It all started with a brilliant teacher. I was about 12 years old (1973) when he encouraged the class to do a project of our choosing. This was a revolutionary concept in Spain back then. I chose Tibet. Later, with a friend, we embarked on extensive research into paranormal effects, UFOs, and more. We created a group in a small rented office: I.P.U. (Investigation into Parapsychology and Ufology).
We visited haunted houses, interviewed real witches, conducted past-life regressions, and explored hundreds of other things, like Tarot, Ouija boards, Astrology, palm reading, hatha yoga, and graphology. From there, we delved into yoga, Lobsang Rampa, the Rosicrucians—whatever we could find.
We also visited the first Hare Krishna temple in Spain. It was still the Franco era, so that was about the strangest thing you could do. Then came the drug era. Drug use was rampant, and I fell into that trap. Spain in the late '70s was like a giant drug dealer's shop everywhere you looked.
At 18, I decided not to be a regular worker, and drawn to the idea of being a monk, I joined the Hare Krishnas and lived in a temple for eight years. Those were very happy years, I must say, traveling around Spain with like-minded friends, selling books, and possessing nothing but a toothbrush.
Then I got married (Hindu-style, of course) and opened a Krishna center in the Canary Islands, which was quite successful. My wife left me after six years. We wanted to have kids, but that didn’t work out, and she asked to go her own way. After a year, I met my late wife, with whom I had two children. She tragically passed away from cancer at a young age—just 29. We’d moved to Australia for our kids' schooling, and she passed away there.
After four years, I returned to Spain, homeschooled my kids, and started publishing books. I self-published a small cookbook in 2010 that sold 130,000 copies in under two years in a rather peculiar way.
In 2004, I launched my first online venture, setting up an academy with hundreds of participants. It was a preliminary course on Vaishnava philosophy and lifestyle, the same course I took in 1981 to become a monk.
I never quite got along with the bigwigs of Hare Krishna in Spain due to my blunt nature. After the founder passed away, politics took control, and what was once a vibrant community of pure-hearted and committed people turned into a poorly organized religion. So, I founded Bhakti Yoga Centers, a non-profit organization (www.bhaktiyoga.es).
Under this umbrella, I've published around 29 books, primarily translations or reprints of my spiritual teacher Srila Prabhupada. I've also authored some of my own, like “Productivity for Lazies” and “Arsa Prayoga,” a study on the posthumous changes made to my spiritual teacher’s books and teachings.
For the last 30 years, I’ve sold books and conducted various activities to promote Vedic culture and philosophy. However, as I've aged, it’s been harder to maintain the same energy level. The pandemic made things even more challenging; conferences, book sales, and in-person meetings were no longer viable options. I also wanted to study Vedic knowledge more systematically rather than just reading it as I had for the past forty years.
The normalization of credit card use, fear of in-person meetings, and travel restrictions made my work difficult, and I had no income. I ended up living in a van for a while. Fortunately, I received some government assistance, which allowed me to start over.
Amid these trials, the inner happiness cultivated through my spiritual quest became my source of strength. The higher taste gained through the practice of a genuine and effective spiritual life enabled me to face and overcome all difficulties.
I began to explore new ways to adapt my work to the times and my personal situation. A friend introduced me to a book by Sonke Arehns, which inspired me to implement productivity theories using the Zettelkasten method.
This new approach transformed my study experience, making it enjoyable and productive. It addressed part of my problem: how to study effectively. However, the question regarding my life’s mission (spreading Vedic knowledge) remained unanswered.
Excitedly, using the Getting Things Done, I devised a "master plan" that involved reviewing my previous courses, writings, and lectures to create an online teaching platform, —"Journey to Success": https://www.juanmanuel.coach
This platform allows me to share my experiences through the “Journey to Success” program, learn from intelligent peers, and teach without relying on external institutions. The goal is to offer a curriculum that benefits as many people as possible, in an orthodox yet friendly manner.