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Stephen Wollaston writes under the name ‘Santoshan’ (contentment), which was given to him by the respected Yoga teacher Swami Dharmananda Saraswati Maharaj (the spiritual director of the Dharma Centre for Yoga, Spiritual Awareness and Healing, whose main spiritual guru was a secretary to Mahatma Gandhi). For several years he took instruction from the renowned Tantric master Sri Jammu Maharaj, and became friends with the highly regarded teacher of Buddhist Dharma, Bhikkhu Nagasana who lived nearby.
Stephen is a member of GreenSpirit and is the designer of the GreenSpirit Journal. He started his spiritual quest over 30 years ago when introduced to a basic meditation and mantra practice, which opened up new avenues of awareness and paved the way towards an early mystical experience that profoundly affected him. He is one of the founders, as well as the Wisdom Studies and Creative Adviser, of The Gordon Higginson Fellowship, which formed to encourage a more wholistic and inclusive approach to spirituality. He is the author of the recently published book ‘Realms of Wondrous Gifts, Psychic, Mediumistic and Miraculous Powers in the Great Wisdom Traditions’, and is a co-author of ‘The House of Wisdom, Yoga Spirituality of the East and West’, ‘Unleash your Spiritual Power and Grow’ and ‘Tune in to your Spiritual Potential’, which were written with long-time friends Glyn Edwards (an ex-Benedictine monk and one of the UK’s finest mediums) and Swami Dharmananda.
He holds a degree in Religious Studies and a Post Graduate Certificate in Religious Education from King’s College London, studied Graphic Design at the London College of Printing and Psychosynthesis Psychology, and unintentionally earned himself a place in UK Rock History for being the principle electric bass player of the London-based Punk/New Wave band The Wasps. His postgraduate studies focused on Critical Realist Philosophy and Wholistic Approaches in Spiritual Education. Additionally, the pragmatic approach of the historical Buddha, the eco-centred spiritual teachings of Matthew Fox and Thomas Berry, the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and some aspects of Ken Wilber’s stages of development have also influenced his current outlook.
He prefers to have no labels, unless it be ‘Integral Non-dualist’ (a wholism that recognises there is ultimately One Supreme underlying sacred Divinity uniting us all) or ‘Creation Centred Universalist’ (which is life-affirming and all-inclusive), and promotes a deep ecumenical and interspiritual approach in his work, where there is a true acceptance of difference, a meeting on common ground, and a sharing of unitive and compassionate wisdom towards the Earth and all her inhabitants. He is currently working on his fifth book, which is on Creation/Eco Spirituality.
See The Gordon Higginson Fellowship Courses page for forthcoming workshops and events planned, and the Teachings section for extracts from books by Stephen/Santoshan, Swami Dharmananda and Glyn Edwards. Or e-mail
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if you wish to contact the GHF about its work, or to invite its principle founders to your centre, church or temple to run a course or give a short talk.
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