be a yoga teacher, and still sometimes laugh at myself for getting here, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Life is good. I am confident that I will be able to handle life’s twists and turns with the equanimity and calm that yoga has given me.

Today I practice asana regularly at home and try my best to meditate every day. My teacher Vinnie Marino helps me continue to learn better ways to teach and incorporate my yoga into day-to-day life. He is a wonderful mentor and friend. I have climbed but a few steps of the ladder and am working my way upward still. Every fault is an opportunity for growth and every day is an opportunity for life. I am lucky to have great friends and family to share the love with. Hope to see you as we follow the road to happy destiny.

I am eternally grateful to BK for his guidance. Thank you Bryan.

Thank you Gdas.

Thank you Lisa Walford.

Thank you Goenka.

Thank you Vinnie.