Every path begins somewhere.
If someone had met me as a young man, they probably would not have imagined that I would one day become a yoga teacher, write books on meditation, or spend my life studying sacred texts.
Neither would I.
Looking back now, I can see that every chapter of my life—even the ones I would never have chosen—prepared me for the next. The journey did not unfold in a straight line. It unfolded one lesson at a time.
Answering the call
A young man joined the United States Navy hoping to become a SEAL. Life had other plans. Instead, I found myself serving aboard submarines, where months beneath the ocean taught lessons no classroom ever could. Discipline. Trust. Responsibility. Calm under pressure. Looking back, I now recognize that these qualities became part of my spiritual practice long before I knew I was seeking one.
Seeing with New Eyes
Meditation did not erase my past. It transformed the way I saw it. For many years I carried pain, disappointment, and confusion. Over time I began to recognize that my parents were not simply the source of my suffering. They were also human beings carrying burdens I could not yet understand.
Compassion did not come from forgetting. It came from seeing more clearly.
Finding Teachers
Every teacher entered my life carrying a different gift. One deepened my understanding of meditation. Another taught me devotion. Another revealed the power of storytelling. Another quietly demonstrated unconditional love.
Looking back, I no longer see separate teachers.
I see grace unfolding in many forms.
Walking Together
One of the greatest blessings of my life has been walking this path beside my Sheryl. Together we have studied, practiced, taught, laughed, struggled, and grown.
Together we continue asking the same simple question:
How may we serve?
Still Walking
I no longer believe the purpose of the spiritual path is to become extraordinary. I believe it is to become fully present to ordinary life. I remain a student. I continue to learn from my teachers, from my family, from the people who attend our classes, and from the countless unexpected teachers that life places along the way. Every day continues to offer opportunities to learn, to serve, and to begin again.
If something in these pages encourages your own practice, then I am grateful our paths have crossed.
If our paths have crossed, perhaps we have something to learn from one another.
Let’s walk together.
Over the years I’ve come to realize that many of my greatest teachers never wore robes. Some taught through wisdom. Some through kindness. Some through hardship. Some through love. Some through mistakes.
One day in India, I instinctively bent down to touch the feet of the woman who was welcoming us into her home.
She quickly stepped back in surprise and asked,
“What are you doing?”
I smiled and replied,
“I try to see everyone as my Guru.”
Looking back now, I realize that life had been teaching me that lesson all along.
Let’s keep walking together.
Continue Walking
Every journey continues one step at a time.
If you’d like to explore some of the lessons that continue shaping my own practice…
Visit the Reflections.
No teacher walks alone.
Every light we carry has been received from someone else. My own journey has been shaped by extraordinary teachers whose wisdom continues to guide my life and work.
My books are published through Prem Kutir Press, a small independent publishing imprint created to preserve and share teachings that encourage thoughtful inquiry, sincere practice, and compassionate living.
Companions for the Journey