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Facilitated by

Ashley Melin, Founder of SoulJour

Ashley Melin has been a freelance graphic designer for 20 years with current clients ranging from Nike, Columbia Sportswear, Starbucks, California School System, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, HEMA Amsterdam. Taking her first yoga class in 1992, she has been a daily practitioner of yoga/meditation ever since, studying extensively with many of the world's best teachers. Since 2007, she has led hundreds of fearless yogis through the magical chaos of India with the goal being to get people out of their comfort zone and living their yoga. As an avid mountain biker, skier, 10 time marathon runner, and big mountain climber (climbing over 25 peaks above 14,000 feet ), she has an intimate understanding of pushing limits – physical, emotional, mental – in order to create change. This concept became the most real when she divorced the man she'd been with half her life. It was during this challenging time that the idea for SoulJour was born and she was able to turn her biggest challenge into her greatest gift.

Koya Webb

Koya Webb is an internationally recognized yoga teacher, celebrity holistic health coach, author, speaker, and vegan activist whose core mission is to promote daily self-care, oneness and eco friendly living to combat some of the worlds biggest challenges including mental health, social injustices and global warming. Koya is the founder of Get Loved Up, the author of LET YOUR FEARS MAKE YOU FIERCE: How to Turn Common Obstacles into Seeds for Growth. She spreads wellness to her devout Instagram following of over one million followers. As a former competitive track and field athlete training for the Olympics, Koya first got introduced to yoga after a debilitating track injury. Today, Koya has over 15 years of holistic studies. Her aim is to dramatically decrease the number of people who suffer with chronic diseases associated with an unhealthy diet and lifestyle through daily self-care, plant-based nutrition and eco-friendly living. Koya’s expertise has been featured on national media outlets such as Goop, Forbes, NBC, CBS, The Steve Harvey Show, Essence, the cover of Oxygen, and more. She also starred in the reality show “Yoga Girls”, and she’s had a roster of celebrity clients including Stevie Wonder, India Aire, P. Diddy, Ashley Judd, Rev Beckwith and Les Brown.

Rolf Gates

Rolf Gates, author of Daily Reflections on Addiction, Yoga, and Getting Well—as well as the best-selling Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga and Meditations on Intention and Being: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga, Mindfulness, and Compassion—is a leading voice in contemporary yoga, and his work is used as a resource for yoga students and teachers worldwide. He conducts vinyasa intensives and 200- and 300-hour teacher trainings internationally. A former US Army Ranger and social worker specializing in addiction, Rolf brings his eclectic background to his teaching and life. His work has been featured on television and in print, including Yoga Journal, People magazine, and Travel and Leisure. His first children’s book, Yoga Friend: A Pose by Pose Partner Yoga Adventure, was published in 2018. Rolf is a graduate of the Kripalu School of Yoga. 

Keith Mitchell

Keith Mitchell was an All Pro Linebacker. His NFL career ended when he suffered a spinal contusion in his 7th season making a routine tackle. Through the experience of this paralyzing injury, Keith learned to be a contributor to his own healing and regained all functionality through conscious breathing, meditation, and yoga. Keith’s compelling story of healing trauma through holistic practices have been featured on Dr. Oz, USA Today, People, Sports Illustrated, Fox News, The Huffington Post, Mantra Magazine, Yoga Journal, MindBodyGreen, The Los Angeles Times, Ebony, Essence, NFL Films, LA Yoga.

Monica Mesa Dasi

Pamela Eggleston, MBA, E-RYT500, YACEP Pamela is the Founder and Director of Yoga2Sleep and Retreat to Spirit. She is a certified yoga therapist and meditation teacher with specialized certifications in plant-based nutrition, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), and trauma-informed yoga to work with service members, veterans, their caregivers, and insomnia sufferers. An avid yogini for over 20 years, Pamela was motivated to begin her teaching journey when she realized that yoga helped her sleep, decreased her insomnia and reduced her knee osteoarthritis pain. Pamela has an MS in Yoga Therapy from Maryland University of Integrative Health and an MBA from University of Maryland University College. An accomplished consultant, advisor, published author and national speaker, Pamela has worked for numerous agencies including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Veterans Administration, the Department of Labor, as a yoga therapy intern for Johns Hopkins Medical Center, and as an advisor on Congress-supported publications centering on substance abuse, mental health, criminal justice and military and veteran family matters. Her work and writing have been featured in Yoga Therapy Today, Gaiam, Military Spouse Magazine, Yoga Journal, Mantra Yoga and Health, Essence, the Huffington Post, and on Ellen and MSNBC.

Learn more about Pamela

Amina Naru

Amina Naru recent past Executive Director of the Yoga Service Council, is the founder of Posh Yoga LLC in Wilmington, Delaware, and works as a trauma sensitive yoga teacher, workshop facilitator, and YSC Best Practices project manager. Amina served three terms as secretary for the YSC Board of Directors and is a contributing author to the books Best Practices for Yoga with Veterans (YSC/Omega, 2016) and Best Practices for Yoga in the Criminal Justice System (YSC/Omega, 2017). She has served as the project manager for Yoga and Resilience: Empowering Practices for Survivors of Sexual Trauma (YSC/Omega) published by Handspring May 2020. She was the project manager for Best Practices for Yoga with People in Addictions and Recovery. Her professional expertise is in the field of yoga service for communities, juvenile detention centers and adult prisons. Amina has been featured in Yoga Journal, Yoga Therapy Today and on the J. Brown and Yoga Alliance podcasts. She served as Executive Director of the nonprofit Empowered Community and is the first black woman to implement curriculum-based yoga and mindfulness programs for juvenile detention centers in the state of Delaware.

