My yoga studies began many years ago in 1980 - my wife (at that time) urged me to do something to better manage my anger! The teacher was a Swami Satchidananda disciple and in the first class we did a headstand. I had no idea what to do and fell over backwards! I persevered. My feeling was that the best way to improve the condition of life on earth was to make oneself a better person.
Around 1996, I decided to deepen my practice and also spend some more time with my brother, Erich Schiffmann, by taking his teacher training at the Santa Barbara Yoga Center. Although I had not sought to be a teacher, by the end of the course, the owner of the studio was asking me to consider teaching there. When I expressed doubt because of my inexperience, she replied, “it takes a long time to learn how to teach, you may as well start now!” So I spent the next five years there learning to teach.
For over ten years, John Friend had made a huge impact on my asana practice, teaching, body mechanics and mental approach. He has helped to further reveal in me the Divinity that pervades All. My other favorite Anusara teacher at that time was Tina Brandt. In addition to Erich, I have also studied with Sarah Powers and Lisa Walford, and have been influenced by the Iyengar, Ashtanga and the vinyasa methods. My teaching style tends to create classes consisting of a slow but strong flow, alignment and awareness via the body, breath and heart.Meditation and developing mindfulness is very important. These techniques help you manifest in your field, becoming more of a be-ing all of the time. Over the years, I have been initiated into several meditation traditions, beginning with Transcendental Meditation (TM) in 1969. Later, I began meditation practices from the Gurdieff tradition and have maintained an active practice most days from then until now. Most recently for me are the Vipassana meditations of Goenka (since 1997) and the shamatha-vipassana practices of Tibetan Buddhism.