About 

My life is deeply immersed in communal healing. I live a simple life  (quite intentionally) nestled in the countryside of Petaluma with my wife, our three daughters, our four legged Goddess aptly named “Shakti” and two cats.  I came to this place of love and gratitude by way of violence and loss. 

I grew up in Brooklyn during the 1980's, where generational patterns of violence prevailed. I became a product of that environment. In my early 20s, I was eager to embark on my Hero’s Journey. I wanted to prove to the world and myself that I was a 'Man'.  Western society is devoid of traditional rituals and rites of passage for adolescent males, so when the tragedy of 9/11 took place in my hometown I felt the calling and joined the Infantry.  I loved the intensity of combat training. It separated the boys from the men in my uninitiated understanding of masculinity and that's exactly what I was craving. I pushed my body and mind to (and ultimately beyond) its limits.  I've always loved living on the edge. But no amount of training could have prepared me for the loss of life I witnessed during my deployment.  I became intimately aware of the fragility of the human mind in the midst of Trauma.  There are many terms and clinical diagnoses for it. Looking back now I call it 'Soul Loss'.  When a wolf is caught in a bear trap there comes a time when out of desperation it will chew it's own leg to escape. 
Since returning in 2006 my journey has been marked by profound healing.   I discovered Buddhist meditation via Josh Korda and Dharmapunxnyc.  There was still an ember of courage left within me. Slowly I began my spiritual journey by spending long weekends at a Zen Monastery in Upstate New York. Over the years I’ve tried many forms of traditional talk therapy. They were helpful to understand the psychology of trauma and how it affects the mind and body.  
The birth of my daughter was for me Embodied Transformation. She looked deep into my eyes and called me back from the depths of darkness.  I wept the tears I had held back for so many years.  Everyone in that hospital room stopped and watched. My heart was blown wide open by the purest love I'd ever known. I have tears in my eyes just recalling this powerful blessing.

In that moment, I committed to this journey of becoming whole again. So this is who I am.  Healing through being of service and facilitating Men's work is what enlivens me. Most of my waking hours away from my family over the past 10 years have been spent at Esalen workshops and other forms of embodied somatic and mindfulness trainings.  

Personally, I  gravitate towards more Somatic based healing modalities such as breathwork, moving meditation (Yoga), and QiGong. I've completed the Strozzi Somatic Practitioner training, Yoga Teacher Training (Renew Yoga) just to name a few and I weave aspects of these practices into my Men's group facilitation. Our bodies house the memories of the past in our tissues.  Somatic practices help us come back into our bodies and feel the beautiful range of emotions that is this life.
 I facilitate a Men’s Group (here in Petaluma)  that includes Breathwork, Meditation, QiGong and a portion where we all get to check in and share our personal challenges and blessings.  My dharma is to support the collective healing of the Masculine in service of all beings. ​

I came to this work of holding space for and guiding others very humbly.  My own work is dark and deep and it is a life long process that I continually show up for. I am someone who knows the terrain on this journey of rediscovering your divinity and wholeness.  It is you who will ultimately do this work and your path will be unique but you want someone who you trust can hold you in the midst of it all.

If you feel called, I invite you to learn more about the work I do by setting up a consultation.