Short Version…..Long Version is underneath this one-

From an early age William Martino had a drive propelling him far and wide in search of answers. The fascination with, geniuses, great abilities and martial arts masters began early on. Mesmerized by the possibilities of Chi power and mysteries of life he would go into Philadelphia Chinatown by himself at 8 years old. This began his secret world. Meeting with masters of Kung Fu, Yoga and meditation ultimately brought him to an identity crisis many years later. Thinking that fitness was the solution at 15 years old he became the youngest certified fitness instructor in Ft. Lauderdale and worked at Sportrooms Gym. Working with professional athletes at a renown gym began his career as a trainer then working for Bally’s Fitness as a trainer for a few years following the 2 years at Sportrooms. Still the search for ‘the chi’ and mysteries of life continued. This inner angst mounted because results were marginal, but he was sure that there was a way to cause more amazing results in his own and others lives.

After some college in Maine he returned to his birthplace in Philadelphia and founded a school for martial arts with a community watch patrolling the streets of inner city Philadelphia with an outreach center program. Being over his head trying to keep the streets safe and teach meditation and starting to isolate himself and all sorts of personal problems began and kept on. Finally abandoning all hop and becoming seriously lost in life for many years William thought to himself ‘where and who are the real masters of life.  I need more intense training. Evidently, only these extraordinary people can help me to help myself’ 

Starting over and becoming a Zen/martial artist monk under strict discipline and extreme training for 4.5 years.  Then, reading over 1,000 of the best books on the planet hope re dawned.   Next up he became the head of security for a major Transcendental Meditation center in Avon Park Florida founded by the legendary Guru to The Beatles; Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and solved a 40 year problem with people who were abusing the center with high speed chases and getting the police involved by getting all the names and license numbers. Eventually, he was given access to the most advanced, secret teachings. These same techniques were adopted by many celebrities such as Clint Eastwood, Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and so many others. It is a science based approach to advanced meditation with measurable results in biology. At this point some real inner change began to gel and he decided to devote his life never looking back. Personal coherence improved in new ways yet once again he seemed there must be more.   He was on the same stage with The Dalai Lama in front of over 5,000 people and it dawned on him that there is a way to Divine Miraculous intercession for everyone.  He did advanced private instruction and initiation with famed Japanese monk Cealo. Retreats with Garchen Rimpoche, retreats with Thcih Naht Hahn and an internatioally recognized Native American leader doing vision quests alone on the mountiain in the cold without foood for 4 days at a time.  So many other world leaders, William went on to leading Sanskrit for 100’s of people. The trainings and apprenticeships with world leaders is ‘endless.’

*Here’s an interesting fact about William’s abilities not only demonstrated for himself but for people around the world.  Both he and his trained facilitators lead workshops/retreats worldwide.

 He medically changed his eye prescription twice back to 20/20 defying the odds expecially after the Optomotrist told him it was impossible. He created wellness libraries at senior homes for free. He drove out dangerous people from his town where the main community leader said ‘i think you single handedly transmform our town into a safer more wonderful place; thank you.’  E.J.   The events go on and on. Being around him is an experience to say the least.  At this point it was time for another complete life reevaluation.  Both Zen and Yoga seemed dissociative and lacking in practical application to help people’s lives in deep suffering. So, he went back to his roots to learn more about ‘the inner chi’ by becoming the head cook for Master Chen and his core students; Master Chen is the author of ‘The Master Within’ (Which William got published for Master Chen.) Master Chen is a legendary Taoist Priest and Qigong/Kung Fu master who was raised on mount Wudang; the birthplace of real deal ‘Chi Power.’ Master Chen created a sprawling, multi-million dollar training facility where William was an apprentice to his teachings and head cook in the atmosphere of yet another real master in Life.

Since 8 years old the scriptural teaching of inner qigong has been a constant interest. The true ancient teachings of meditation and inner biomagnetism (chi) development for personal healing and enhanced vitality echo in the lives of real masters of every kind. Real Qigong is entirely different and more effective than what the world see’s as Qigong and he was finally seeing the light of truth by sorting through thousands of years old temple scriptures and living with a living legacy. The echo’s of the world were always the same yet he never gave the voice of ordinary people any credence. He would not trade the outer for the inner. Moving on William moved to Crestone, Co. and founded his own retreat center. Crestone was called ‘the spiritual heart of America’ by U.S. news and world report. There are 11 major monasteries and over 30 smaller ones of different traditions live in harmony. The very best masters of all sorts of disciplines and wellness therapies live together in a community of tolerance and strength. People come for help from all over the world to this little known community.

Further initiations were completed with The Dalai Lama in person and with whom the Dalai Lama said is ‘The greatest living meditation master;’ Drubwang Rinpoche. Many full retreats and initiations with Ammachi; winner of The Ghandi/King peace prize given at The U.N. by Jane Goodal and Kofi Annon.Personally training with and more real masters of life were met with in person for many years to come.Next William received his Ohikara initiation with Shumei a large Japanese monastery offering a healing technique and simple/effective way of life. Student of Dennis Marshal, who is a direct lineage holder to Shunru Suzuki author of Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. Shumei has many modern buildings, solar power, organic farming…Etc. as do many of the Tibetan, Zen, Yogic, Taoist other facilities all in one little city. The training’s go on and are too numerous too mention-All those experiences resulted in an understanding of the common themes and clear science of personal healing.“The true path to wellness and success is already within people and needs a process to be elicited through personalized attention.”

