My Teachers in Yoga & the Vedic Tradition

For 5,000+ years starting in India, vidyā (sacred wisdom) has been passed down in unbroken lineages, orally/aurally through a direct relationship between the teacher and the student. The oral tradition continues to this day and many teachings are simply not available in written form, but can only be accessed through a living teacher.
This setup, called the paraṃparā (meaning tradition, repeated succession, or unending stream of knowledge) protects the knowledge, because a book can easily be misused or misinterpreted (and many have been). It also protects the student from knowledge they are not ready to assimilate, which could harm them.
The teacher, who has been carefully selected and initiated by their own teacher, shares the living wisdom which has unfolded in their own heart over time and through osmosis, direct relationship with their own teacher.
It’s said to require at least 12 years of direct study to become a traditional Vedic teacher (Veda here refers to the body of knowledge).
There is no relationship quite as unique or as sacred as that between guru (literally, “the one who removes ignorance”) and the śiṣya (meaning disciple or student).
Through developing a close and intimate relationship, the teacher gets to know the student over time, and speaks the teachings in a way that is tailored specifically to that student. A good teacher can speak directly, intimately and individually to each person in the room, even in a large group of students!
Unfortunately, there has also been abuse and misuse. As modernity and capitalism have polluted and distorted the yoga tradition, many self-proclaimed “gurus” have misused or abused their power, causing great harm to their students and the tradition itself.
The mistrust that has been created is so deep that even the term guru is looked upon with suspicion. The truth is, it’s up to the student, not the teacher, to decide whom to call their guru.
I have been extremely fortunate to be involved with wise, highly-trained teachers and gurus who also have a high degree of integrity, who do not manipulate or abuse their students, and who are interested most of all in protecting dharma (order, properness, correctness, harmony).
There are countless more teachers I have learned from, but these four in particular have been larger-than-life for me. They have directly impacted my growth and understanding in a deeply personal way, and this in turn has touched my students and clients in ways that never could have been possible otherwise.
I am infinitely grateful for their guidance and presence on my path, and to have had the massive privilege and sacred opportunity to develop long-term, ongoing, direct relationships with each of them.
Click the pictures below to read more about their incredible work.
The Teachers of My Teachers (My Lineage)
These are teachers with whom I have not studied directly, but who nonetheless have created a deep and lasting impression on me through the unbroken lineage I am blessed to be initiated into.
There are many more, but these three have been most impactful gurus of my gurus, and are perhaps the most well-known also.
Om srī gurubhyo namaḥ (honor to the teacher, who is rich with true wealth — that of knowledge). May the unbroken lineage continue.