John began his journey rock climbing in Kentucky and later traveling around America and Canada to climb.  The challenge of climbing combined the elements of concentration, discipline and the art of movement, all practiced in the serenity of nature made a deep impression on his being.  He discovered Buddhism through Zen and was fascinated by the practice of sitting mediation and the ancient art of stilling the mind.  

When he was 20 years old he discovered Yoga and it was the perfect blend of utilizing the body through movement in order to cultivate an inner clarity and peace.  It was the merging of movement and mediation in a timeless and mystical tradition that captivated his soul and would turn into his life path. 

     He took his first Mysore style Ashtanga classes in 2007 in Japan. This sparked a deep interest in wanting to connect to Yoga at its source. In 2008 John spent over a year traveling throughout India and Nepal in search of the wisdom of the east.  He spent time practicing with different teachers, meeting gurus and participating in meditation retreats that would later prove to build a strong bridge in his spiritual path.  While he was interested in many forms of yoga over the years, and completed trainings in different styles of Hatha and Tantra yoga, the practice of Ashtanga Yoga would come back over and over as his main spiritual Sadhana. 

 John combines the disciplined asana practice with a contemplative practice with roots in Zen, Advaita Vedanta and Christian mysticism.   His teachings reflects a desire to root the practice in its spiritual essence and connect the moving asana practice to the stillness of ancient meditative practices. 

      John has taken three 500 hour Teacher Training courses over the years and has studied with several senior Ashtanga teachers.  He has been to Mysore India, the source of Ashtanga Yoga, to practice with Guru Sharath Jois.  Along with Sharath Jois, John continues to study the advanced series A and B of Ashtanga yoga under the guidance of two certified teachers, David Gariggues and Sharmila Desai.