Yogi Christopher here, born in 1977 and living mostly on naval bases until I was five years old, we lived in Maryland for the next five. When I was ten, my family settled in Arlington, Virginia. I became somewhat of a teenage delinquent and barely graduated high school, even though it only took me three years. After spending more than six years in and out of community college, I barely graduated again in 2001, this time with an Associate Degree in Information Systems Technology with a Networking Specialization. That summer I decided to begin studying religion. Some bumps along the way notwithstanding, in 2004, I graduated with distinction and highest honors from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

While in college, I also learned to practice Reiki and studied to become a yoga teacher with Vimala Ren Fields. My first introduction to Tibetan Buddhism happened towards the end of my college experience. I received Green Tara Empowerment from Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche in 2004. I also spent two months in work-study at Shambhala Mountain Center during the Summer of 2004, where I took Buddhist refuge vows and received my first Buddhist name, Tsondru Wangpo.

Towards the end of 2005, I moved with my family to Seattle, Washington. There, I met my primary Buddhist teacher, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and my spiritual partner and co-parent, Jen. I practiced, studied and absorbed the unique culture of Tibetan Buddhism as a member of Nalandabodhi in Seattle for about eight years. I received Bodhisattva Vows from my teacher there and received my second Buddhist name, Lodro Chozin. Seattle was also where I completed my Viniyoga teacher training certification with Tracy Weber in 2010.

Jen and I eventually moved to Portland and in December of 2017, Jen gave birth to our daughter, Alaya Grace, my greatest teacher to date. In Portland, I also became a Certified Consulting Hypnotist under the amazing tutelage of Bruce Terrill at Northwest Hypnosis Institute.

A yogi of over 20 years experience, right now my main focus is learning to build community, bringing together individual empowerment and responsibility with a sense of healthy social belonging and solidarity. I have years of intensive meditation and yoga training, as well as 1000’s of hours of practice experience. I’m also a certified yoga teacher and hypnotist. Promoting self-awareness, personal development and community building is the essence of my professional practice. To that end, I am currently networking with engaged professionals, refining my value propositions and helping to build the cultural and organizational infrastructure for a more decentralized and participatory socioeconomic system.