J Brave is here to inspire others to remember their divine nature. This former counselor for Homeless and At-Risk youth uses his music as a vehicle for service. He is the founder of the internationally renowned Hip Hop collective the Luminaries, visionary of Benevolence Festival, and has toured the world spreading messages of peace, love, and unity throughout his travels. His debut solo album "Amethyst" has peeked the ears of global listeners, and the single "Sacred" has gone viral approaching a million video views on Facebook. He strives to use his songs as a means to express his personal transformation while sharing his stories of resiliency through adversity. He is an avid speaker, and leads workshops & coaching sessions under the theme "Discover Your Sacred Offering" and is in production with his new album “Gifts” set to drop in 2020. J Brave is passionate about uplifting the masses, speaking against injustices, and rekindling our connection to Mother Earth so we may live in a more loving world.

Kiyoshi

Kiyoshi is a visionary-inspirational vocalist, musician, and songwriter, with a deep passion for empowering humanity. He is a purpose driven wordsman whose fusion of upbeat hip-hop, soulful sounds, rhythms and rhymes are rooted in social, spiritual, and political awareness to provoke the world to listen and feel what is true. Blending styles from his Pacific Island and African American lineage, he built his reputation as one of Metro Detroit’s most creative and talented artists. Kiyoshi currently resides in Southern California, where he performs, rap coaches, curates events, and teaches workshops.  He’s performed and collaborated with Beats Antique Orchestra, The Polish Ambassador, Luminaries Crew, Zap Mamma, Aloe Blacc, Xavier Rudd, Mayer Hawthorne, Slum Village and more. 

Sandra Small

Sandra Small is a singer-songwriter & NYC native. Ever since her debut EP release “World Gone Crazy”, in 2006 & her 1st full album release in 2009 “Illusions”, Sandra Small has been writing about the troubles of the world and how to push through to realize one's dreams. In 2013 Sandra recorded her last record with The Smallworld Band. Shortly after that, the lead guitarist in her band passed away, along with 3 other people close to her. It was hard to finish anything at that time. 

Moving forward, It seems that now Sandra has lots to share from that time period. Sandra’s music continues to keeps her on the path of discovery. With each new cycle of life, Sandra opens new doors, discovering the new territories that lie in the depths of her own mind and creativity. Sandra is currently on a solo mission, producing her own recordings and performing live shows with rhythms, and a blanket of sound enhanced with rhythmic melodies, lines, riffs with her loop pedal and heartfelt vocals. 

Dana Harper

Harmonious, powerful, and compelling are just a few words used to describe Dana Harper’s sound, along with her energy. This Dallas native is equipped with brains and a rich tone that captivates and leaves you wanting more. The originality, and hints of nostalgia in her lyrics and sound, are breathtaking. Simply put, Dana is undoubtedly a force of nature. Dana released her first album, Be Alive, before moving to New York City for college where she studied Musical Theater. During her time in New York, Dana graced the stages of The Apollo Theater, Madison Square Garden, and was featured on BET’S, “Wild Out Wednesday” singing competition. Dana's career has taken her all around the world but her most recent and proud accomplishment to date is being in the Top 20 on season 11 of NBC's hit tv show "The Voice,” as a member of Blake Shelton's Team. Currently residing in Dallas, Dana can be seen performing regularly at various venues and is still active in the theater community.

Emanuelle Sanjivini Brown

As a third generation yogini Emmanuelle Sanjivini Brown was introduced to the spiritual path in her lounge room where white clad masters would teach early morning yoga & meditation classes. At the tender age of 5 she took to art healing when embarking in her first Reiki program with MASTER Beth Grey. Now after 20 years of working within health and wellness Emmanuelle blends her vast knowledge of training for human excellence in settings of private classes to presenting in major conferences & retreats internationally. Her favourite pastime is exploring theology and philosophy, which inevitably pulls her back on yearly pilgrimages to her heartland of India; contemplating under the guidance of Guru Yogrishi Vishvaketu & Swami Atmananda. Today Emmanuelle is known for her life-affirming and exuberant teaching style. She creatively inspires her students so they may learn to facilitate their own growth within the realms of spirituality and the healing of mind, body and spirit.

Chinook Wusdhu

Chinook is a master teacher in Dallas, TX with over 42 years of experience in internal wellness arts with experience in just about every healing modality (yoga, yoga therapy, tai chi chuan, kung fu, martial arts, meditation, mindfulness, advance pranayama techniques, tantra, yoqua ntchr (means the organic, natural way, the way of constant evolution), tai chi ntchr, advance sports specific training, injury prevention & rehabilitation, master swim instructor, founder/leader of urban dance troupe, yoga for addicts in recovery, yoga & tai chi for seniors). His personal mantra and philosophy is: *If it works holistically I incorporate it. If it doesn't work, I eliminate it. 

He's completed teacher trainings at the following:

• WHITE LOTUS FOUNDATION T.T. (SANTA BARBARA CALI).
• SIVANADA YOGA AND SPORTS T.T. (PARADISE ISLAND BAHAMAS)
• BARON BAPTISTE (KALANI HAWAII)
• SEAN CORNE VINYASA YOGA T.T. (DALLAS, TX)