I  have lived quite a few different lives at this point. Today, and since 2013, I have led an international meditation organization, Ligmincha, in support of my teacher Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. I also teach hatha yoga (since 2005), Tibetan yoga and meditation. If I label myself, I'm a vegan-yogi-meditator deeply committed to my family and to the Bön spiritual tradition of Tibet. Family and spiritual practice are the two most meaningful things in my life and are the source of more blessings than I could possibly count. They are my refuge in this world. I am deeply grateful to my teachers, especially my wife and first yoga teacher, Eileen, to Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, and to Sri Dharma Mittra, for their integrity, impeccability, deep knowledge, and endless compassion. They are the models for my life today. 

When I am not with my family, on retreat, or working for the Ligmincha community, my passion is sharing the gifts my teachers have shared with me. Everything that I offer on this site I have received permission to share. For me, being connected to an authentic lineage - one in which knowledge is kept alive and tested generation after generation - is really important. These practices have stood the test of centuries (and eons), and they are as powerful today as they were in the past. I also love being in nature - the mountains, the jungle and the sea are all places I thrive.  

Practically speaking, I live in central Virginia with my wife and our two dogs. I've two grown, totally amazing kids (adults), and my favorite place in the world is the jungles and beaches of Costa Rica (Pura Vida!). My wife, Eileen, is my first teacher, my inspiration, and the home of my heart. Without her it's unlikely that I would have found this spiritual path and a true sense of being at home. 

The yoga I teach with Eileen, hatha yoga, is in the spirit and tradition of Sri Dharma Mittra. Tibetan styles of meditation and yoga have been principally gifted to me by several teachers, most especially Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche - without whom I would never have met these precious teachings, Dr. Alejandro Chaoul has been my main source for the physical Tibetan practices known as Trul Khor (Magical Movements). Other teachers who have informed my practice and teaching are Latri Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche, Geshe Chaphur Rinpoche, Tenpa Dukte Lama, Lama Kalsang, and Geshe Yangton. Each has his own unique style of movement and teaching, without separating from the essence or heart of the practices. I have done my best to synthesize what I know in a similar spirit, but I invent nothing and bring to the practice only what I have received over the years from these great teachers and my own direct experience. My other main influence are my students, who often ask amazing questions that I hadn't considered previously and that turn me back to my own teachers and the texts. It is also there needs for modifications that have brought about a total rethinking of how to do and how to teach the movements ofr tsa lung trul khor

Before my current roles and responsibilities I was the Chief Investment Officer for a multi-billion dollar family office. I worked crazy hours. In spite of the wealth and prestige of custom suits and private planes, I was unhappy. I did not like the person I was when pursuing a conventional idea of success.I lost track of my inner spirit and true self. In fact, I knew very few people in the world of finance who seemed truly happy and content. Then I started practicing yoga and meditation in 2003 in my (now) wife Eileen's classes (we married in 2009). Through yoga I kept meeting people who in fact seemed pretty happy. And, the more I practiced the more I found that I, too, was growing happier. And not happy in a superficial way, but a deep and abiding happiness, discovering an inner contentedness and joy that arise from being itself. Eventually I found that the happiness didn't require fame, name or fortune: it came and comes from within. So, I left my position to focus on the things in life that brought me close to my own joy and well being - simple things. Around this time I discovered that service to others is the one thing I can do that truly supports my happiness. I like myself the best when I am not thinking too much about what I want and need and concerned with the welfare of others. 

Yoga got me to meditation and that took me to a retreat center called Serenity Ridge. It was there that I found my true spiritual path and teacher. I've been studying, working and serving that tradition and my teacher since 2007. My teacher Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche asked me to lead his international organization in 2013, and I have been doing that ever since. If you have an interest ancient wisdom practices that can profoundly shape and change your life in positive ways, I strongly encourage you to check out Ligmincha

Prior to the role of CIO, I taught English at Virginia Tech, wrote scripts for interactive educational software, worked at bike shops and restaurants, did odd jobs, obtained degrees in philosophy (B.A) and English Literature (M.A.) and started a family. Way back in the day I played drums in a briefly lived, local, punk rock band. 

In this lifetime I've been very wealthy in a conventional sense, and I've lived in subsidized housing and depended on financial assistance. Today I live a life that is somewhere in between those two extremes. Each day I try to focus on connecting to and growing my inner wealth, on manifesting that richness and sharing it with amazing people who also seek to change and grow and nourish themselves and those around them. People, I hope, like you. 


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