About Me

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Since an early age I have been fascinated by one of life’s most fundamental questions: Why do we suffer? Deep down, I sensed there must be a radically different way to live—one rooted in joy and freedom. In my younger years, I struggled with anxiety and periods of depression, experiences that brought much suffering but also gave urgency and sincerity to this inquiry. This search first led me into philosophy, and later into the embodied practices of Yoga, Ayurveda, and transformative healing.

I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I was exposed to a wide range of ideas, philosophies, and spiritual traditions. As a teenager, I explored both Buddhism and Western philosophy in search of freedom from suffering and deeper insight into existence. At 18, I discovered the teachings of J. Krishnamurti, an encounter that profoundly and permanently reshaped my perspective and life orientation. Later, at university, I took classes in Buddhism, in which we engaged with Mahayana Buddhist texts such as the profound Vimalakirti Sutra, which introduced me to Non-Duality—a theme I would later explore further through informal studies in Vedanta—and also helped to shape my view of reality.

A health crisis 1996-1997 prompted me to explore both Yoga and martial arts, seeking both physical healing and deeper self-understanding. Drawn to the integration of philosophy with the body, I quickly became deeply dedicated to both of these practices - first martial arts and later Yoga. This commitment later led me to train at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco, where I completed my initial Yoga teacher training.

In 2003, I met Ramanand Patel, who would become my primary teacher for the next two decades. After my initial training, I went on to study extensively with him and benefit from his profound and encyclopedic knowledge on Asana, Pranayama, Philosophy and other topics, continuously refining my understanding of yoga as a path to both freedom and healing.

My Yoga journey also took me on multiple trips to Pune, India, where I took classes at the Iyengar Yoga Institute and engaged in Ayurvedic research.

Ayurveda & The Path of Healing

My deepening interest in yoga therapy, healing, and personal health challenges naturally led me to Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. In 2008, I completed a two-year program at the renowned California College of Ayurveda with the degree of Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist (C.A.S.). During this time, I also continued to pursue my long-standing interest in orthomolecular medicine and nutritional science.

From 2008 to 2009, I ran an Ayurvedic practice in San Francisco, before relocating to southwest Germany in 2009, where I continued to teach yoga and offer Ayurvedic services. In 2012, I founded the Institut für Yoga & Ayurveda in Waldkirch (near Freiburg) with the intention of creating a dedicated space for practice, healing, and education.

Since 2011, I have been a faculty member at the Freie Heilpraktikerschule Freiburg, where I teach Ayurveda to aspiring Heilpraktiker (natural health practitioners). Additionally, since 2016, I have been a seminar leader at the Sebastian-Kneipp-Akademie, offering workshops and continuing education for Yoga teachers and students.

Transpersonal & Trauma Work

While my work in yoga and Ayurveda focused on physical and energetic healing, I increasingly felt drawn to the psychological and emotional dimensions of transformation. Inspired by my fascination with consciousness, trauma healing, and transpersonal psychology, from 2013 to 2014 I pursued training in Neural Somatic Integration®, a form of trauma therapy influenced by Somatic Experiencing, developed by Arthur Munyer at the renowned Esalen Institute in California.

This work profoundly shifted my understanding of healing, revealing how trauma is stored in the body and how deep transformation requires a fully integrated approach—one that includes the mind, body, and consciousness.

For many years, I had been fascinated by the work of Dr. Stanislav Grof, Transpersonal Psychology, and the immense healing potential of holotropic states of consciousness. I went on to complete the 2-year Grof® Legacy Training in Transpersonal Psychotherapy and Holotropic Breathwork, and have integrated this work into my broader therapeutic approach.

In addition to my work in healing and transformation, I have been an artist from a young age. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, and my creative expression has always been intertwined with my philosophical and spiritual explorations. Art, music and literature, much like yoga and Ayurveda, serves as a medium for deep inquiry and transformation, offering new ways to perceive and engage with reality.

Where I Am Now

Today, I offer a unique synthesis of Yoga, Ayurveda, trauma work, and transpersonal integration. My work is not just about helping people integrate experiences—it is about helping them wake up to the deeper dimensions of their being and understand who they truly are underneath the many layers of (false) identity.

For impressions of this work from those I’ve accompanied on their path, see Testimonials >>