Member Profile

Tell me a little about you, your family, where you went to school or received training, your work, hobbies. 

My partner, Sharada, and daughter, Elspeth, have lived in Oak Park since 2016.   When Elspeth was born in 2012, we moved to a small farm in Indiana where we raised chickens and grew vegetables. Once Elspeth grew to school age, we moved back to Oak Park. I started to teach yoga and basic meditation after receiving my teaching training from The Temple of Kriya, formerly located in Logan Square. I continue my yoga studies with Muriel Quinn of Abhaya yoga here in Oak Park. When I'm not teaching yoga, I seem to spend most of my time driving my daughter around to her various events and activities. I'm currently studying Zen Koans with Roshi Althouse and plan to ordain as a priest in the near future.    

What brought you to ZLMC?

I came to ZLMC way back in 2007 looking for a way to deepen and fortify my meditation practice. I was looking for a community of like-minded individuals to help turn my on-again-off-again meditation practice into a daily habit or ritual. I knew I needed a group of people to make that happen, both for accountability and for inspiration and courage. I took the foundations of mindfulness classes 3 times and did a few retreats at the Center before something clicked and I started more deep studies with Roshi Althouse. 

What is your spiritual practice?

My spiritual practice is rooted in Zen Buddhism, but with a slant toward the body work of Traditional Hatha Yoga. After years of being completely disconnected with my body, I knew that I needed the grounding of a physical practice to help deepen my meditation and spiritual practice. Now a significant portion of my spiritual life is dedicated towards helping others find that same body connection that they once had when they were younger and to use that connection to find their own spiritual path. 

Anything else you’d like to add?

I've been a vegan for years now and at least try to help people find their way to a more plant-based diet. I mainly eat this way simply because I feel better physically and mentally. I also believe that one of the best things we can do to affect climate change is to reduce or eliminate our reliance on the mess that is animal agriculture.