Brian Gonzalez

Originally from Burlingame, Brian arrives through a long thread of contemplative practice. Brian recently spent time in Thailand as a Buddhist monk and has studied Vipassana and Zen meditation around the world.

He completed his yoga teacher training in India and has since returned to India and Southeast Asia repeatedly to deepen his study of Buddhist meditation, Vedic texts, and the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. His training in the embodied style is shaped by his teacher Parveen Nair.

As a continuation of his contemplative work, Brian loves bringing the same attention to honesty, love, and human flourishing into his work as a culture coach. He sees life as inherently spiritual, not requiring specific clothing, practices, or forms to recognize, embrace, and live in harmony with what is.

Brian teaches Embodied Yoga, a dynamic and fluid style that invites students to listen and accord with the natural intelligence of the body. The practice is influenced by the spiraling nature of the body, the cyclical nature of life, and the rhythmic nature of dance. The practice invites contemplative self-inquiry, asking students to notice what is present, to release ideas of right and wrong, and to accept whatever arises moment to moment. The practice cultivates joy, ease, trust in the body, and a letting go of misunderstandings we carry about who we are.