David-Dorian Ross is an internationally known chi instructor and lecturer on the subject of integrative exercise and bodymind fitness. He is the featured instructor in numerous Gaiam chi programs, including T'ai Chi for Beginners, and is the author of Exercising the Soul: How T'ai Chi Nurtures the BodyMind.>

David-Dorian holds a degree in human movement studies, and is the founder and chief instructor of the Honolulu T'ai Chi Academy, and a certified continuing educator for the American Council on Exercise. For more than 15 years, he has successfully sought to modernize and mainstream the teaching methods used to transmit the ancient BodyMind disciplines to contemporary students, without losing the essence of those arts.

“All of the classical BodyMind exercises have such wonderful benefits to them, since they include an energetic and philosophical element,” David-Dorian says. “But conventional fitness paid so much more attention to safety and quality of instruction. I wanted to find a way to weave those things together. I think it's the next generation of cross training.”

A 20-year practitioner of both hatha yoga and T'ai Chi Ch'uan, David-Dorian has studied yoga in Hawaii with Swami Dass, and at San Francisco's Integral Yoga Institute. His T'ai Chi training includes studying in China with the coach of the women's world T'ai Chi champion, and with Wu Bin, the former head coach of the Chinese National Martial Arts Team. In the U.S., his teachers include Grandmaster Doc-fai Wong and Master Wen Mei Yu. His T'ai Chi Ch'uan performances have earned four U.S. gold medals, as well as two world bronze medals and a world silver medal - the only American ever to be awarded such high honours.

David-Dorian continues to conduct seminars worldwide for both teachers and the general public. He is a past member of the IDEA Mind/Body Fitness committee, and is a regular presenter at conferences and retreats throughout the year.