The fabric of the Feathered Pipe is woven of a profusion of radiant threads of place, people, and spirit – all intersecting in sometimes unexpected ways, creating a wellspring that fostered and continues to nurture prescient souls in the communities of yoga, meditation, and personal growth. Beginning as the Holistic Life Foundation in the early 70s, Feathered Pipe Roots explore the other-worldly history and interwoven tapestry of one of America’s oldest and most revered institutions in the world of yoga.
During the Nixon years I decided that living in America might bring about bad karma, and I could not cope with the ramifications of an event like Vietnam. So I decided to travel and find a spiritual teacher, to retreat to a cave someplace like in the Himalayas, and pray until the world changed (possibly a long wait). Read More
More than three-quarters of a century ago, a young and adventurous Liam O’Gallagher, who played a pivotal role inspiring Feathered Pipe’s evolution over the past 45 years, took a chance and hitchhiked from his home in the Bay Area out into the Mojave Desert to pay an unexpected visit to the writer, Aldous Huxley Read More
During the first summer I spent at the ranch in 1972, when Jermain Duncan was still alive and before we found out how sick she was, we took a trip to California. During that trip, I actually visited the ranch that future Feathered Pipe presenter Dr. Andrew Weil later bought...We were ready and willing to change the world. Read More
On the steps of that church William came over and said, "Hi. Aren't you India Supera? We met at Sai Baba's." And that was the beginning of all the work we did. Jerri found him very interesting and right away we picked up with him and went over to his house and yoga studio where he was teaching 30-40 students one-on-one, Desikachar's method. Read More
Heidi was meant to be house sitting for Ike and Judith Lasater when they came up to teach our first yoga workshop in 1975, but had gone off to physical therapy school back east leaving Tom Ryan, her then boyfriend, to house sit. When Ike and Judith arrived home, they called and said they had just met the most amazing man, Tom Ryan. Read More
Laughing Water, who was still known at the time as Paul Superak, was originally brought to the Ranch by Judith and Ike Lasater, as Laughing Water and she had been roommates in college. He came as the cook for the first real workshop in 1975, which featured Judith Lasater, Gisele Fitch, and Felicity Hall who is now known as Felicity Green. Read More
We started the summer with just the group of us, Laughing Water, Tom Ryan, Heidi Goldman, William Staniger (later Golden), Janice Paulsen and myself who had big ideas, little money and no work. We were later joined by Jeannette Herman who came over from Billings and added astrology to the list of our offerings. Of course we didn't know we couldn't do it so we started promotion. Read More
India’s older sister VJ opens up about her life of wild adventure, travel-inspired service and the eternal bond of two sisters from California who were raised to cross boundaries and seek their own answers. Her life exemplifies a mantra we could all learn from, "The basics of a good adventure: Seek out the unknown. Come alive again." Read More
Jeannette Hermann was a member of the founding group at the Feathered Pipe Ranch, following her curiosity to the Helena after a vision quest and a “chance” meeting in Red Lodge, Montana. Now splitting her time between a boat in Paris and a desert house in Tuscan, Arizona, Jeannette reflects. Read More
Pioneering international yoga teacher Judith Hanson Lasater reflects on the expansion of yoga in America, the unparalleled experience of motherhood and the memories that still make her smile after nearly 45 years of teaching at the Feathered Pipe Ranch. Read More
Our first big workshop was 44 people with Zipporah Dobyns, the astrologer. I went to the old airport to pick people up, and I was late. The Helena airport was so small they used to just put the baggage out on the tarmac and the parking lot was a cow pasture across the road, except for the 8 cars that could park in front of the airport. Read More
Many years ago, I had a black cat named Tuffy Ananda. All our cats continually killed birds, mice, squirrels, and other small animals...Now, many years later, I’m asking myself: are we like Tuffy Ananda? Do our actions flow from an instinct to kill each other, or can we begin to think and act in ways that spread good will, good thoughts and non-fear? Read More