Max A

Playing hockey for nearly my entire life up until high school, I was recruited to play at Milton Academy in the graduating class of 2021. During my time at Milton, I transitioned from competitive sports into a yoga practice. COVID-19 allowed for my personal practice to expand during lockdowns and at-home schooling. After graduating from Milton in 2021, I invested time between high school and college into developing my yoga practice and my work with children and adolescents.

During these two years after graduation, I worked with elementary and high school students within the Dartmouth public school system. In tandem, I continued diving deeply into the theory, history, and philosophy of yoga, receiving my 200hr yoga teacher training (YTT) as well as Energy for Life Coaching certifications from the Sva Ha Academy in New Bedford / Fairhaven, MA.

During this developmental time, I discovered Naropa University, where Eastern wisdom and Western scholarship are integrated into a contemplative and holistic education. After an entrepreneurial summer in Orleans, MA during the summer of 2023, I moved to Boulder, CO.

With an academic intention to study yoga in Naropa’s 1,000hr YTT, I intended to also experientially relate to myself and others within a mindful community on the path of presence. During my first semester at Naropa, with my yogic studies unfolding under the guidance of Nataraja Kallio, I met Dr. Travis Cox who introduced me to the deep ecology movement. Along with this pivotal experience studying ecopsychology and deep ecology, I discovered the Islamic mystical tradition of Sufism through a week-long intensive with Netanel Miles-Yépez. During my second semester, studying under Dr. Stephanie Yuhas in socially engaged spiritual activism, I worked closely with Alaya preschool and a personal mentorship in Waldorf education.

With much gratitude for the experience, I transitioned into a summer stewardship program in 2024 at the Lama Foundation: a sustainable spiritual community and educational center dedicated to the awakening of consciousness, spiritual practice with respect for all traditions, service and stewardship of the land.

During the program, I participated in a Theravada Buddhist ten-day silent retreat. I felt the path of presence was realized. After this experience on retreat with Bhante Rahula, I felt compelled to study this path more deeply. I entered into a two-month monastic training experience in Malaysia during the winter of 2024-2025.

I have just recently returned home to Massachusetts. I am now committed to integrating all these experiences and skills into my offerings and services of yoga and child care, where I share my personal perspective through the disciplines I’ve developed. The path has been a joyous journey, and in many ways I feel I’m just beginning!