NOTE FROM TED: TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/t...

Raghunath (aka Ray Cappo) was an outspoken thought leader, and screaming punk/hardcore singer of a band in his teens growing up in New York City's lower east side. His message ironically, was not of chaos, but of peace of mind through sense control, clean living and positive mental attitudes. His teachings went on to influence tens of thousands of followers as his band toured the world. Leaving it all behind and heading to India as a monk at 22, he started a 6.5 year internal study to his personal growth. 30 plus years and 5 kids later here are some simple takeaways he still uses to find personal joy in a ever changing world. Valuable stuff learned and lived by the monks. Raghunath born Ray Cappo was a Lower East Side hardcore-punk singer-songwriter icon, touring the globe in his teens. In a decadent music scene infested with hard drugs, negativity and intoxication he was an anomaly and a light propounding clean living, positive attitude and vegetarian lifestyle, inspiring tens of thousands of fans internationally. Since his youth he was fascinated with Eastern thought and took his inspiration from Emerson, Gandhi, & Thoreau.

His interest in yoga and self-transformation started in New York City in the late ’80s. The pettiness of the music business and the untimely death of his father led him to India on a spiritual quest in 1988. Now, 25 years later, he's an accomplished yogi in many styles, a storyteller, and a sought-after international spiritual and transformational coach. He is considered a teacher's teacher, as he leads retreats, workshops and yoga teacher training around the world and maintaining a retreat centre in upstate New York. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx