My Hindu Journey

My introduction to Hinduism was through Theosophy.  My parents, though Christian, never pushed religion on me or my brothers.  My older brother was a theosophist and the teachings of the Theosophical Society include many Hindu teachings. I was familiar with karma, reincarnation, chakras, yoga among other things before the age of 12.  Around that time my brother read the story of Buddha to me and for short time I decided I Buddhist. Growing up in Kentucky in the 60's and 70's there weren't any opportunities to directly experience Hinduism, so much of what I learned was from books and most of that was under the umbrella of Theosophy. 

It wasn't until I was in my 30's that I began to dig deeper.  I became a member of the Hindu Society of Greater Cincinnati. At that time the members met in a house and they were planning to build a temple.  I was asked to take over leading the children's committee, though I think I did more learning than leading in that role. I sat in on the Hindi language classes as well as the religion classes.  I still have my first copy of the Bhagavad Gita given to me by the teacher, a Western woman who had also embraced Hinduism.  Here I met my first yoga teacher, Swamini Krishna Kanta Parivrajika of Bhramrishi Mission in Kent, Ohio.  We affectionately called her Didiji. 

I had been practicing hatha yoga off on and on.  As a teenager I would practice along with Lilias Folan's PBS television program, Lilias, Yoga and You. Now, in my mid 30's, I decided to become a yoga teacher.  I enrolled in a 200 hour teacher training program at Yogi Hari's Ashram in Florida. After receiving my certification I began teaching at the temple and in local churches.  Later I would go to take teacher training in Ashtanga Yoga (David Swenson) and return to Yogi Hari for advanced teacher training in Sampoorna (Sivananda Lineage) Yoga.

After Cincinnati I lived in Bucks County, PA for a few years and taught Hatha Yoga at Chinmaya Mission.  I also attended study groups there.  My yoga students paid my tuition for the Chinmaya Vedanta correspondence course (now available online) a year long program on the foundation of Vedanta. I loved the people at Chinmaya Mission. They were all so kind and helpful. It was at about this time that I met Yogi Bharat Gajjar of Wilmington, DE.  Bharat gave me mantra diksha and gave me the name Ramji. I've been fortunate to have wonderful teachers and gurus on this path.  Pranams to Didiji, Shri Yogi Hari and Guruji Bharat Gajjar.

Ramji (Mick Goodman) lives in Kansas City, MO and attends the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center in Shawnee, KS.