Commercial Writing — Music & Booklets

My professional writing career began in 1999 through my recording work with The Relaxation Company in New York. Because my recordings were distributed through major music outlets and bookstores, I wrote substantial companion booklets introducing the spiritual traditions and practices behind the music.

For Nada Yoga, I wrote a 24-page booklet introducing the Yoga of Sound as a spiritual path within Indian spirituality, along with practices for engaging the music experientially. This work continued with The Yoga of Sound, a three-CD collection accompanied by booklets on Shabda, Shakti and Bhava—three distinct streams of sacred sound—and with AM and PM Yoga Chants. These projects introduced me to professional editors and the world of commercial publishing.

Signing with a Literary Publisher

In 2002, I signed with New World Library to write The Yoga of Sound, drawing upon more than two decades of research, study and practice. The book also included a teaching CD, further developing my ability to integrate written instruction with audio and experiential learning.

In 2008, a second proposal became Jesus in the Lotus, a trade nonfiction book exploring the mystical meeting ground between Christianity and Yoga.

Articles & Contributed Works

Publication led to invitations to write for Common Boundary, Common Ground, Chicago Yoga Magazine and LA Yoga Magazine. I also contributed to a volume honoring my mentor Bede Griffiths, compiled by Beatrice Bruteau and published by Quest Books.

Writing for Online Education

As the Yogic Mystery School developed, another dimension of my writing emerged. Building an online school required extensive curriculum development, course writing, practice instructions and educational materials. I have since created original written content for more than 30 online programs spanning mantra, Tantra, Yoga of Sound, meditation, contemplative practice and spiritual development.

Writing for the Web & Conversion

Developing my online work also required learning how to communicate sophisticated spiritual and educational material to prospective students. Over approximately two decades, website copy, landing pages, course descriptions and writing for conversion became another dimension of my professional work.

Developing Books & Projects for Others

Eventually, students and other professionals began approaching me for help with their own writing—from website copy to books intended for publication. I now work selectively with writers on developing ideas, organizing manuscripts, strengthening structure and language, and bringing substantial projects toward completion and publication.

Most recently, I worked closely with Dee DeSoto in bringing her forthcoming book, The Yoga Teacher’s Playbook, to completion.

1986–87 — India: Sacred Music & Multi-Instrumental Recording

My professional recording career began in India, producing sacred music albums for Saccidananda Ashram at Kalai Kaviri Studios in Tiruchirapalli. These projects featured my original compositions and performances on multiple instruments.

1988 — South Indian Cinema

I spent six months recording songs and soundtracks for approximately 50 South Indian feature films with the Shankar-Ganesh Orchestra and music director Das Daniels.

1989 — Montreal: Sounds of the Heart

I recorded Sounds of the Heart at Concordia University Studios for the John Main Foundation, featuring original compositions performed on multiple instruments.

1991–94 — Independent Production

I composed and produced Journey to the North Pole for Peggy Cain, released by Asha Paul & Mary Margaret Enterprises. During this period I also released Awakening to the Power of Sanskrit and Gateway to India through Friends of Creation Spirituality, recorded and mixed at Guha Studios in Oakland.

1996 — Spirit Bridges with Arlo Guthrie

I produced Spirit Bridges in collaboration with Arlo Guthrie, featuring the custom 10-string Avitar I designed. The project was recorded at Guha Studios and Guthrie's studio in the Berkshires and released by Rising Son Records.

1998 — Sacred Love Songs

Produced for Dolphin Bay Music at Spirit Wind Studios, Sacred Love Songs featured Night Ranger guitarist Brad Gillis, John Evans and the East Bay Choir, with original compositions registered through ASCAP.

1999 — Nada Yoga

I produced Nada Yoga for The Relaxation Company, recording at Mesa Studios with Indian sarangi maestro Ramesh Mishra and bansuri master Deepak Ram. The recording received international distribution.

2000 — The Yoga of Sound

I produced the three-CD collection The Yoga of Sound—Shabda Yoga, Shakti Yoga and Bhava Yoga—for The Relaxation Company. Recorded at Guha Studios and mixed and mastered at Skyline Studios in Oakland, Shabda Yoga reached the Top 100. The collection received international distribution.

2001 — AM-PM Yoga Chants

I produced the two-CD AM-PM Yoga Chants for The Relaxation Company in association with GAIAM, featuring Barry Sless on pedal steel. The recordings were distributed internationally.

