Faculty

Julia Cameron has been hailed by The New York Times as “The Queen of Change.” Credited with starting a movement in 1992 that has brought creativity into the mainstream conversation— in the arts, business, and everyday life—she is the bestselling author of more than 50 books, fiction and nonfiction, and a poet, songwriter, filmmaker and playwright. Commonly referred to as “The Godmother” or “High Priestess” of creativity, she offers tools based in practice, not theory. Her No. 1 bestseller, The Artist’s Way, has been translated into more than 40 languages and sold over five million copies. juliacameronlive.com

Mary K. Greer is a renowned tarot expert with over 40 years of experience, known for creating inspired teaching methods. The author of 11 books on tarot and magic, her 1984 book Tarot for Yourself changed the field of tarot reading. It was the first to offer in-depth techniques for reading tarot as a practice of personal inquiry, not by memorizing someone else’s meanings, but by discovering your own relationship with each card. The approach was so influential that it reshaped how an entire generation learned to read. Her work has always been focused on personal insight and creativity in her tarot practice. marykgreer.com

While practicing as a medicinal herbalist for the past 40 years, Marguerite Dunne has earned a double master’s degree in education, certification in herbology, and been a Doctor of Naturopathy candidate. An adjunct instructor of biology for 12 years in medicinal herbs and nutrition at Marist College, she has given historic herb lectures, written articles, made media appearances, owned a health food store, been a regional manager for three of the major supplement brands, and had her own radio show, “The Urban Herbalist.” urbanherbalistnyc.com

Joanna Kaczorowska, PhD, is a Polish-born, internationally acclaimed violinist and Director of Undergraduate Performance at Stony Brook University Department of Music. She has performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and the New World Symphony at venues including Carnegie Hall and Suntory Hall, and is founder and Artistic Director of New York Chamber Musicians. A prizewinner at the 2009 Liszt-Garrison International Piano Competition, she was also awarded the Grand Prize to perform at the 2010 Richard Wagner Festspiele in Bayreuth. joannakaczorowska.com

Stephen G. Post, PhD, has spent four decades researching what love actually does to us — physically, psychologically, and socially. He is Founding Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, and President of the Institute for Research on Pure Unlimited Love. A bestselling author on the science of love, altruism, and human flourishing, his books include Why Good Things Happen to Good People (translated into several languages) and Pure Unlimited Love, with a foreword by the Dalai Lama. stephengpost.com

Transforming the face of psychiatry, Judith Orloff, MD, asserts that we are the keepers of an innate intuitive and empathic intelligence so perceptive that it can help us heal — and prevent illness. Dr. Orloff is a New York Times bestselling author and is on the UCLA psychiatric clinical faculty. She specializes in treating empaths and sensitive people in her Los Angeles based practice and online internationally, and teaches empathic leadership skills to doctors and corporate teams. Her upcoming children’s book, The Highly Sensitive Rabbit, is about a sensitive rabbit who learns to embrace her gifts of sensitivity through the kindness of loving animals. drjudithorloff.com

Stephanie Wright is founder of the Wright Methods, a culinary educator and recipe developer, specializing in nutrient-dense, locally-sourced, seasonal menus. She has been an avid yogi since 2008, and a lifelong passion for food drew her towards Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. After earning the Ayurvedic Nutrition and Culinary Certification at Bhagavat Life, an Ayurvedic cooking school in New York City under the guidance of Ayurvedic chef and entrepreneur Divya Alter, she became the Chef de Cuisine at the Assemblage, a conscious co-living space, where she developed seasonal Ayurvedic menus using natural organic ingredients and educated the staff coworking members on the intricacies of Ayurveda. thewrightmethods.com

Simmi Chopra Bhatia, AP, is one of the leading Ayurvedic doctors in New York City and has appeared on television, in major print media, and on many podcasts and presented at national and international health conference to share her wisdom of the many benefits of Ayurveda. With a double master's degree in biostatistics and molecular biology, she has published her research in major medical journals. She has nearly 30,000 followers on TikTok where she provides simple Ayurvedic tips for health problems. SIDH Ayur website

Mark Nepo is a poet, philosopher and healing arts teacher whose books have sold over one million copies. He has moved and inspired readers and seekers from all over the world with his New York Times bestseller The Book of Awakening. Mark was part of Oprah Winfrey's The Life You Want Tour and has appeared several times with Oprah on her "Super Soul Sunday" program, and he has also been interviewed on "Good Morning America." Beloved as a poet, teacher, and storyteller, Mark has been called "one of the finest spiritual guides of our time," "a consummate storyteller" and "an eloquent spiritual teacher." As a bestselling author, he has published 27 books and recorded 19 audio projects. His latest book is The Language of the Soul: How the Words You Choose Shape the Life You Live. marknepo.com

Melissa Petro is a cultural journalist and author of Shame on You: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification, a hybrid memoir and cultural investigation into how shame shapes women’s lives. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Nation and New York Magazine. melissa-petro.com

Ru Sharma's path has been shaped by a life lived across nine countries on three continents, where movement, culture, and spirit intertwined. She learned yoga and breathwork as a child from her grandfather in Delhi, studied dance at NY Broadway Dance Center, muay thai boxing in Thailand, and kickboxing in Singapore. In the corporate world, Ru has integrated somatic movement training into leadership trainings at Fortune 100 companies. LinkedIn

Dawn Petter is a clinical herbalist and flower essence practitioner based in New York City. She is a graduate of Arbor Vitae School of Traditional Herbalism and is trained as a flower essence practitioner with Delta Gardens and Findhorn Essences. Dawn offers in-depth health consultations and custom-formulated remedies to her clients. petaluneherbals.com