‘The Flow’ method was created combining all the best techniques to bring real help to individuals of every sort of background. Everything is user friendly, demystified and combined into one power packed, simplified program. Soon, hospitals, sports teams, schools and individuals of every type of background were coming for this training.The legacy continues today.It is based on the needs of the individual with results measured by the latest biofeedback equipment. There is no religious ‘fluff’ necessary. The benefits are immediate and measured in real time.
William’s professional contributions include: Being a top wellness consultant to many organizations around the world including Hospitals, Olympic sports affiliates and numerous schools and individuals. He is featured in a international documentary series with the world’s top wellness experts. Will was also a head coach for a mixed martial arts fighter who went from no fights to fighting for a title in just 4 fights with no gym and no team. Currently William is a registered student having earned 4 stripes in The Gracie Jiu Jitsu Combatives program with the legendary Gracie JuiJitsu family.Royce Gracie, the brother of Rorion won the no holds bar fighting in UFC 1 and 2 and transformed the entire world of martial arts and military hand-to-hand combat methodology. He is still a registered student training today.William delivers presentations characterized by humor, whit. An experience with him may be life changing.

William’s life story is amazing to say the least and is being made into a full movie production. The Flow team is made up of the most unique and effective individuals all trained to help people help themselves.
It is a breakthrough for how people look at trauma resulution, behavioral change, self healing and enlightenment.

Full Biography Long version

Part One

Descendance

Two friends drift through nature, embodying a pair of peripatetic philosophers. Mia, in contrast to a spiritual inclination, leans toward the intellectual and maintains a rather cynical outlook on most facets of life. On the surface, our compatibility might seem unlikely, but a unique bond binds us — a mutual respect that transcends our differences. We are teacher and student.

During our walk, Mia unexpectedly turns to me and remarks, “You are the modern Chiron,” invoking the resonance of Greek mythology. She delves into the myth of Chiron, painting a vivid picture of the wise centaur known for his healing abilities and wisdom. In that moment, I grasp the depth of her perception, recognizing the layers of symbolism in the comparison, and our connection takes on a new, profound dimension.

Chiron was born to the Titan Cronus and the sea nymph Philyra. However, his birth was not a conventional one. When Philyra was startled by the sudden presence of Cronus, who had taken on the form of a horse, she transformed into a mare to escape him. This transformation resulted in the birth of a child with a human upper body and a horse’s lower body—Chiron, the centaur.

Unlike other centaurs who were often depicted as wild and unruly, Chiron was different. He was intelligent, gentle, and known for his profound wisdom. Rejecting the typical brutish behavior of his centaur kin, Chiron focused on intellectual pursuits and the healing arts, becoming a renowned teacher and mentor.

Chiron’s destiny took a tragic turn when he was accidentally wounded by a poisoned arrow. The arrow, tainted with the blood of the Hydra, was shot by Heracles (Hercules) during a battle with other centaurs. The poison from the arrow caused immense suffering for Chiron, who, despite his knowledge of medicine, could not heal himself.

Enduring excruciating pain, Chiron willingly relinquished his immortality. He traded his life for the release of Prometheus, another Titan, who was enduring eternal punishment for stealing fire and giving it to humanity. Chiron’s act of self-sacrifice allowed Prometheus to go free while Chiron descended into the Underworld.

His story is marked by a sense of tragedy and sacrifice, portraying a figure whose immense wisdom and kindness transcended the limitations of his mythical existence. His legacy lives on as a symbol of selflessness, wisdom, and the enduring power of mentorship.

Mia is well acquainted with my life story, and she selected the myth not only to highlight my effectiveness as a teacher and healer but also as someone who has grappled with the polarities and contradictions in the trajectory of circumstances, environment, and psychological makeup.

Having and not having, arise together, difficult and easy complement each other. High and low rest upon each other, writes Laozi in the Taoist text Tao Te Ching, regarding contradictions. It gives me comfort and is part of my healing teachings to others.

“For the umpteenth time, why don’t you write your story down?” she suggested.

At some point, I began to entertain the idea, viewing it as a means of forging deeper connections with my students, sparking conversations, or even debates. There’s nothing conventional, easy, or universally acceptable about my life, and I don’t conceal anything. The message I aim to convey is that even when everything seems lost, a sudden turn or rebirth can occur. It took me years of cultivation and disasters but I reached the level of completeness that I needed to reach. From my good few acres of land in Crestone, Colorado, I walk side by side with my wife look at the blue sky behind the tall mountains and breathe calm happiness.

