Our Teachers
Donna Sica - Chakra Crystal Bowls
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Twelve years ago, Donna Sica, experienced a Kundalini Awakening, through the "Reconnection". She embarked on a journey of working with and understanding her new gift of "Channeling." One year later she was introduced to the "Chakra Crystal Bowls." Intuitively, she knew, that this chance invite was guiding her to the unfolding of her purpose.
She began offering a meditation in her home, once a week, to a community of twenty. "Our Community realized early on, as we expanded by leaps and bounds, the need for a gathering place whose purpose would be the nourishment of the Soul. Seven months later, Soulful Awakenings came into fruition"... "Each time the bowls sing, I sense the opening of others, the joy of connection, and the magnificent expression of vibration and light." Love Is You... |
Jacquie Grillion - Karuna Reiki Master Teacher - Certified IET, Rising Star and Crystal Healer
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Jacquie is a registered Holy Fire II Karuna Reiki® Master Teacher through The International Center for Reiki Training and has been practicing and teaching Reiki for over 15 years. Jacquie is certified in IET, Rising Star Healing, and is also a certified Crystal Healer. In addition, she is also a trained counselor. As a trained counselor, she further understands the need to navigate through emotional and physical as well as spiritual issues.
"I've grown in effectiveness and understanding through my own struggles with hardships, and have learned that the real motivation and effort comes from within. That allows me to better support my clients to consciously face their fears and concerns, and use their life force energies to steadily make progress toward their goals." "Trying new things helps us to grow and expand beyond our immediate perceived boundaries. I'm always learning and growing beyond what I thought was possible; and I love being able to see that happen with my clients." |
Ellen Mosko - Yoga Teacher
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After graduating from Hofstra University with a degree in psychology, Ellen worked in the fast-paced Wall Street atmosphere for many years. Becoming a mother of two in her late 20’s, she returned to a yoga practice that began back in college. When her hands and feet came into downward facing dog, Ellen knew this was the path to follow.
Her teaching style is a mix of mindful alignment, fluid movement, and attention to breath. With an established understanding of anatomy, Ellen’s classes focus on a specific area of the body encouraging the personal exploration of postures to create internal space. Ellen’s classes are designed to meet you where you are and bring you deeper into your practice. She feels it is a privilege to be a guide in that process. “Breath by breath become present to yourself on your mat and through an engaged practice become more present in your life.” Ellen is a YACEP with Yoga Alliance as well as E/RYT-500 through the Himalayan Institute and has been training yoga teachers for a decade. She currently co-teaches both 200 and 300 hour yoga teacher trainings at Elevate Yoga. She actively mentors teachers on a private basis and in the past has been a part of YogaWorks 500-hour teacher training staff. Ellen has many online yoga videos with www.YogaInternational.com in Alignment-based, Restorative and Yin styles of yoga. She has been a part of our Soulful Awakenings team for 8 years. |
Melinda Applegate – Qigong for Healing
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Melinda began her journey to Qigong and Tai Chi in 1996 with Dayan Wild Goose Qigong and felt the "chi" strongly along the meridians for the first time and was an instant believer in this ancient Chinese practice of cultivating our essential life force energy and decided to go about mastering this skill.
She has had the pleasure an honor of learning from the following teachers; Lee Holden, Robert Peng, Gilles Marin, Daisy Lee, Barbara Birchard, Jerry Alan Johnson, Susanna Shaw and Paul Pitchford. It is her life's passion to share this joyful practice and helping others to empower themselves with this skill to connect to mind body and spirit. |
Barbara Van Belle - Yoga Instructor
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Barbara obtained a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from State University of New York at Purchase. She has been practicing Yoga since the 1990's and was certified to teach with Integral Yoga in 1999. She continues to attend workshops and seminars with master teachers in the field.
Barbara is proficient in many types of Yoga, specializing in the Sivananda and Integral Hatha Yoga styles. She believes, "Truth is one, paths are many.", as spoken by His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidananda, whom she had the privilege to meet and was mentored by his close followers. She teaches group, private, open, beginner and chair yoga classes. She has given workshops to New York City teachers and nursery school teachers as well. Her students range in age from 6 to 80. She often volunteers her services and is presently doing so with post treatment cancer patients on their mission to return to a new normal life. Barbara lives in Spring Lake Heights and has a large following in Marlboro, NJ. "I have been blessed and honored to do what I love and love what I do. Consequently, it never feels like work!". |
Mary Christensen - Yoga Instructor
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Mary began her yoga practice in 2007 after retiring from a 20+ year career as a Buyer and Product Development Manager for several National Speciality Retail stores. She credits Yoga with helping her to transition gracefully into this next phase of her life. Mary completed her 200 hour YogaWorks Teacher Training in March of 2011 and the 300 hour Yogaworks Advanced Teacher Training in August 2013.
