Yoga
Gary was introduced to Eastern philosophy in college when he discovered the writings of Alan Watts which led to studies in Zen and Zen-inspired poetry. Gary found yoga in 2000 as a way to recover from back trauma and has been studying and practicing yoga since that time. Gary has a Certificate of Yoga Philosophy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. He has studied yoga at Esalen Institute, Big Sur California, Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, India and Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville, Virginia.
Gary has photographed many spiritual sites and experiences in his travels throughout Asia. After four years of study and writing, he published his first book entitled: “The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali- Illuminations Through Image, Commentary and Design.” The book provides a new and inviting approach to studying and living the Yoga Sutras by using imagery, poetry and quotation to illuminate the heart of the Sutras. The second edition of the book has recently been published.
After Gary’s book on the Yoga Sutras was published, he began to get speaking invitations and now teaches workshops on the yoga philosophy, ethics and law for Yoga teacher training programs. Gary is on the teaching faculty of Breathe Together Yoga of Los Gatos, California. Gary co-leads spiritual trips to Nepal, India and Tibet with Jennifer Prugh of Breathe Yoga.
Gary was on a Yoga Alliance Committee that proposed a new Code of Conduct and is on the Board of Directors of the Integral Yoga Institute-San Francisco.
Law
Gary has practiced corporate and technology law for over twenty years. He has been a partner in the corporate and technology practice group of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld LLP which is a large international law firm. He has also been a Senior Attorney with Microsoft where he practiced technology law and served on the Microsoft Ethics Committee. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Gary has published the Light on Law series of books that cover law and business matters for yoga studios, yoga teachers and other wellness businesses.
The books provide legal and business resources for yoga and wellness studios, yoga teachers and entrepreneurs. They are based upon Gary’s 20 years of experience as a corporate and business lawyer, and as a yoga student and teacher.
The books provide a guide to the most important legal, business and regulatory issues that the yoga and wellness community faces today. They provide practical information about those areas you most need to know about to avoid disputes, tax and regulatory problems, and product liability and personal injury claims. They provide comprehensive coverage of the key areas of independent contractors and employees. They also provide all of the legal forms that you need in running a yoga and wellness business.
Workshops and Events
BREATHE TOGETHER, LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA, May, 2019.
BODY TEMPLE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM, Encinitas, California, 2018 (various dates)
MOKSHA/MODO YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM, KELOWNA, CANADA, July 2017
BREATHE YOGA, LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA
(Yoga Teacher Training Workshop on Yoga Sutras), February, 2017
BODY TEMPLE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM, Los Gatos, California, 2017 (various dates)
MOKSHA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING LEVEL 1
Nicaragua, February 11-February 18, 2015 (Yoga Philosophy)
YOGA JOURNAL LIVE (Law and Yoga)
San Francisco, January 15, 2015
BREATHE YOGA OF LOS GATOS IN TIBET-
Co-led a spiritual retreat to Lhasa, Tibet and Nepal, July 7-July 24, 2015
YOGA AT CINDY’S, SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA
(Yoga Teacher Training Program-Yoga Philosophy), Fall 2015
YOGA GARDEN, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
(Yoga Law Workshop for Teacher Training Program), Fall 2015
BREATHE YOGA, LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA
(Yoga Teacher Training Workshop on Yoga Sutras), Fall 2015
YOGA ALLIANCE, BUSINESS OF YOGA CONFERENCE, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, (Presenter on Law and Yoga)
August 6-9, 2015
BODY TEMPLE YOGA TRAINING, March, April and August, 2015
BREATH YOGA IN NEPAL, Co-led a spiritual retreat to Nepal, April 2014
YOGA JOURNAL LIVE CONFERENCE-SAN FRANCISCO
January 16, 2014
DANYASA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING-DOMINICAL
Costa Rica-December 1-7, 2014 (Yoga Philosophy)
INTEGRAL YOGA INSTITUTE-SAN FRANCISCO
October 30, 2014 (The Yoga of Suffering)
THE BREATHE FORUM ON LAW, BUSINESS AND ETHICS FOR YOGA, March 15-16, 2014
TEXAS YOGA FESTIVAL – HOUSTON
February 2, 2014
Yoga Alliance’
I have been working with Yoga Alliance for several years to provide our community with resources on legal and business issues. My goal is to help studios and teachers avoid legal problems and build stronger businesses. This will, I hope, lead to more yoga in the world and the world becoming a better place!
Below is a list of video and audio presentations that I have prepared for Yoga Alliance and a link to the Yoga Alliance videos:
- Transitioning from Independent Contractors to Employees
- How to Build Your Strongest Case that Teachers are Independent Contractors
- The Horns of the Dilemma: Independent Contractors or Employees?
- Essential Legal Issues for Yoga Teachers
- Essential Legal Issues for Studio Owners
- Learn about Yoga Liability
- Opening a Studio: Legal Considerations
- Internet Laws for Yoga
- Yoga Law: What You Must Know