All of my relatives strongly embody the Italian American stereotype. My maternal grandmother immigrated to America at the age of 15, where she met my grandfather. Despite arriving with no money, they were honest, hard working people who pursued education. My father worked in the golf industry and established a golf driving range. Growing up, I experienced the typical lifestyle of an Italian American suburbanite from a well-off background. My father pursued law school while my mother, a college graduate, opted to own and manage a dress shop. Both hail from the middle-class neighborhoods of Philadelphia, particularly South and West Philadelphia, where the Italian presence is notable.

I was born in South Philadelphia but consciousness first dawned on me in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As a child, I vividly recall being surrounded by wealth and abundance that seemed to be the norm, until I realized it wasn’t. I can’t pinpoint exactly when I became aware that I was one of the privileged few while my classmates did not share the same lifestyle, but it dawned on me gradually.

I have fond memories of being deeply attached to my mother, my favourite parent, playing with my sister and brother, and awaiting my father’s return home when his business for the day was concluded. School felt like a heavy burden, each day a struggle to endure, often leading me to doze off in class. As a student, I consistently slacked off and remained indifferent to the extent possible.

I don’t have any wondrous recollections of childhood friends from that time apart from a few fleeting alliances and friendships that were thin and vague and temporary alliances and friendships. I wasn’t blending well in the social soup. On the other hand, I have vivid memories of instances of bullying. I also didn’t blend well within my family. Although my parents were both well educated, a success story of the American Dream, we were fundamentally a typical Italian American family, with a lot of machismo, shouting and unfiltered words.

I was trapped in childhood, in the weakness of my small body and all the things that my mind and soul could not come to ease with. Simply I felt a stranger among my family as well as the world. Something fundamental was missing and I could feel the gap but didn’t know what it was.

However, I can remember some wonderful moments. There were those delightful family outings on our boat named Tornado. I adored observing the serene water parting, the waves, and the turbulence Tornado generated as we sped onward. I cherished the salty scent, the warmth of the sun, and the relaxed expression on my mother’s face.

As for the time I was spending alone with my father it was constantly the same. During the summers, we would frequent this exclusive golf club, where only men were allowed. My father spent six days a week there, engaging golfing, playing cards, and backgammon, while delegating the management of his businesses to others. One of his closest childhood friends from South Philadelphia, the same area as the original Rocky movie, was Joe Vito. Joe became the world’s largest online bookie before it was legalized. My brother worked for him before the online aspect, and they kept water buckets by their desks in case of a raid; all the bets, written on rice paper, would go into the water.

Despite my father’s military service as an army captain and subsequent attendance at law school, he didn’t come from an educated. My sister, on the other hand, holds two PhDs and is one of the world’s leading authorities on Autism.  My wife also holds a fully scholarshipped Ph.D.

Both Joe and my father, lacking affluent backgrounds, began by carrying golf bags for the wealthy at golf clubs. Over the years, they saved diligently and built substantial businesses.

On the golf course, I would often daydream and soak in the tranquil, well-kept beauty surrounding me keeping to myself or socialize with the shoe shine personnel, wait staff, and caddies.

The significant transformative moment occurred when I was eight years old. It felt like I was being whisked away to another dimension as I watched our TV set. That’s when I discovered Kwai Chang Caine.

In the late 19th century China, Kwai Chang Caine was the son of an American man and a Chinese woman who found himself orphaned. Raised in a Shaolin Monastery in Hunan Province, he underwent rigorous training by the monks to become a Shaolin master. The series follows Caine’s adventures as he ventures into the American Old West, armed solely with his martial arts prowess, in search of his half-brother, Danny Caine.

Though Caine intended to locate his brother discreetly, his training as a priest and his ingrained sense of social responsibility compelled him to repeatedly step forward and fight for justice. Despite his desire for anonymity and security, he found himself drawn into confrontations that demanded his intervention.

In Shaolin tradition, monks typically reside in temples for their entire lives. Upon reaching mastery and leaving the temple, they are known as priests. While real-world Shaolin practitioners often shave their heads and some choose celibacy, Caine deviated from these norms by keeping his hair long and occasionally engaging in intimate relationships with women throughout the series.

It felt home. The esoteric teachings, the spiritual foundations of martial arts moved me to my core. Although everything sounded abstract and complex I recognised them as my future development.

That moment served as the springboard for the next chapter of my life. As a skinny little kid, I began sneaking off to Philadelphia’s Chinatown on my own at the age of eight. This marked the beginning of my secret world and ignited a lifelong fascination, along with a profound sense of belonging, with masters of Kung Fu, Yoga, and meditation. It was in that underground gym where I pushed myself harder than ever before, striving to find my way out of childhood.

The years went by and I reached my teens. School, this kind of organised education was an everyday torture and I was doing great for maintaining my total indifference but somehow avoiding expulsion or bombing my exams. At home, I adhered to the respectful and well-spoken demeanor instilled in me within the Italian framework. My room became my sanctuary, guarding the various secrets I held within. Thanks to my dedication to building my physique, I appeared older than my years, which kept bullies at bay. Accompanying my dad to the golf club, I took on the task of parking cars and occasionally indulged in joyrides in Ferraris, Mercedes, and Rolls Royces—all at the age of 13, without anyone’s knowledge.

