Our Teachers

Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert; April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019) also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, psychologist, and author. His best-known book, Be Here Now (1971), has been described as "seminal", and helped popularize Eastern spirituality and yoga with the baby boomer generation in the West. He authored or co-authored twelve more books on spirituality over the next four decades, including Grist for the Mill (1977), How Can I Help? (1985) and Polishing the Mirror (2013).

Ram Dass was personally and professionally associated with Timothy Leary at Harvard University in the early 1960s. Then known as Richard Alpert, he conducted research with Leary on the therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs. In addition, Alpert assisted Harvard Divinity School graduate student Walter Pahnke in his 1962 "Good Friday Experiment" with theology students, the first controlled, double-blind study of drugs and the mystical experience. While not illegal at the time, their research was controversial and led to Leary's and Alpert's dismissal from Harvard in 1963.

In 1967, Alpert travelled to India and became a disciple of Hindu guru Neem Karoli Baba who gave him the name Ram Dass, meaning "Servant of God". In the coming years, he founded the charitable organizations Seva Foundation and Hanuman Foundation. He travelled extensively giving talks and retreats and holding fundraisers for charitable causes in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.

In 1997, he had a stroke which left him with paralysis and expressive aphasia. He eventually grew to interpret this event as an act of grace, learning to speak again and continuing to teach and author books. After becoming seriously ill during a trip to India in 2004, he gave up travelling and moved to Maui, Hawaii, where he hosted annual retreats with other spiritual teachers until his death in December 2019.

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Best known for his bestseller, The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle offers a wondrous perspective about the trappings of the egoic mind. He insists that all problems stem from the mind, and it is until we can go beyond it (the egoic mind) to the seat of consciousness that we can find peace, love, and joy. He also provides a pragmatic approach to practicing his teachings in his book Practicing the Power of Now.

Oprah Winfrey is a big fan, and he is one spiritual teacher we recommend for anyone struggling with the egoic mind.

Wayne Dyer happens to be the father of motivation focusing on self-empowerment. He centers on positive thinking as a means of creating the life you desire. For quite some time, Wayne resisted what he would later call his true calling-spiritual work.

He is also a prolific writer with over 30 books but is best known for Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting. The book teaches about your amazing manifesting powers. Though he might seem a bit woo-woo, his work is pretty grounded.