Bios

Michelle St. Pierre

Michelle St. Pierre studied shiatsu at the Shiatsu Centre in Toronto with Tetsuro Saito and was certified in 1989. She has studied many different modalities of energy healing including reiki and lightwork and various forms of meditation. She is most inspired by flowers and fruit as well as the work and teachings of Stephen Levine, Adyashanti, Pema Chodron, and Sharon Salzberg who continually bring us back to the compassionate heart and Toni Packer (Springwater Center) for her courage, clarity and presence.

Now a resident of Hornby Island, Michelle has been offering body and energy work sessions for 17 years. She has midwifed many toning circles and healing gatherings across Canada, taught energy awareness and meditation in Winnipeg and is committed to the path of the awakened heart.

The deerheart sanctuary is her vision.

Michelle's programs and healing.

Maria-Bonita Kapitany

Has been passionate about singing and devotional chanting for many years. Lately she's been leading kirtans at the Yoga Shala in Victoria. She likes to incorporate chants from various paths and traditions as well as newly created and inspired ones.

Participants are invited to learn chants through the call and response kirtan method, bring a chant to share in the same way and to bring instruments to play along.

Maria-Bonita's programs.

Phyllis Victory

Phyllis has been practicing and teaching Reiki (a sacred, Japanese healing art) for over 20 years in Canada, the US, Mexico and India. Phyllis was initiated as a Master of Reiki in 1985 by her teacher, Carell Farmer. In 1990 she was again initiated by Carell as a teacher of Masters and now trains and initiates Masters as well as practicing and teaching Reiki classes.

She has studied improvisational theater with Scott Kelman and consequently taught theater for 10 years in Canada and the US. She has also taught workshops with Scott, entitled "Life As Theater/ Theater As Life".

She occasionally facilitates meditation classes on Hornby Island, B.C. in the tradition of Paramhansa Yogananda and Yogacharya "Mother" Hamilton. She has been initiated into the ancient meditation technique of Kriya Yoga.

She has been a counselor in private practice in both the US and Canada for over 20 years; using, as her foundation, the deep spiritual teachings that she has learned and ones that have been revealed to her.

She has studied Ayurveda with Dr. Thrikoval Sukumaran (in Vancouver) and, in 1994, accompanied him and his nine other students to India where the group experienced Pancha Karma at an Ayurvedic Hospital in Kottakal, Keral, a hospital where Dr. Sukumaran used to work.

Phyllis has taken groups to India for "Yatra" (pilgrimage) in 1996 and 2001. The itinerary included trekking to the source of the Ganges (in the Himalayas); participating in Pancha Karma in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (at an Ayurvedic hospital); and an extended stay at Anandashram Ashram in Kanghangad, Kerala.

Phyllis is, most recently, a certified Hanna Somatic Educator (a technique for releasing contracted muscles by reprogramming the brain). In addition to the three years of training to become certified, she has had three additional years of training with the Novato Institute as a Teaching Assistant, and has been employed by them as a student teacher. She has been in private practice as an HSE practitioner for seven years and taught the "Cat Stretch" (a series of HSE exercises) in Mexico with Susan Koenig (one the of the trainers for the Novato Institute) in May 2002, and March and October of 2003. She has been teaching and practicing HSE in the US, Canada and Mexico.

She is also certified in Equine Hanna Somatics (releasing contracted muscles in horses). When she in California she continues her training in Natural Horsemanship with John Stanley, a cowboy who has been practicing the "gentling" of horses for 55 years..

She currently lives on Hornby Island, BC (Canada) and is available for teaching Improvisational Theater, Hanna Somatic Education and Reiki classes, and for facilitating private sessions in HSE, EHSE, Reiki or counseling.

She can be reached at 250-335-0197 or by email at: phyllis_victory@hotmail.com.

Phyllis Victory's programs.

Michelle Lepage

Michelle Lepage is a yoga master, certified in the art of KRIPALU YOGA since 1993. In her 22 years of yoga involvement, Michelle has taken the practice to a new, all encompassing level of human experience. Her background in holistic health is expansive and includes a wide variety of skills such as being owner of REJUVENATIONS NATURAL FOODS, staff member of the Ann Wigmore Institute in Puerto Rico, owner of Imagine Yoga Studio, staff member at Zen Zero center of Optimal Health in Courtenay, coach, athlete, mother of 4 and grandmother of 4. Michelle brings a wealth of practical knowledge in natural health methods.

Michelles's programs.

Iyana Celestine

Iyana started studies in energy awareness -- a sixth chakra (clairvoyant) spiritual path -- in 1986. Being a Gemini sun, she has explored a wide range of healing modes and draws on them in daily living as well as in the healing arts.

Presently, she simply enjoys seeing and validating the "unseen" psychic world and the growth and healing it holds for her and her clients.

She has been drumming and practicing holistic medicine for 20 years.

Iyana's healing.

Theresa Hanley

Theresa has been working as a raw food chef for the last few years and has been studying the benefits of a raw food diet.

She co-owns Yummy Mummy's Vegan and Raw Delights, a busy catering business out of Courtenay, and often comes to Hornby to cater events.

She will be sharing her knowledge in workshops as well as preparing our food for the retreat.

You can reach her at 338-7430.

Theresa's programs.