At the age of 14, I once ‘borrowed’ my father’s spare sports car and drove it to the football field. However, my actions resulted in me being dismissed from the team after I jokingly inquired about the coach’s age on his birthday while playfully pinching his cheeks. Only afterwards I realized that perhaps I was being inappropriate and asked myself whether I was acting as a stereotypical spoilt rich kid. As I sat in the Corvette, a wave of regret washed over me as I realized that my inappropriate behavior was starting to put my life at risk.

It wasn’t just the behavior; the behavior was merely a symptom. The underlying issue I could feel was that my association with drugs was likely to ruin my life.

It was cocaine. I had already begun selling cocaine to my peers and was also using it myself. My family had no suspicion, thanks to my four-hour rule: never returning home until four hours had passed after smoking. I can honestly say I felt incredibly lonely. Despite the constant flow of people in and out of my daily life—countless interactions in which I participated—I lacked genuine relationships. My inner life remained untouched, unloved, an isolated island. And the chasm was getting greater.

That’s when my family relocated from Pennsylvania to Florida, and I made the switch from public school to a private Catholic school. I spent most of my time either alone in the basement boxing gym or engaging in fights with bets against other kids. Years of punching the bag and studying martial arts had sculpted my physique into something intimidating. By then, I had earned a reputation as a fierce and effective fighter, becoming the youngest instructor at just fourteen years old, all while participating in bodybuilding contests. I worked at sports rooms using a fake ID, passing as a 19-year-old fitness instructor.

That’s what I thought is the way of survival. You have to become angrier and more egotistical, that’s what makes men. False bravado was all I was channelling.

At fifteen, I started dealing cocaine. Soon enough, I spiralled into heavy addiction. I couldn’t sell it anymore because I needed it for myself, resorting to theft to afford it. Somehow, I managed to stay in school, not that I was doing well. I had a girlfriend who was a senior, part of the popular in crowd that frequented bars and used fake IDs. Among them, I was known as the “cocaine guy,” lost in a world where I couldn’t communicate how messed up I truly was.

Despite putting on a facade of smiles at parties, I don’t think I was well-liked or accepted by those around me. The cocaine use was rampant in this social circle and I would consume hundreds of dollars worth of it in my room, trying to time it so I could appear somewhat coherent when facing my parents.

Once, in a paranoid episode, I thought that somebody had broken into our home and I ran out into the night with a butter knife, chasing an imaginary figure down the street. It was my only experience of such an episode. Mom and Dad ran after me and took my pulse. Those days there wasn’t much knowledge and information to identify something like this as a result of drug use. So they brushed it off.

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Chiron, the wounded healer, exists as a mythic emblem saturated with layers of metaphor. With a form that melds the equine and human, he embodies the profound duality inherent in existence itself. In his hybrid nature, we encounter the embodiment of the lower self, fraught with vices, weaknesses, and transgressions, alongside the manifestation of the higher self, characterized by spiritual enlightenment, tenderness, and wisdom. Each aspect of Chiron’s being serves as a poignant reflection of the complexities woven into the fabric of human experience, inviting contemplation of the intricate interplay between light and shadow within the human soul.

I was finally out of childhood and my teenage self. I gained the autonomy and freedom I longed for and left everything behind to start my very own story. Yet, the narrative that unfolded seemed to be plucked from the gloomy pages of an Edgar Allan Poe story or the harrowing lithographs of Goya.

I have no desire for concealment despite the sadness and shame revisiting that old life of mine; a life of helpless addiction with all its horrific consequences. Much akin to the manner in which I implore my students to unfurl the layers of their innermost selves, delving into the depths of their suppressed emotions to foster healing, I also yearn to follow suit. It is my strongest wish to extend the gift of honesty, not only for my own liberation but also to illuminate the path of authenticity for those under my tutelage.

When my drug use became out of control and whatever money I could earn I was blowing them in cocaine I resorted into stealing.

The psychiatric institutions were a necessity for me and a sanctuary. I was broke, hungry with nowhere to live so I would just turn up and submit myself in order to save myself from jail and the street and get any help I could get. And of course it was a legitimate concern because anyone with such a habit has a psychological or psychiatric issue.

I committed some serious crimes. Once, I held up a convenience store with a fake gun (my finger). I did the same to take someones car who picked my up hitichiking (What an ass.  Lord, please forgive me. Other times, I forged about ten-thousand-dollars of checks to post offices and sold the stamps. I stole gold from a couple of jewellery stores by pretending to be interested in purchasing items. The Asian owners held me at gun point and beat me up. I reported the incident to the police, who released me without pressing charges against them.

