My Story
I’ve been on a spiritual quest for as long as I can remember.
As a teenager, that search took form in the hardcore punk scene. I started the band Youth of Today, which championed clean living, vegetarianism, and self-discipline. By 21, the band had tens of thousands of fans worldwide. Around the same time, I co-founded Revelation Records, signing 20 bands rooted in similar ethics and values. It was exciting—but beneath the success, there was always a calling to upgrade my life; I was losing interest in material pursuits.
That hunger led me into spirituality, metaphysics, and mysticism. I devoured sacred texts, yet the more I read, the deeper the longing became. Eventually, I knew I had to go all in. I left the band, handed the label to my business partner, and followed the call east. In 1988, at age 22, I found myself sleeping on the floor of an ashram in the sacred Indian village of Vrindavan—a decision that would reshape my life.
India in those days was a different world. I went with no credit card. It was pre-internet, pre-cell phones: traditional and sacred. I immersed myself in yoga, sacred literature & ritual, kirtan, mantra meditation, cooking, and a life of radical simplicity. I was blessed with teachers of deep integrity who embodied the essence of spiritual life. In 1991, I received the name Raghunath (formerly Ray Cappo), marking initiation into the Vaishanava lineage and a spiritual rebirth.
I spent the next six and a half years living as a monk, traveling between ashrams and holy places throughout India, the US and Europe, falling deeply in love with its spiritual culture. Years later, my work became about integration—how to bring the depth of those teachings into everyday life. In other words: how to experience the spiritual high without abandoning the world. And yes—it is achievable whether you’re a monk or a householder. It's not easy and I've failed repeatedly—but it works if you work it!
Today, I live very much in the world—as a partner, father of five, and co-founder of Supersoul Farm, a retreat center in upstate New York. Throughout the world I lead yoga teacher trainings, retreats, and workshops, while co-hosting the Wisdom of the Sages, a Bhakti Yoga podcast. Each year, I guide sold-out pilgrimages across India and Nepal, sharing the sacred cities and villages I love, teaching others how to enter these places not as tourists, but as pilgrims.
Since 2016, every January I lead a game-changing training in India with an ever-expanding curriculum with an inspiring team of seasoned teachers. What began as a 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training has grown into a deeply refined, life-changing experience, now joined by a 200-hour training and a dedicated kirtan immersion. Our teachings honor the full culture of yoga—advanced asana and pranayama, sacred texts, kirtan, Ayurveda for teachers, and yoga nidra.
Occasionally, I’m invited to connect with my old bands. When I step on stage, I’m reminded that the intensity and devotion I once expressed through punk is the same spirit I share today—just channeled differently. My prayer is simple: to pass on the life-altering truths of the yoga tradition exactly as they were given to me: with gratitude, integrity, and heart.
