Background
Satyatma was born in 1973 in Washington, D.C. He attended Phillips Academy high school in Andover, Massachusetts, and then Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia for his undergraduate studies, where he majored in psychology and international affairs. Satyatma's eclectic life path would see him learn Spanish in his teens, and then spend time living, studying, and traveling in thirty-five cities in fifteen countries on five continents.
Raised Catholic, in 1993 he was introduced to esoteric Christianity. In 1995, after receiving his diploma as a certified massage therapist, Satyatma met a pivotal teacher who introduced him to meditation, eastern mysticism, and energetic healing. In 1996, he began studying yoga and vedanta formally, and thus began his journey as a yogi.
In addition to independent study and training, and private study and training with various teachers from diverse backgrounds, Satyatma also received training in yoga, vedanta, and vedic culture from ISKCON and the Sivananda organization. He has also studied the basics of Buddhism and Taoism, and in 1998, he began studies in Jyotish (Vedic astrology).
In 2003, Satyatma began teaching meditation and the practical application of integrated spiritual philosophy. He was quickly noted for the breadth, depth, and practicality of his teaching, especially for such a young man, as well for being considered an eloquent and powerful public speaker - quite unique in his field.
Always possessing an intense passion for social justice issues, with a particular focus on international power dynamics, Satyatma's diverse background has also brought him a diverse career. In addition to teaching yoga, meditation, and spirituality, he has also worked as a lecturer, an events and festival organizer, a consultant to spiritually-oriented businesses, a counselor and a life coach, and a healer. He has also been active as a social and political activist and organizer.
In 2005, Satyatma began his first book, The Nature of Things, which was published in April, 2009.
Satyatma's personal focus has always been on testing the philosophies that he was studying, with the express intent of actually applying spiritual philosophy and psychology in everyday life. He has spent years integrating his diverse studies, background, and experience into his own regular practice.
His own study and practice have convinced him that a much underused gift for practitioners, especially in the West, are the sacred scriptures of the east and other writings from awakened souls. He has been deeply touched and influenced by the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, the Uddhava Gita, the Upanishads, the Teachings of Jesus, the Warrior Song of King Gesar by Douglas Penick, the Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu, and the Boddisattvacharya of Shantideva.
A poet and a writer since his early 20s, a very special and divine influence on Satyatma has been the epic, mystic poet Rumi. In addition to his personal gurus, he also counts amongst his spiritual heroes Martin Luther King, Krishnamurti, Mahatama Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and others.