I was in 21 different jails over the US and in  a few places in Canada. There were not as terrible places as the ones reserved for violent people, but don’t get me wrong they were dark enough. It was during transportation that I visited dreadful prisons like a Pennsylvania State Penitentiary and Oklahoma, which boasts one of the largest Federal correctional in Del Reno. They have left indelible impressions on me. I recall a time in Delaware County when I found myself sharing a cell with five other inmates.  White people were a significant minority.  When one of them threatened to attack me when the gates open I sat in the corner sharpening pencils like a madman for hours. When we went outside I moved straight up at him and saw the fear in his eyes. I developed the skill of appearing intense or just crazy to discourage potential violence.

And I was the same person who never stopped meditating, delving into the mysteries of Eastern philosophies, asking for forgiveness and seeking spiritual enlightenment and in one of those prison times created the first library it ever had with thousands of books I got donated.

There are fragments of horror or even warmth in all those places of incarceration.

I remember John, one of my cellmates. He was a beautiful guy who always managed to be involved in fights although he couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag.  I remember that one time when we were in line for the showers and a skinny guy cuts in front of John with a comment about his privates. John punched him in the face and he went down. I just caught him before his head hit the concrete. John got angry and came at me but I had this signature move of hitting one person’s eyes without hurting them. I stopped the fight and I sensed that he respected me for this.

I recall the prison in Pennsylvania as being relatively decent—a place with good rehabilitation programs and where overall health was prioritized. However, upon my return after several years, everything had changed. The institution was now under the control of a warden with an extensive history in various penitentiaries across the country, nearing retirement. Under his leadership, the atmosphere had shifted to one of palpable fear. Young inmates roamed the halls in restraints around the clock, and a sense of unease hung in the air.

The new guards and the warden really disliked for me. There was a barrage of disciplinary write-ups I received for minor infractions, such as attending church without permission. Accumulating enough of these minor offenses changes the category you are in so that would send me to the real bad place.Top of Form

I recall in a maximum security prison where there was a guy who had to wear a strainer in his face like Hannibal Lector, because at court he would bite people; I was locked down in a 8×6 cell with him and the youngest Sherriff ever in Pa.’s history who had just killed his wife.  I was in a 6×8 cell with both of them for 23 hrs a day. I was on this Maximum security wing and in this cell illegally because the Wardon had it out for me.   There were lines of people waiting outside my cell to come in an meditate and learn about how we could live better lives.  In this same place I was the laundryman and a new giant size guy was screaming at me because I forgot his laundry. I got up to him and and just lost it on him in front of everybody scaring him into submission.. That same night he killed himself. I was horrified and devastated in the sense that I could have possibly played a part in his death.

During moments of despair, I would punch the walls, until the blood was streaming down the floor. My aim was to present an intimidating and erratic facade, hoping to dissuade others from attacking me.

From 1989 to 1998 my life was a whirlwind of incarceration, homelessness, rehabilitation centers, and psychiatric institutions. Amidst it all, I found myself on the run. But when the chaos finally subsided and a chauffeured limousine awaited me outside the prison, I knew I had reached a point of strength, advantage. With a family fortune worth millions and connections to high-ranking officials, including my sister, a federal lawyer, and my father’s Mafia-linked friend who had the ear of two senators, I was shielded from the clutches of the law.

My parents did all they could to get me out of trouble. They spent probably more than 1000,000 thousand of dollars to smoothen my edges out with this program and that- They would hire the best lawyer in the state I was happening to be in each time. When my sister came to battle for me the first time the judge told her that maybe we should forget that the carjacking ever happened. But what could you do with someone like me? How could you deal with an addict in your life?  I am so terribly sorry for the trouble I’ve caused!

I found myself grappling with the harsh reality of my own mortality. But in the end, it was not fear that defined me, but rather the unwavering determination to rise above the ashes of my past and forge a new path forward.

A big part of me was moulded by the hardship and adversities that my weakness was responsible for. And despite the fact that the road ahead was fraught with uncertainty, I walked it with head held high, knowing that with each step forward, I would be one step closer to redemption.

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Part Two

Ascendance

I committed my last theft in 1998 and I managed to avoid jail by being on the run for ten years. I drifted endlessly trying to find shelter and some hint of stability, a respite for a while, until the next wandering to the unknown.

One of the places I stumbled upon was The University of Science and Philosopohy.   I remember standing outside the building in the pouring rain for what felt like hours.  Having not eaten for days completely drenched and feeling drained, all while hoping for some stroke of luck. That’s when she emerged – a woman with eyes that seemed to hold galaxies of brilliance, walking a pack of small dogs. She was the widow and collaborator of the recently departed renowned professor; Walter Russell.

She approached me and offered shelter, on the condition that I tended to the three-tiered garden on campus. The department soon became my home and workplace for the next six months.  One day she told me “Rarely a person comes onto this earth destined to change the world. I believe you are one of them..”  Lao Russell

Another time, at Harvard I used on the blackboards of lecture halls (Before the movie good Will hunting came out.)  It was my silent token of love for the environment I found myself in. I have had countless conversations with the professors there-

For a while, I ended up sleeping behind the copier machine at Florida State University library.  When everyone left for the day I would read for hours, or come out of my corner and watch Einstein documentaries. I believe that which leads people to greatness in the arts and sciences is flight from everyday life with its painful harshness and wretched dreariness. I needed intellect and knowledge and apophthegms of wisdom to be fed with some courage and strength.

