AṠOM YOGA

AṠOM YOGA ASOM YOGA - a portmanteau of Agni + Shakti + Aum

09/03/2026

This is kind of wild.

I’m in Japan.

And what makes that feel so magical is that this has been a dream of mine since high school, back when I watched my first anime and imagined what it would be like to experience this place for myself.

And now I’m here.

Tokyo skyline in front of me.

A dream that lived in the background for years became real because, at some point, I made a decision.

That part really has me thinking.

So much of adulthood is about responsibility.

Work.
Bills.
Family.
Commitments.
Deadlines.
The things that have to get done.

And yes, all of that matters.

But we also have a responsibility to make choices that bring us alive.

To say yes to the experiences that light us up.

To honor the desires that keep returning.

To make room for wonder.

Sometimes a trip is more than a trip.

Sometimes it is proof that you listened to yourself.

That you stopped postponing something that mattered to you.

That you gave yourself permission to experience more of this life.

And this trip is already reminding me of that.

I’m excited for all of it — the kimono experience, tea ceremony, samurai and ninja adventures, the food, the culture, and whatever surprises Japan has waiting for me.

But right now, I’m just taking in the fact that I’m actually here.

A dream from high school became a view from my window.

What is one experience you have been telling yourself you will do “someday”?

Leave a comment below and name it.

Maybe putting it into words is the first decision that starts bringing it closer. ✨🇯🇵

08/21/2026

Sometimes the practice eventually asks you to create something unique.

In 2019, I began developing a yoga program.

By then, I had already spent about six years training, practicing, traveling, studying, and teaching. I had taught yoga in spaces supporting people working through addiction, NYC, and later returned to teaching in Albany.

I had learned from many teachers and many trainings.

But eventually I realized:

I could not simply reproduce someone else’s interpretation of yoga.

The teachings had passed through my own life.

Through practice.
Through service.
Through travel.
Through difficulty.
Through transformation.

And from those experiences, something unique began to emerge.

Agni. Shakti. Om.

🔥 Agni — Fire

The primordial fire of transformation.

Agni transforms what is offered into something new. In the Vedic tradition, Agni is also the intermediary between the human and the Divine.

For me, it represents the transformative power of practice.

✨ Shakti — Energy

The primordial creative energy moving through all things.

Within the ta***ic worldview, consciousness and energy are inseparable.

Shiva and Shakti.

Awareness and manifestation.

The stillness that witnesses life and the energy through which life expresses itself.

🕉️ Om — Primordial Sound

The vibration representing the totality of existence: what is seen and unseen, creation and dissolution, form and silence.

There is silence.

Then emergence.

Creation.

Sustaining.

Change.

And eventually a return into silence and infinite potential.

And behind all of it is something even subtler:

Turīya — the witness.

The awareness behind thought.

The observer behind the mind.

The part of us capable of witnessing sensation, emotion, thought, change, and experience without being limited to any one of them.

This became the beginning of what I wanted to teach.

Not simply postures.

Not simply philosophy.

But a journey through transformation, energy, consciousness, and ultimately the discovery of the witness within.

Yoga teachers gave me the map.

Practice gave me the experience.

Life helped me begin drawing my own path through it.

And now, I want to take you on that jo

08/14/2026

You cannot understand the spiritual path through books alone.

I recently read an academic paper exploring Śrī Vidyā, Ta**ra, initiation, and the epistemic value of religious experience.

Epistemic value refers to the degree to which a personal spiritual encounter can provide knowledge, evidence, or justification for what someone believes.

In simpler words:

Can a direct spiritual experience help us know something is true?

The paper argued that spiritual experience carries value precisely because it is directly experienced.

When you enter a lake, you know the water is wet.

When you place your hand near a flame, you feel its warmth.

In the same way, an experience arising through meditation, mantra, prayer, pilgrimage, retreat, initiation, or even a dream may become a form of direct knowledge for the person who receives it.

