I’ve been walking this path since 1994, when I began studying with my first teacher, NDR*, who guided me for seven years through weekly phone calls and retreats at his farmhouse in upstate New York.

In 2001, I discovered there were monasteries in the United States—places where you could live fully immersed in dharma. I spent six years at Crestone Mountain Zen Center, studying with Zentatsu Richard Baker-Roshi in Suzuki Roshi’s lineage.

My practice has been enriched by multiple traditions. Through devon, I was introduced to Tibetan Buddhism and have studied in the three yana system with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Lama Drubgyu Tenzin, and others. Most recently, devon and I fulfilled a long-held dream by completing a three-year meditation retreat, including the full cycle of Shangpa teachings and transmissions.

Altogether, I’ve spent more than six years in silent retreat across Insight, Zen, and Vajrayana settings—a thread of depth that continues to shape how I teach and live.

Since 2013, I've studied closely with Joseph Goldstein in the One Dharma Vipassana tradition, and he remains my closest dharma mentor. Along the way, I earned a PhD in counseling psychology at UW–Madison, where I was influenced by Richie Davidson, John Dunne, and other remarkable teachers.

I co-guide Refuge of Belonging, an online dharma community where meditation meets daily life. Whether you’re just beginning or decades into practice, we create space for anyone curious about inner transformation—offering weekly talks, monthly daylongs, in-depth courses, and personal mentoring that help you stay awake to your life as it actually is.

I also teach retreats nationally and lead our annual ten-part series exploring the paramis—qualities of an awakened heart.

Devon and I co-authored How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Buddhist Survival Guide for Modern Life, and our new book This Messy Gorgeous Love: A Buddhist Guide to Lasting Partnership comes out April 14, 2026. With thirty years of meditation practice and fifteen years of teaching experience, I’ve guided thousands of students in bringing contemplative wisdom into the beautiful mess of being human.

Despite decades of intensive practice, I’m really not that scary. If you're curious about a community that takes both inner work and real life seriously, come check out Refuge of Belonging.

*NDR has since died but always wanted to remain anonymous—he never advertised and stayed out of the dharma scene, hence the initials.

I used to be called Craig. Click here for more on the name change.