I became stronger smarter continuously but nobody knew.  Certainly not my family.  I do not blame them.  How can you understand or trust someone with my background.  Still when people ask me today (I help people from every walk of life all over the world.)

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How shall I explain the quality of an enlightened person when people ask me?

I let the 15^th verse of Tao Te Ching  say it –

The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.

Their wisdom was unfathomable.

There is no way to describe it.

One can only describe them vaguely

by their appearance.

They were careful

as someone crossing a frozen stream in winter.

Alert as a warrior in enemy territory.

Courteous as a guest.

Yielding as melting ice.

Shape able as a block of uncarved wood.

Receptive as a valley.

Amorphous as muddied water.

‘How was it possible a person like you having studied all his life with some of the greatest masters, who devoted his life to the search of enlightenment not to be protected from addiction?’ I was asked by a friend recently.

‘Ha! Well, the despair has a process. The first step is that you go out of the conflict. When you go out of conflict into the intellect, into the mystery, into words, you transcend and you’re so relieved. You think, oh god I’m going to write books and make art and whatever else my soul can master, I don’t want this conflict. Up and out of conflict it is for a spiritual person.

     The initial impulse of the caveman is to look at the stars and feel awe, maybe there is something up there because you want to have perspective, you want to make sense of suffering, confusion, etcetera. The reason my mind didn’t protect me from cocaine was that I didn’t accept the reality of suffering. I thought I’m going to make mistakes and if you don’t accept this about me it’s not my problem. Now, if you are loved and protected you want to go by the rules and no lie, no steal, no going into transgressions. I knew that I needed something more which I couldn’t define so I went into lalaland of transgression.

 I didn’t let it protect me. The lesson is about relativity. I couldn’t understand the world of school, classmates, family I was feeling cut off from their reality and I wanted to ease the suffering…’

‘So, you felt underloved then,’ he asked.

Absolutely, always. I know that people care for me within their capacity but I don’t even know what is to be loved. I don’t think that people are strong enought to love me anyway.  Maybe that’s my own confused.  I’m still so hurt emotionally. But, isent everyone? 

 I’m too undefined. My experience of love is the kindness I receive from people who praise me warmly and want to be around me and want to be taught by me.

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The Heart Sutra 

                                This is chanted everyday in Zen monasteries

                             (Translation from the original by William Martino)

     A very enlightened man once said to a student of The Way.  The body does not really have substance; even though it appears as substance. The body is mostly empty space.  Science tells us that all matter is empty space.  The body is exactly spacious.  The same is true for our feelings, consciousness, thoughts and sensations.  Everything is spacious and not polarized as we once perceived in ignorance.

     In true spacious perception the nose, ears and eyes all comfortably abide in spacious timelessness.  Everything is more spacious than polarized.  People places and things only appear polarized; perceiving more deeply we discover the inherent spaciousness.  Every scent, sight, sound and touch is all much more spacious then ‘solid’ or ‘polarized’.

    In this spacious timelessness there cannot be a defined separate perception; something existing independent of something else.  Here there is no disease nor death, no non death, no suffering, no non suffering, no path nor wisdom.  Being only, contented.  Allowing time to pass.  The only success in life is enjoying the passage of time.

     Simply, enlightened people are beyond myopic duality.  These people are in direct connection with the Big Picture.  The truth existing behind the scenes of environment.  This truth itself is beyond commentary once the individual experiences ‘Spacious Timelessness’.

    Living here the enlightened ones have no fear and experience profound insight into all matters.

This is the greatest truth in life because from it is birthed all.

Repeating these words granting ‘Spacious Timelessness’ is the source way to become entrusted with enlightenments power.  Through it please transmute the suffering being felt.

Gone, gone, gone over above it all, completely transcended throughout.  Suspended animation occurring.  Time passing without my notice.  

Awakened

And So It Is

When I felt ready I embarked for the inevitable. I went where it felt natural to be in order to enhance my spiritual and psychic cultivation. I became an ordained Zen and spent the next four and a half years reading rare texts, meditating, writing and leading a life of intense discipline and structure according to the teachings of The Buddha. One of the most lasting impressions of that time was meeting a Chinese monk who was brought up in order to be a spiritual authority. When he was twenty years old he retreated to a cave for an ascetic life that lasted for three years. There with the absolutely minimum of nourishment, in freezing temperatures, cut off from the world in silence. I was in awe of the level of his spiritual strength and his healing powers. I yearned to attain the same degree of magic and mystery and understanding in healing as him. One of the most important things is to attain modesty. You’re not special. No matter how wonderful you are don’t fall in the trap of your own uniqueness. You always have the enlightened ones that you must listen to. Only the humility will help you to develop.

The monastic life suited my soul and mind well until I felt suitably prepared to return to the world.

