Somatic Therapy - Hakomi

I completed training with the Hakomi Institute in 2018, and have since then completed the rigorous requirements to become a certified practitioner. I came to the practice not out of a desire to do the work for a living, but purely from a place of wanting to be a better partner and parent for my kids. I wanted to learn to become a more present and compassionate person for everyone in my life. What I discovered in the training was not only how deeply healing this work was for me, but also that I was actually pretty good at it. This second part was a lovely surprise that has led me to pursue this as a career. The evolution of my practice has also surprised me, as things tend to do when you are in the Flow. In conjunction with my education in therapy, I also threw myself into work in men’s groups in order to look at and heal my relationship to the masculine. After years of this kind of work, my Hakomi practice naturally began to organically orient to working with men. Having felt and experienced this work in myself, I know how important it is, not only to the individual but society as a whole. Now I enjoy seeing transformation in men, because their work is my work too.

Musicianship

Of all the interests that I have, music has been with me the longest. My musicianship began 40 years ago when I first started experimenting on my dad’s old acoustic guitar. Shortly thereafter, I was behind a drum set in a punk rock band. The way that I began and still play instruments today is purely by experimentation and doing. I have had very few lessons in my life, yet have taught myself to play guitar, drums, hand percussion instruments, keyboard, and all different kinds of flutes (Irish being my favorite). Over the last four decades I’ve experimented with and played various styles of music as well, from metal to folk to electronic to jazz. I’ve played in many bands and have been recording music since I was a high-schooler in my bedroom. All this is to say, music is in my bones. It’s at the core of who I am and how I experience the world. You can see my current live music events here, and keep up with my music production here.

Environmental Stewardship

I earned a B.S. in Conservation Biology from the University of Texas in the mid-90’s, and from there went directly into the Peace Corps to serve as an environmental education volunteer. After that 2+ years of service, I joined with the City of Austin and worked in the environmental conservation field for over two decades. I have since then retired from that service as a Certified Arborist (municipal forester), but I will forever be connected to trees. There is much to be learned from them.

Spiritual Practice

Woven through all of these has been my spiritual practices. A thread that began with unusual experiences as a boy has wound through all the phases of my life and interests. It has been a path of wide open exploration and powerful learnings. As I got older and wiser, I began to allow this way of seeing the world to enter into my everyday life; relationships, creativity, and work. Because it ties closely with my unwavering connection to nature, I resonate deeply with the wisdom of the shamanic practices of our ancestors. Now, I am anchored in the fundamentals of Buddhism and earth-based spiritual practices (a.k.a. shamanism). My healing practices, music, and work are all rooted in my connections to the greater, unseen world, and I am deeply grateful for that.

P.S…. motorcycles

I can’t introduce myself without mentioning motorcycling. Adventuring on two wheels is a fundamental source of joy and inspiration for me. I could go on about this, but you could also just read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. You can take a look at my moto-journeys on my Jason and the Coyote Instagram account.