2008 — Sounds True

Nada, Shabda, Shakti and Bhava were re-released by Sounds True, bringing this body of sacred-sound work to a new international audience.

2014 — Mantra Magic

Recorded at Guha Studios in Austin with Pandit Gourisankar, Mantra Magic featured my original compositions and was mixed and mastered by Hans Christian at Studio 330.

Continuing Creative Work

I continue to compose, record, perform and produce music that brings together sacred sound, voice, acoustic instrumentation and contemporary production. Across four decades, my work has moved between Indian sacred music, film recording, contemplative music, mantra, original composition and collaborative studio production.

Graduate & Postgraduate Teaching

For approximately 17 years, I taught spirituality, contemplative practice, comparative music and the Yoga of Sound within accredited academic settings. My teaching included students in Master of Liberal Arts, ministry and doctoral-level programs, bringing experiential approaches to meditation, mantra and Eastern spiritual traditions into graduate and postgraduate education.

Holy Names College & the Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality

Beginning in the early 1990s, I taught within the Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality, founded by theologian Matthew Fox at Holy Names College in Oakland. The program offered graduate education in spirituality and brought together contemplative practice, creativity, social transformation and interdisciplinary study.

My teaching explored comparative music and spirituality, contemplative studies and the Yoga of Sound, combining academic inquiry with direct experiential practice.

Naropa University West

When the program subsequently became affiliated with Naropa University as Naropa University West, I continued teaching within an educational environment that brought Eastern contemplative traditions into dialogue with Western psychology, spirituality and culture.

University of Creation Spirituality

I later served on the faculty of the University of Creation Spirituality, which offered graduate and Doctor of Ministry programs. For approximately a decade, I taught intensive courses providing practical training in Eastern Tantra, mantra, meditation and sacred sound for ministers, therapists, healers, artists, educators and other professionals.

Faculty associated with this innovative educational community included Matthew Fox, Larry Dossey, Andrew Harvey, Starhawk, Brian Swimme and Anita Roddick.

Additional Academic Teaching

My teaching also extended to the California Institute of Integral Studies, New College of San Francisco and other educational settings, including credit and non-credit workshops at universities.

Across these academic environments, my particular contribution was to bring together scholarship and experiential learning—helping students not simply study contemplative traditions intellectually, but encounter practices such as mantra, meditation and sacred sound directly.

This work also helped shape the teaching methods I later brought into the Yogic Mystery School: intensive experiential learning, facilitated group process, sustained personal practice and the translation of traditional spiritual disciplines into forms accessible to contemporary students.

Three Decades of Teaching & Performance

For approximately 30 years, I presented workshops, intensives, conference programs and musical performances at leading centers for spiritual and holistic education throughout North America and internationally.

Omega Institute

Beginning in the 1990s, I developed a long relationship with the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in New York. I presented Yoga of Sound workshops both independently and in collaboration with teachers such as Matthew Fox and Wayne Teasdale, combining teaching, contemplative practice, sacred chant and live musical performance.

I also participated in Omega's Awakening the Soul conferences in New York City and performed at its Ecstatic Chant gatherings alongside artists including Krishna Das, Jai Uttal and Deva Premal.

Esalen, Kripalu & Hollyhock

My workshops and performances were also presented at the Esalen Institute in California, the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Massachusetts, and Hollyhock in Canada. These programs explored mantra, sacred sound, contemplative voice, meditation and the experiential dimensions of yoga.

Conferences & Professional Programs

I was invited to present through organizations and institutions including Yoga Journal and the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, as well as at International Sound Colloquiums in Loveland, Colorado.

I also participated in major interfaith gatherings, including the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago and Barcelona, bringing sacred sound and contemplative practice into dialogue with the world's spiritual traditions.

International Performance

Alongside my teaching, I performed sacred and contemporary music in the United States, Canada, India, Mexico, Colombia and Europe. Performances have included Grant Park in Chicago, the Music Academy in Chennai, and sacred and cultural settings in Europe and elsewhere.

Throughout this work, performance was rarely separate from teaching. Music, mantra, voice and contemplative practice became ways of creating a direct experience of the principles being explored.

A Deliberate Change of Direction

In 2024, I chose to step away from regular travel teaching and performance after three decades on the road. This allowed me to devote more time to contemplative practice, creative work and the continuing development of the Yogic Mystery School, while making much of what I had previously taught in person available through sustained online study and training.

