Eric has devoted his life to the classical sciences of India, Tibet, and China. For over 20 years, he has been immersed in their study and practice. Much of that time has been spent living in Asia and learning from the feet of masters carrying living lineages. These ancient lineages, rooted in classical Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese texts, teach timeless wisdom so beneficial for issues of the present day. With reverence and humility, he practices these teachings and shares them to benefit others.
He has been learning and practicing Jyotiṣha as a disciple of Pt. Sanjay Rath since 2002, following the 16th century lineage of Achyutananda Das from Orissa. With Sanjay ji he studied the traditional teachings of the lineage, which open the eyes to the operations of subtle forces influencing the affairs of the world, and systems of spiritual remedies and practices to work with them. This has also included comprehensive study of essential classical texts of the Mahā Ṛiṣhis such as Jaimini Upadeṣa Sūtras and Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra.
In medicine, Eric has a diverse background – studying and researching practical applications and historical interactions of the three great Asian medical traditions of India, Tibet, and China. He has a love for botany, and specializes in medicinal plants and traditional pharmacology. As a licensed acupuncturist in the US, he received master’s and doctoral degrees in Chinese medicine, with additional extensive studies in classical herbal medicine and diagnostics. He has studied Āyurvedic texts and clinical practice in the US and India with Vaidyas Shreerang and Varsha Galgali, highly qualified traditional doctors carrying a very effective practice lineage firmly rooted in the classical scriptures and oral traditions. Tibetan Medicine integrated principles from Indian, Chinese, and Greek medical traditions, and created its own unique synthesis. Eric studied Sowa Rigpa – the healing science of Tibetan medicine with Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Dr. Machig, and other senior Tibetan doctors in the US & Tibet. He was the co-founder and Academic Director of the Sorig Institute of Tibetan Medicine in California from 2006-2020. In addition, Eric helped to create the Sowa Rigpa International College – the first accredited Tibetan medicine college in Nepal.
In additional to clinical practice and teaching, Eric is also involved with various charitable projects. He directs the Ngakmang Foundation, a nonprofit organization working in Tibet to support Sowa Rigpa education in Nepal, preserve the lineage of Ngakpa Tibetan yogis, and other projects in the Himalayan regions. From 2014-2019, Eric lived in tropical and alpine areas of India, working with the Dunagiri Foundation to cultivating threatened medicinal plants and treat patients.
Eric currently maintains a clinical practice integrating traditional Asian medicine and jyotiṣha in California, and teaches courses around the world.
