Bodywork

 In 1993 I completed 500 hours of Massage Therapy training through the Central California School of Body Therapy (CCSBT), one of the first COMTA accredited schools in the nation. In 1994 I completed 190 additional hours of advanced training at CCSBT which included the Ten Sessions of Ida Rolfe (Rolfing). In 1995 I began teaching at CCSBT, first as a teacher’s assistant, and then as a full instructor, until the school’s closing in 2000.

I have Marie Moore and Susan Stocks to thank for giving me the most outstanding start on my massage career, including excellent body mechanics instruction, allowing me a long and injury free service career.

In 1995 I became a member of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and successfully completed the AMTA’s Sport’s Massage Certification exam, and also became Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. In 2018 I upped the National Certification to Board Certified.

In 1996 I found the modality which I felt enabled me to be the most effective as a massage therapist—Myofascial Release (MFR). For the next nine years I completed twenty-six seminars with John F. Barnes, PT, a world-renowned expert on MFR, and to this day I continue to practice this amazing work in my private clinic.  

I have held myself to a high standard of excellence by continuing my education. The following is a list of course work I have enjoyed:

• Dr. John Upledger’s Craniosacral Therapy 1,2, SER1 (soon to take SER2).

• Dr. Bruno Chikly’s Lymphatic Drainage (three courses).

• Aston Patterning, Sport’s Massage, Breema, Oncology Massage, Medical Massage, Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Lomi Lomi, Hypnotherapy.

Spiritualist

I consider myself a Buddhist Hindu Sufi who loves Jesus with all my heart. I am a Universalist who recognizes all paths to Universal Divine Energies as valid, and consider such paths to be completely personal and strictly between the human and God. Ultimately, we are responsible for our own joy; our own suffering; our own path. When we take one step towards God—the Divine takes 99 steps towards us. This I have experienced.

Always a seeker from birth, it was Buddhism that captured my attention first. I met Buddhist Lama, Ole Nydahl, in California in 1991 and took refuge in the Buddha with him in 1992, committing myself to the study and practice of Vajrayana Buddhism. The practicality and deep roots of Buddhism grounded me and gave me a sense of protection.

When I realized in early 2005 that I love God and wanted to openly cultivate that relationship, I felt the Buddhist container was not offering me such an opportunity, so I naturally drifted away. In the summer of 2005 I saw a picture of Sri Sai Kaleshwar Swami (1973- 2012) and right away I knew I was destined to meet him. He completely changed my life and suddenly, I found myself making many trips to India where I studied the human soul, the ancient Vedic knowledge, and began a serious sadhana practice.

In India I met two major Gurus besides Sri Kaleshwar Swami. One is Shirdi Sai Baba (1838- 1918), a great spiritual master; and Jesus who needs no explanation, except that India celebrates Jesus (Yeshua) as a Siddha, without the glorification of his crucifixion and how he “died for our sins.” I celebrate these three masters for they guide my life today and without them I would be lost. India taught me the true meaning of surrender.  

The overall encompassing umbrella for me is Sufism. I follow the guidance and teachings of musicologist, poet, and philosopher Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan (1882- 1927), who brought the Sufi Message to the west from India. I discovered Sufism in 1991 in the central coastal area of California. Through the Sufi Ruhaniyat International, started by Murshid Samuel Lewis in San Francisco in the 1960s, I discovered the Dances of Universal Peace and today I am a certified Dance leader and actively share the Dances mostly in San Luis Obispo, CA.

 In 2023 I became an ordained minister known as Cherag through the Sirat-i Inayat Interfaith Sufi Path. This is the area of my life where I am enjoying the biggest growth, currently. To facilitate ceremony is my joy and my honor.

What brings me the most joy today is my participation in the kirtan band Heart Bloom. I sing and play guitar, along with Robyn Hastings on harmonium and co-singer, Yarrow Nelson on flute and co-singer, and Gerry Marr on Tabla drums. We share our call-and-response spiritual devotional music monthly in the San Luis Obispo, CA area.

Astrology

Around 2016 I discovered about myself that I love astrology and became attracted to the study and practice of chart-reading. Evolutionary Astrology, founded by Jeffrey Wolf Green, captured my heart and in 2020 I completed the course work from Soul Wise School of Evolutionary Astrology Level Two program. I continue my studies today through the “inner circles” of Astrology Hub and New Paradigm Astrology. When I can, I like to help clients explore their birth charts for self-discovery and the understanding of each individual evolutionary path—why we chose this life’s circumstances, and how to evolve the soul with as much consciousness as possible.