From Distance Learning to an Online School

In 2002, I began developing an early model of remote spiritual education for students who wanted to continue working with me beyond workshops and retreats. Long before online courses became commonplace, I created structured learning programs using DVDs, CDs and written materials shipped directly to students throughout the United States and Canada.

Over the following years, the school evolved alongside emerging technology. Online discussion groups and email communication were followed by streaming audio and video, creating opportunities for sustained study and practice across geographical distances. By 2008, the Yogic Mystery School had grown into an online learning community serving hundreds of students.

An Extensive Curriculum

Over more than two decades, I have developed more than 30 online programs encompassing mantra, Tantra, meditation, the Yoga of Sound, sacred music, contemplative practice and spiritual development.

Rather than treating these subjects simply as information to be learned, the curriculum emphasizes practice, experience and integration. Students work with structured teachings, audio and video instruction, guided practices and longer-term processes designed to deepen understanding through direct experience.

From Courses to Sustained Practice

An important feature of the Yogic Mystery School has been the opportunity for students to remain engaged over time. Many have studied with me for years, moving between foundational programs, advanced practices, live group training and individualized guidance as their interests and spiritual lives have developed.

The school has consequently evolved beyond a collection of online courses into a continuing environment for spiritual practice, study and community.

Expanding the Scope of the School

Over time, the curriculum has broadened beyond my original emphasis on mantra, Tantra, meditation and sacred sound. My wife and teaching partner, Asha Paul, has contributed programs exploring holistic health, nutrition, post-traumatic growth, healthy aging and supraconsciousness.

Our work together has encouraged a more integrated understanding of spiritual development—one that recognizes the relationship between contemplative practice, psychological awareness, physical well-being and everyday life.

Spiritual Coaching & Professional Development

More recently, the Yogic Mystery School has also become the foundation for my work in Spiritual Coaching & Training. In addition to developing their own spiritual lives, coaches, teachers, healers and other helping professionals can explore ways of bringing greater awareness, presence and discernment into their work with others.

The Yogic Mystery School Today

Today, the school combines 24/7 access to an extensive and continually developing online library with live Zoom teaching and group practice. I lead ongoing training in mantra, Tantra, meditation, the Yoga of Sound and Spiritual Coaching & Training, while Asha contributes programs and live sessions related to holistic health, cooking, healthy aging and supraconsciousness.

What began in 2002 as boxes containing CDs, DVDs and written lessons has become a living digital school—while retaining the original intention: to provide a structure through which serious students can sustain spiritual practice, study and development over time.

Twenty-Five Years of Immersive Study in India

For more than 25 years, my wife, Asha Paul, and I guided students on immersive study journeys throughout India. These were not conventional tours or retreats, but opportunities to encounter the living traditions of yoga and Indian spirituality within the cultural and sacred environments from which they emerged.

Learning Within the Living Tradition

Our journeys brought students into direct contact with temples, ashrams, sacred sites, spiritual teachers, musicians, practitioners and traditional forms of worship and practice. Mantra, meditation, sacred music, ritual and contemplative study could be experienced not simply as subjects being taught, but as dimensions of a living spiritual culture.

My own years of monastic and yogic formation in South India provided an important foundation for these journeys, allowing me to help students interpret what they encountered and connect those experiences with their own spiritual practice.

Returning Again and Again

One of the most meaningful aspects of the program was the number of students who returned to India repeatedly. Many participated in several journeys over the years, while some traveled with us nine or ten times.

These repeated journeys allowed India to become more than an extraordinary experience. Students could develop relationships with places, practices and traditions over time, returning with greater familiarity and discovering new dimensions with each visit.

Study, Practice & Pilgrimage

The journeys combined spiritual study with direct practice and pilgrimage. Rather than attempting to cover India as tourists, we created experiences around particular teachings, sacred environments and forms of practice, allowing participants time to absorb what they were encountering.

The intention was always to help bridge experience in India with spiritual life at home—so that pilgrimage became not an escape from ordinary life, but a source of practice, understanding and transformation that could continue long after returning.

From India to the Yogic Mystery School

The India journeys eventually became part of the larger educational foundation of the Yogic Mystery School. Many of the teachings, practices and cultural contexts encountered firsthand in India continue to inform the courses, group study and contemplative training I offer today.

After more than two decades of traveling together, this work now continues primarily online, making many of the teachings and practices that once required a journey to India available to students wherever they live.