That does not necessarily mean the experience becomes universal proof for everyone else.

But it may become undeniable within the truth of your own lived experience.

This is why practice is so important.

Scripture gives us a framework.

Philosophy gives us language.

A teacher may offer direction.

But consistent practice allows the teachings to move from the intellect into the body, the heart, and everyday life.

Yoga begins with the tangible.

Over time, the practice becomes subtler.

Experiences may arise during meditation, in dreams, on pilgrimage, during retreat, or slowly across many years.

But the goal is not to chase extraordinary experiences.

The goal is integration.

Does the experience make you more present?
More compassionate?
More truthful?
More peaceful?
More aware of your unity with life?

Spiritual knowledge becomes wisdom when it changes how we live.

So read the sacred texts.

Study the teachings.

But then close the book, enter the practice, and discover what becomes true through your own direct experience.

What spiritual practice has taught you something that a book never could?

Leave a comment below—I would love to hear what you discovered through your own experience. ✨

08/10/2026

Do the Things you Love

One of the most powerful things we can do is stop giving our power away.

I recently had an experience in ceremony with the Yawanawá of Brazil that showed me some beautiful things about my life — and also some places where I am still stuck.

For me, that is part of the value of ceremony.

It can offer a different perspective. It can illuminate patterns we may not see clearly in ordinary consciousness. But then comes the important part:

What are we going to do with what we have seen?

Because insight without action is just another experience.

One of the things I was shown was how easily anger can arise when I feel mistreated, misunderstood, or unheard.

And there was another perspective available to me:

Every time I remain focused on what someone else did, said, or failed to understand, I am giving that situation my energy and my power.

What if instead I gave myself permission to move forward?

What if I stopped waiting for someone else to understand me before choosing myself?

That realization felt incredibly freeing.

Sometimes transformation is not some enormous mystical event.

Sometimes the magic is a shift in perspective.

A decision.

An action that finally aligns with what you already know to be true.

And when we make that shift, fear, anger, resentment, and old stories can begin to transform into something useful.

Into wisdom.

Into movement.

Into gold.

The other message that came through very clearly was this:

**Do the things you love.**

We have less time than we think we do.

Life changes.
People change.
Bodies change.
Circumstances change.
Opportunities change.

Nothing is guaranteed to remain exactly as it is today.

So become clear about what is true for you.

Give yourself permission.

Take the step.

Make the call.

Create the thing.

Love deeply.

Go where your heart has been asking you to go.

There is tremendous power in an action taken in alignment with truth.

**Where in your life are you ready to stop waiting for permission and choose yourself?**

Let’s f@cking GO!

Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear what is calling you forward. ✨

08/10/2026

Spiritual experiences can open the door.

Integration is how we learn to walk through it.

On the spiritual path, we may study sacred texts, recite prayers, travel on pilgrimage, practice meditation, or explore non-ordinary states of consciousness through ceremonial or psychedelic experiences.

But profound experiences alone do not necessarily create transformation.

Transformation happens through integration.

Integration is the steady, intentional work of creating enough space to understand what we experienced—and allowing that wisdom to reshape how we live.

It may look like:

Yoga.
Meditation.
Prayer.
Mantra.
Journaling.
Walking in nature.
Sitting in silence.
Working with a trusted guide or qualified professional.

These practices help us bring spiritual insight into our relationships, choices, habits, boundaries, and everyday responsibilities.

And yes, creating that space can be difficult.

You may be raising children, caring for family, managing a career, or carrying more responsibilities than anyone else can see. You may not have an hour to sit in silence.

Begin with five minutes.

Practice in the car before entering the next space.
Wake up a little earlier.
Take a quiet walk.
Close the door and breathe.
Create the space wherever you can.

Consistency matters more than performance.

What practice helps you integrate spiritual insight into your everyday life?

