Joel Kramer did post-graduate work in philosophy and psychology and was a resident teacher at Esalen Institute (1968–1970). He is a pioneer and legend of modern American yoga whose evolutionary vision of yoga freed it from its authoritarian roots, re-visioning it for the West.
Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad are co-authors of The Passionate Mind Revisited: Expanding Personal and Social Awareness (2009) as well as of The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power. They have written and taught together since 1974 on evolution, spirituality, relationships, values, awareness, yoga, and social issues.