| 1963
- 1966 |
California
State University, Science-Engineering Major. Electronics
Technician. |
| 1966
|
Began
study of Yoga and Eastern Religion with Dr. Framroze
Bode, Zoroastrian High Priest and doctor of religion
in Los Angeles. |
| 1967 |
Began
living-studies in the Sivananda Yoga Ashram, Canada.
Founded the White Lotus Foundation. |
| 1967
- 1992 |
Founder
- president of the Center for Yoga in Los Angeles
for 25 years. The Center was the premier institute
in Los Angeles spearheading the new wave of Yoga
in the USA. A continuous stream of famous Yogis,
teachers and masters made their first US or California
visits here including Vishnudevananda, Venkatesa,
Chidananda, Muktananda, BKS Iyengar, K. Pattabhi
Jois and numerous others. The Center and its leaders
were often featured in TV specials and in movies.
The Center has given the training and inspiration
to institutes established around the nation and
world. Its format has become the basis for yoga
centers worldwide . |
| 1968
- 1969 |
Awarded
the "Yoga Acharya" title, meaning master
or professor of Yoga, from the Sivananda Yoga-Vedanta
International, Rishikesh, HImalayas. |
| 1968
- 1972 |
Vice-president
of Sivananda Yoga Centers, International. |
| 1968
- 1972 |
Hosted,
traveled and studied with international Yoga masters
and Swamis (U.S.A., Canada, Europe, India).
Opened Yoga institutes in Washington D.C., Toronto,
Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles as well
as retreat centers in Nassau, Bahamas and Grass
Valley, California.
Assisted with or conducted the first Yoga Teacher
Trainings in North America at Sivananda Ashrams
and Centers. |
| 1969
- 1970 |
Organized
and led the Yoga World Brotherhood tour throughout
the United States under the sponsorship of the of
the Sivananda Yoga Centers (and co-sponsored by
the Unity Churches). Lectured and demonstrated at
centers and universities nationwide.
Coordinated the Indian Peace and Music Festival
in Quebec, Canada, sponsored by Sivananda Yoga
Centers, International.
Assisted in organizing the first American fire
walk sponsoring the visit of sacred firewalkers
from South India. Walked on hot coals with 40
North Americans. |
| 1969
- 1975 |
Personal
instructor to Peter Sellers. |
| 1970
- 1972 |
Resident
instructor, director, Yoga Island Retreat, Nassau,
Bahamas. |
| 1971
- 1973 |
Led
Yoga Pilgrimage study tours to India. Conducted
yoga classes and a Himalayan tour for the American
Embassy School, New Delhi, India. |
| 1972
- 1973 |
Conducted
two Yoga study tours to the Himalayas, India |
| 1972
- 1976 |
Traveled
with renowned teacher Swami Venkates in Canada,
Europe, the USA and India. |
| 1974 |
Received
training and worked on Plant Response with Cleve
Backster in New York and at the Findhorn Community
in Scotland. |
| 1975
|
Sponsored
by the Prime Minister and government of Belize (British
Honduras) to introduce Yoga to the country. |
| 1975 |
President
of the Yoga Association of Southern California.
Board Member of the Iyengar Yoga Association. |
| 1976
- 1983 |
Studied
with J. Krishnamurti in Ojai, California.; Saanen,
Switzerland; Brockwood Park, England; Rishi Valley,
Bombay and Madras, India and California.
Appeared and served as Yoga Research Consultant
in movies (including Billy Jack) and numerous
CBS and NBC TV specials. |
| 1977
|
Lectured
and demonstrated in Japan during a tour hosted by
the Japan Yoga Foundation. |
| 1978
|
Created
a new system of Yoga, Double Yoga, for partner practice.
Appeared in Aliens on Planet Earth, a movie on
spiritual teachers hosted by Donovan. |
| 1980
|
Double
Yoga published by Viking-Penguin. The book is considered
a classic on partner Yoga.
Personal Instructor to Paul Michael Glaser, Richard
Perry, Leigh Taylor-Young and Jennifer Warnes.
Participated in teacher training in the USA and
India with BKS Iyengar. |
| 1983
|
Received
second Yoga Acharya degree from Yoga Niketan, Himalayas,
India.
Received Yogiraj title from Swami Venkatesananda.
Trained in Homeopathy in Sivananda Homeo Clinic,
Rishikesh, Himalayas.
Began intensive training in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
with K. Pattabi Jois. |
1983
- Pres.
|
Founded/directed
White Lotus Yoga Retreat in Santa Barbara, California
with Tracey Rich. |
1989
|
Produced Yoga-The Flow Series video with Tracey
Rich, the first Yoga workout and vinyasa video setting
a new standard for Yoga videos. |
1990
|
Began
research and exploration of Entheogens and Amazonian
Shamanism. |
1991
|
Featured
delegate and speaker at the 1st International Yoga
and Peace Conference in Moscow, Russia |
1992
|
Delegate
to the Earth Summit in Brazil, Wisdom Keeper's Conference
Division |
| 1993
|
Karma
Yoga Award for service work including Rain Forest
work. |
1993
|
Created
and produced the Total Yoga Video with Tracey Rich. |
1995
|
Ganga's
interview
on Yoga with Sting, published in Yoga Journal helped
launch the Yoga and Ashtanga boom internationally. |
1996
|
Yoga
Teacher of the Year |
1996
- 2004
|
Total
Yoga video, with Tracey Rich, sold over 1.4 million
copies and was #1 best-selling Yoga Video 2 years
running in the US and Internationally and 4th best
selling exercise video. One of the best selling
Yoga videos of all time. |
| 2000
|
White
Lotus Santa Barbara retreat featured on Oprah as
one of top 3 "spiritual" retreats in USA. |
| 2001
|
TOTAL
YOGA: Earth, Water,
Fire videos released by Warner. DVD release
November 2004. |
| 2003
|
Yoga
Anywhere CD class released. |
| 2003
|
White
Lotus celebrates 35 years and celebrates
20 years at Santa Barbara retreat |
| 2003
|
Total
Yoga, Earth, Water,
Fire and Original
released on DVD by Razor Digital Entertainment. |
| 2004
|
Completing
his treatise on Yoga soon to be published and released
as books on tape. |
| 2005
|
Meditation
is Your Life CD with radical inquiry into Meditation,
including non-traditional forms of meditation, released. |
| 2005
|
Speaker
at first Asia Pacific Yoga Conference |
| 2007
|
Release
of Yoga Beyond Belief--Insights
to Awaken and Deepen Your Practice, 240 page
text on all aspects of yoga and meditation. |
| 2010 |
Interviewed
in feature film 2012--Time for Change framing
this time as opportunity for positive transformation
to green. |