She has also studied with Alan Finger, Jillian Pransky, Biff Mithoefer, Cyndi Lee and Julie Gudmestad. It has truly been an amazing journey as she continues to learn more about herself and the study of yoga everyday. Believing that it is important in our busy everyday lives to slow down, center yourself and just simply breath. She enjoys teaching classes that create a safe space for her students allowing them to find sanctuary in their yoga practice. |
Dawn Dayton - Yoga Instructor
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Dawn is a 200 hour registered Yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance and is currently studying for her additional 300 Hour Teaching Training at Elevate Yoga in Hazlet, NJ. Dawn is also a Licensed Massage Therapist having graduated from the Institute of Therapeutic Massage, Tinton Falls, NJ. Dawn has always had a passion for holistic health and healing and for learning new things. She started practicing yoga as a way to make time for herself to renew, reflect and reconnect. After practicing yoga for almost 5 years and noticing the positive effects it was having on her mind and body, she felt the calling to become a yoga teacher to share her peace and joy with others.
Dawn specialized in gentle yoga and her style is calm, mindful and relaxed. Her open-minded, nonjudgemental approach creates a welcoming environment for anyone wanting to begin and continue a yoga practice to connect to one's true self and let go of things which do not serve one's true self. She is continuously growing and learning through various workshops and seminars to share more knowledge with her students. Dawn's belief is that "Love can change the world and we must first love ourselves to love others. As human we have many layers of ego that can keep us distracted from loving ourselves and others. Having a Yoga practice in our lives can help us to quiet the mind, connect to our true self and be a better person." |
Susan O'Malley - Reiki Master - Rituals and Celebrations - Access Bars
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Susan started her spiritual journey about twenty years ago with meditation and contemplative journaling which led to both hands on and intuitive spiritual healing. Susan is certified as a Reiki Master Teacher of Unlimited White Light, a Usui Reiki Master and has an Advanced Reiki Level Training in Holy Fire II and she is a practitioner of Access Bars*, a hands-on, energetic body process which releases one from unconsciously functioning from limited beliefs. She is also a student of The Sacred Circle of the Zodiac through Evolutionary Astrology. She has studied with Kaypacha, Tom Lescher of New Paradigm Astrology and is currently studying with Maurice Fernandez, president of O.P.A. – Organization of Professional Astrologers, of which she is also a member, and has begun the study of Sacred Astronomy.
Her love of mythology and sacred scriptures blends with her energy work and knowledge of Astrology to create circles of healing and manifestation. “Rituals are a way for the individual to connect with the Divine, within and without. We are all Beloveds of the Great Beloved in the Circle of Life.” |
Lori Tomenchok - Reiki Master
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Lori was introduced to Reiki 20 years ago and has studied with many masters over the years.
She is a graduate of the Mary Magdeline Transcripts and studied under Mary Tobin for her Reiki Master certification. |
Laura Clark - Journey Dance
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Laura Clark L.M.T, C.A.P, has been in the Complementary Alternative Medicine field since 2003. Having been a Licensed massage therapist for over 14 years, helping clients facilitate their own body’s healing, she became interested in The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy®. After a two-year internship she attained her Certification. Having explored JourneyDance™ at Soulful Awakenings with the beautiful Nejie, this form of transformational movement motivated her to become a Certified JourneyDance™ Guide herself. Laura’s philosophy “Everything you need is already contained inside of you.”
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Gloria J Weichand - Evidential Medium
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Gloria J. Weichand, Founder and Program Director of the Center, is an International Spiritual Medium, Spiritual Teacher, Lecturer, Usui Reiki Master and Grief Counselor. Known for her compassion and evidential messages from Spirit, Gloria received her extensive education studying under many of the finest teachers in both the U.S. and the U.K.
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Sharon Collins - Yoga Instructor
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Sharon Collins has completed a 200-hour alignment based yoga teacher-training program through Elevate Yoga in Hazlet, NJ. Her classes are designed to be accessible to everyone. Sharon offers a well-rounded class rooted in alignment that aims to create space and ease. Originally drawn to yoga to heal her physical body, what keeps her coming back to the mat time and time again is the self knowledge and wisdom gained through consistent practice and the support it lends to create a balanced grounded life that unites body, mind and soul.
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