It was a pivotal chapter of my life when I met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi also known as the legendary Guru to the Beatles. I became the head of security for one of his major Transcendental Meditation centers in Avon Park Florida. Eventually I was given access to the most advanced, secret teachings. These same techniques were adopted by celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and so many others.  It is a science-based approach to advanced meditation with measurable results in biology. When he sensed my uncertainty and yearning to advance my knowledge he whispered in my ear ‘It’s easy’. My own healing started at this magical moment.

 I solved one of the longest problems. Mobs of conservative people who were averse to the concept of a meditation retreat center near them.  People would come to town and harass participants with scare tactics or physical aggression. One of them threw something at my face. I chased them down on a high speed, got their licence numbers and had the police involved. After a stake-out they finally got a few of them and the others got discouraged to return.  It was a twenty year old problem that was solved.

After I left Maharishi I came to Boulder, Colorado and that was my rebirth. The addiction, my lifelong disease had ended as I was healing others. 

But let me digress…

By then I had met and helped by the light and brilliance of some of the most important masters.

Initiations were completed with The Dalai Lama in person, with Drubwang Rinpoche, the11th throne holder of the Palyul Lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and many full retreats and initiations with Ammachi, winner of the Ghandi/King peace prize given at The U.N. by Jane Goodal and Kofi Annon.   I’m preparing to go to another retreat with her in a few weeks from now.  She is literally amazing.

I had personal training with Thich Naht Hahn a Vietnamese monk, peace activist and poet and advanced private instruction with famed Japanese monk Cealo. 

After years of Zen and Yoga study I felt the need to return to my roots to learn more about ‘the inner chi’ by becoming the head cook for Master Chen and his core students; Master Chen is a legendary Taoist Priest and Qigong/Kung Fu master who was raised on mount Wudang; the birthplace of real deal ‘Chi Power. He created a sprawling, multi million dollar training facility where I was in the atmosphere of another kind of real master. 

All those experiences resulted in an understanding of the common themes and clear science of personal healing. 

The true path to wellness and success is already within people and needs a process to be elicited through personalized attention.

Let me digress a bit more…

While I was taught by those brilliant minds I was accumulating knowledge that I was sharing with others. I started teaching. And somehow the wonder started at some point of time; people started getting healed from serious ailments.

My healing is guidance towards advanced meditation. I will guide you deep into your depths to release the flow of your undiscovered power and teach you what to do with that power, how to use it. How to depart from resentment and depression.

There are some examples.

One day a lady named Linda signed up for my seven session class. She was in her last weeks of stage four cancer. Something miraculous happened from day one. She began gaining weight and the cancer was gone in about three weeks. This resulted in me being invited to the hospital to speak with the M.D. Arriving there and talking with her primary care physician I found him to be placating. Linda literally screamed ‘You listen to him.’ I ended up doing a series of workshops for that hospital and they awarded me a ‘lifetime outstanding service reward’. You can see the head nurse and hospital on my website under reviews. 

Another time…

I was teaching the official trainers of The Olympic Ski team at Body Dynamics health club in Boulder Co. They hired me to learn about the inner teachings of Qi-Gong. The class was open to the general public as well. This lady came in one day banging her cane down, hands and arms severely twisted up and legs not walking hardly at all. I was giving her a lot of time and energy in each class. How to stand and connect with environment etc. The lead trainer said we have been getting complaints that you are spending too much time with Joanne. I made an announcement. If anyone doesn’t know this is my class you can leave. Seventy percent of the class indeed walked out. I continued to work closely with Joanne. In a few weeks her limbs literally straightened out and she ran in one circle around the room, then the other direction. I saw her years later still walking fine without a cane and no twisted arms/hands. 

I helped one of the top physicians in the world with his back problems. They built an extra wing on their house and I taught the whole family for years.   We eventually parted ways but few years later when his wife was very sick with Lyme disease he flew me over to help her. After a few days she was getting better, gaining weight and start an active life again.  We went to the hospital and she tested negative.  She completely recovered in weeks after being in danger of death.

Another case was a lady suffering with seizures and the MRI’s showed damage to her brain increased.  This was getting worse and worse for a year or so. After a few weeks taking my class the seizures stopped and she regained control of her life her brain healed.  There are so many of these miraculous healing stories but I’m reluctant to share them all- 

its wonderful that somehow these happened.  All I can do is point the way.  Its up to the person to face themselves.

All the centres of your body have names such as gut, heart backbone (mystical perceptions, psychic abilities) these are all physical locations but also places of emotional content. Emotional strength exist in these places and you can gain magnetic energy in there. And all depends on the transmissions of the teacher.

At the same time my own soul, body and mind were repairing.

As extraordinary and hard to believe, it is an irrefutable scientific fact that there are cases of virtually every terminal or debilitating disease going into spontaneous remission.  

  It’s not about knowing, knowing is absurd. We don’t know anything. It’s about receptivity. I teach people to become transparent and tell the truth about certain things. And then automatically you get healed. And the other way is using energy with my mind towards you to heal you.