Leave a comment below—your practice may offer someone else a way to begin. ✨

08/02/2026

The greatest teacher is not only outside of us. The guru also lives within. ✨

This week, we celebrated **Guru Purnima**, a sacred day honoring the teachers, sages, and spiritual lineages that illuminate the path of self-discovery.

The holiday is traditionally associated with the sage Vyasa, who is credited with composing the *Mahabharata*, the vast epic that contains the *Bhagavad Gita*. According to legend, Vyasa entered a state of profound inspiration and dictated the verses while Ganesha wrote them down.

And honestly, after traveling through India on spiritual pilgrimage, stories like this do not feel as distant as they once did.

India is the birthplace of countless sages, traditions, and mysteries. There are places where you witness things that the logical mind struggles to explain.

When I visited Melukote in 2023, I encountered ancient pools of water, each carrying its own energy and story. Some were cloudy. Some contained debris. One was covered in algae and connected to a local story about negative energy, while another nearby pool remained remarkably different.

At the top of a small mountain, I saw a body of water teeming with life that, according to local tradition, never dries up.

My mind wanted an explanation.

But sometimes the spiritual path asks us to remain open to wonder.

That is part of what Guru Purnima represents to me.

We honor the teachers who came before us—the ones who preserved knowledge, shared their experience, challenged our limitations, and helped light the way home.

But we must also honor the teacher within.

Within each of us is a quiet presence, an inner compass, and a spark of the Divine that continually guides us toward truth.

The outer guru may provide the teaching.

The inner guru helps us recognize it.

May we honor every teacher who has helped us remember who we are—and may we become quiet enough to hear the wisdom already living within our own hearts.

Who has been an important teacher on your path, or what lesson is your inner guru teaching you right now?

Leave a comment and honor them below. 🙏

07/30/2026

Let’s talk about the Gayatri Mantra. ✨

Mantras are sacred words and vibrations that help focus the mind, refine our energy, and create space within us.

The Gayatri Mantra is one of the most widely known mantras in the yogic tradition. It may be practiced by people of different faiths and spiritual paths. What matters most is not perfection, but earnestness.

In other words: be present with the words.

Do not simply recite them while the mind is somewhere else. Allow the mantra to move through your awareness, your voice, and your body.

Think the words.
Speak the words.
Feel the vibration of the words.

Before beginning, take a slow breath and allow yourself to arrive.

If the mind is especially restless, take a walk, move your body, or sit quietly for a few moments. Then return to the mantra with greater presence.

The Gayatri Mantra is commonly recited as:

**Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah**
**Tat Savitur Varenyam**
**Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi**
**Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat**

You do not have to pronounce every syllable perfectly to begin. Intonation matters, but sincerity matters even more. We all carry different accents, backgrounds, and levels of experience.

Start by reciting it three times.

Then pause.

Notice what you feel.
Notice the quality of your mind.
Notice whether there is more spaciousness within you.

The Gayatri Mantra is not simply something we use to chase material desires. Its deeper purpose is to illuminate the mind, soften internal obstacles, and help us become more receptive to the blessings already present in our lives.

And yes, perhaps that inner alignment might even lead you to the perfect parking spot. 😄

But the true gift is the space it creates within.

Have you practiced the Gayatri Mantra before?

Leave a comment and share what mantra practice means to you—or let me know whether you would like me to create a guided recitation. 🙏🏽

07/30/2026

What if discipline is not punishment?

What if discipline is an expression of self-love?

On the spiritual path, self-love is more than a concept, a preference, or an opinion. It is something we embody through action.

It is love for oneself.
Love for truth.
Love for the mystery of life.
Love for the person we are becoming.

For many of us, discipline was introduced through punishment. It was used to force compliance, correct behavior, or compel us to live according to values that may not have been our own.

But that is not true discipline.

True discipline is choosing to take ownership of how we live.

It is aligning our actions with the truth of our hearts.

Every time we honor a commitment to ourselves, we are practicing love.