But talking about method is redundant. I use my mental, emotional, esoteric strength to remove the layers and drop the defence mechanisms. Not like an onion, but like slowly removing the gauzes and the bandages around your wound, in order to see your wound and communicate with it. Face to face with it. Deep trance, deep meditation is the key, the most profound healing for the mind and body.

When I say breathe deep and calm, this is clearly a distraction. All words are distractions. I want you to concentrate for a second, to show you how to pay attention.

But let me pick the thread again…

So I started a new life in Boulder, Colorado and I felt I was reborn. Apart from teaching, my first book, The Masters of Meditation was published in 2002. I did a large book signing in a packed room. Dragon Thunder followed in 2005. To this day I have published fourteen books.

I live in Crestone now.

Crestone has gained international recognition as a hub for a diverse array of religious and spiritual practices. Catering to spiritual pilgrims and eco-tourists has emerged as the primary industry in Crestone. The town’s evolution into a spiritual and intellectual hub was sparked by Maurice Strong, a wealthy businessman and former United Nations Undersecretary, along with his wife, Hanne Marstrand Strong.

Utilizing land obtained through Strong’s corporate ventures, they established the Manitou Foundation and Manitou Institute. As stated on its website, the institute “offers grants and financial support to qualified religious and spiritual initiatives in Crestone/Baca, Colorado.” The foundation allocated land in the region to numerous spiritual and intellectual centers.

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I created the community watch here. I led the 4th of July for three years with the biggest and best events the town ever saw.  

I don’t believe in violence at all but I am considered to be a feisty and fierce martial arts master. I have being in operations to oust vicious criminals from the town. Situations like hiding in the bushes to track down a murderer or working closely with the police to catch a molester.

Talking about the martial arts and fighters…

A real fighter is a protector. Someone who steps in to protect a child or someone weaker in distress. I don’t believe in violence at all, it goes against my core beliefs but I believe in the strength to protect. I’m like a human stun gun. Using my energy.

Some of the community pillars said to me recently you know, I think you single handedly transformed our town.  I took it upon myself to drive them out of town.  Luckily, I survived that phase and now am leaving it to competent people who run the community watch now. 

For twenty years I have been the official Colorado tourism/and town government ‘go to guy’ to tour people through the various monasteries of virtually every faith. 

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 I haven’t had an ordinary life. I went straight finally into to the pure devotional life. I was the problem child and later the problem adult child  that my parents helped dutifully in some of his darker times.   

The way I’m wired and the intensity of life I lived makes it hard for me to connect with people in light hearted conversations and activities. I’m learning to become friends with my students only recently. And it’s my firm belief that nobody who wouldn’t think outside the box would come near me.

My life wasn’t designed for much love, really. Pretty much hide in a room, take cocaine, meditate, think, find something to steal, and do it again. I had a few girlfriends over the years and I viewed them as different aspects of god, wondrous representations of the divine full of goodness and grace. I haven’t cried for twenty years now, but in my earlier years I have cried like a baby, so many times, on so many women’s shoulders. The most recent beautiful memory was when I first came to Boulder. She was a new age girl and I was on the run from the law. These new age people, her group, were the only people who would accept me then. I was so broken and they really gave me the chance to be nursed and protected.

Much later I was part of a documentary series called Quantum Qi. It details the teachings of people who are considered the world’s best Qi-gong teachers and the inner teachings of kung fu. Lina, had just completed her phD. We talked and talked and got to know each other. She told me that she never heard her parents argue once. In my experience, from early childhood to now, there has never been a gathering without shouting and cursing and feistiness. And then I would watch her getting on the phone with her Mexican parents and they laugh for two to three hours. All this warmth and closeness was strange, an alien concept, it didn’t make sense at all to me. So we had this fundamental difference in our experience with family that I found so moving and so wonderful.

She is a person with extraordinary intelligence and mythical, angelic beauty. She loves solitude as much as I do and she is a very sensitive person. I tried to guide her towards healing. I told her enjoy your breath, calm down, relax, back off from life, life is going to do its thing, you get a rest. Find your way to timelessness and spacelessness.

We came closer, we got happy together and then we got married.  

We live in a simple, deep and meaningful togetherness. An orange cat is added to the mix. We talk a lot, pray and meditate together and seep in the beauty around us.

My life is full of love these days.

People travel from other states to come to me asking for help. In a small town like this they don’t have much trouble find my house. They ask for help and I’m full of tenderness for their wound.

The path to personal healing is born according to what works for the individual.  Each person requires a full spectrum approach and expert guidance. 

No masks and disguises and defence mechanisms. Merge together.

My friend Mia looks at me with a bright smile and big eyes.

‘Hey you, Prince of Light!’

I laugh and wave her goodbye.

 Reader, thank you warmly for your time to read this account.

William Martino and ‘The Flow’ program is virtually unparalleled in the wellness industry and endorsed by people with all sorts of backgrounds. William’s life story is amazing to say the least and ‘the rejuvenation team’ is made up of the most unique and effective individuals all trained to help people help themselves. ‘The Rejuvenation’ is the future of wellness, self healing and self actualization methodology available now.