Every time we meditate, move the body, recite mantra, sit in silence, walk in nature, or become fully present with someone we love, we are saying:

“My life matters.”
“My awakening matters.”
“My relationship with the Divine matters.”

This commitment is especially important because the world is constantly competing for our attention.

There are responsibilities, crises, distractions, applications, notifications, expectations, and people who may not understand why we are changing.

Sometimes, our growth can even make others uncomfortable.

Not because our path is wrong, but because our commitment may reflect something they are not yet ready to see within themselves.

We are constantly reflecting one another.

That is why we must remain devoted to the vision for our lives that arises from the heart — the vision that is aligned with truth, Divinity, and love.

Every moment of this life is both an opportunity and a blessing.

Practice discipline daily.

Not because you need to be punished.
Not because you are not enough.
But because you love yourself enough to remain committed to your becoming.

What is one practice you are committed to as an expression of self-love?

Leave a comment and share it below. Your commitment may inspire someone else to return to their own path. ✨

07/24/2026

I want to take a moment to talk about mantra sadhana — the practice of mantra.

Mantras can be prayers.
They can be sacred sounds.
They can be lines from ancient texts like the Vedas.
They can also be simple seed sounds, known as bija mantras, that carry a very specific energetic quality.

But mantra sadhana is more than just repetition.

It is a practice of harmonizing the mind.

Through sound, rhythm, breath, and devotion, mantra gives the mind something sacred to rest upon. And through that repetition, the fluctuations of the mind begin to soften.

The racing thoughts.
The distractions.
The restless energy.
The heaviness.
The mental noise.

In the yogic tradition, we might understand this through the gunas:

Rajas — when the mind is moving too fast.
Tamas — when the mind feels heavy, dull, or stuck.
Sattva — the state of harmony, clarity, and balance.

Mantra helps guide us back toward sattva.

Not by forcing the mind to be quiet, but by giving it a sacred pattern to follow until it naturally begins to settle.

That is the beauty of mantra.

It meets the mind where it is and gently leads it back to center.

Some mantras are widely known, like the Gayatri Mantra or the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra. Others are given through specific lineages, teachers, or practices. But knowing more mantras does not automatically make someone more advanced.

The power is not in collecting mantras.

The power is in practicing with sincerity, consistency, and devotion.

In ta**ra, mantra is a powerful tool because ta**ra is about expanding consciousness and weaving that awakened awareness into everyday life.

So mantra is not separate from life.

It is a way of training the mind.
A way of opening the heart.
A way of refining energy.
A way of returning to presence.

And over time, the sound becomes more than something you repeat.

It becomes something that repeats within you.

What mantra, prayer, or sacred phrase helps bring you back to center?

Leave a comment — I’d love to hear what words or sounds support your practice.

Śrī Vidyā Sacred Circle: A Heart-Centered Community Gathering🗓️ July 20, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM@ Ecstatic Living Florid...
07/15/2026

Śrī Vidyā Sacred Circle: A Heart-Centered Community Gathering

🗓️ July 20, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
@ Ecstatic Living Florida

📍The Womb, 1202 Lucerne Ave APT D
Lake Worth Beach, FL 33460, USA

Join us for an evening of meaningful connection and heart-centered conversation inspired by the non-dual ta***ic wisdom of Śrī Vidyā. This gathering invites participants into a sacred circle where we explore themes of devotion, inner power, beauty, and the deeper nature of consciousness through shared presence and dialogue.

Together we will create a welcoming and reflective space for community, insight, and authentic connection. Whether you are familiar with these teachings or simply curious to explore spiritual wisdom in a supportive environment, all are welcome to participate.

✨ Offered on a donation basis, allowing everyone the opportunity to attend and contribute according to your means.

Come as you are, bring your curiosity and open heart, and join us in community.

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265 Lake Monterey Cir
Boynton Beach, FL
33426

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