Mary Stewart Adams, General Secretary for the Anthroposophical Society in America, is an active star lore chronicler and historian, host of the weekly public radio program and podcast “The Storyteller’s Night Sky” and author of The Star Tales of Mother Goose~For Those Who Seek the Secret Language of the Stars (2021). As a global advocate for starry skies, Mary led the team that established the 9th International Dark Sky Park in the world in 2011, which later led to her home state of Michigan protecting 35,000 acres of state land for its natural darkness. storytellersnightsky.com

Queen Afua is a holistic practitioner for over fifty years, creator of Wellness and Womb Yoga, and author of the New York Times bestselling Sacred Woman: A Guide to Healing the Feminine Body, Mind, and Spirit. Affectionately called the “Mother of Womb Wellness,” her Queen Afua Wellness Institute was founded on the principles of utilizing food, self-care and holistic choices as a global movement towards a healthier lifestyle. queenafua.com

Manish Agrawal, MD, currently serves as Founder & CEO of Sunstone Therapies, a leader in the delivery of psychedelic-assisted therapy in the medical setting and in the development of clinical trials for those affected by complex mental health challenges.

José Alejandro is a master certified life coach and men’s work facilitator with over 8 years of experience empowering men to lead with truth, integrity, and love. He combines inner work with practical strategy to help purpose-driven men become leaders with aligned success, deepened relationships, and amplified impact. @rjose_alejandro

Walter Alexander has long been a prominent facilitator and program director at Anthroposophy NYC. He has been a fiction writer, teacher (public and Waldorf) and medical journalist (conventional and alternative) and is the author of Hearts and Minds: Reclaiming the Soul of Science and Medicine (Lindisfarne, 2019) and many articles.

Amy Anthony is a New York-based certified master aromatherapist, aromatherapy educator and composter, and an herbalist, aromatic gardener, artisanal distiller and olfactory artist. Host of The Essential Aromatica podcast, Amy explores ideas for connecting with nature through aromatherapy in a way that is accessible for all. nycaromatica.com

Francesca Lynn Arnoldy is a community doula and death literacy advocate, author and researcher. She was the original course developer of the University of Vermont's End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate Programs and regularly presents on life-and-death topics with hopes of encouraging people to support one another through times of intensity. francescalynnarnoldy.com.

Rev. Olivia Bareham is a certified Death Midwife, Home Funeral Guide and Celebrant. She is the founder of the Sacred Crossings Institute and Sacred Crossings Alternative Funeral Home in Los Angeles, and facilitates certificate training programs for Death Doulas and Death Midwives. She manages her funeral home to support families seeking green and conscious alternatives to conventional funeral industry practices. sacredcrossings.com

Iyanifa Rev. DeShannon Barnes-Bowens, MS, is the founder of ILERA Counseling & Education Services, where she works as a psychotherapist, professional development trainer and spiritual counselor. She is the author of Hush Hush: An African American Family Breaks their Silence on Sexuality & Sexual Abuse, an ordained Interfaith Minister, and an initiated priestess in the Ifa-Orisha tradition. ilera.com

Rick Barrett has explored superconsciousness through the Chinese internal martial arts and through energy healing for over forty years. His book, Taijiquan: Through the Western Gate, bridges the gap between the esoteric teachings of the internal arts and modern scientific knowledge. rickbarrett.net

Maria A. Basile, MD, MBA, is a physician, educator, poet, and dedicated advocate for compassionate, human-centered healthcare. As Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University and Associate Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics, she helps shape the next generation of physicians through teaching, mentorship, and leadership. She is an award-winning poet and published author whose work explores the human side of medicine and the connections that define healthcare.

Jamie Beachy, MDiv, PhD, is a spiritual health (chaplaincy) educator, ethics consultant and psychedelic therapy practitioner. She served as Director of Education for the Naropa University Center for Psychedelic Studies, co-founded the Psychedelic Care Research Network, and has spoken broadly on the role of professional spiritual care in psychedelic therapy.

Robin Rose Bennett is a storyteller, writer and herbalist, offering classes in herbal medicine and EarthSpirit teachings since 1986 — at herb conferences, festivals, medical schools and, most joyously, outside with the plants. robinrosebennett.com

Journei Bimwala is an expert forager, clinical herbalist, and a Bronx community leader, who is passionate about educating local families on how to use native plants for health, nutrition, and well-being. She grew up in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she learned to forage alongside her grandmother, and continued to develop her skills in woods and meadows when she moved to France. Her background is a mix of ancestral knowledge, oral histories, observations in nature and formal courses in botany. Since 2017, she has been co-chair of the Bronx River Foodway at Concrete Plant Park, one of New York City’s rare sustainable food landscapes and its only edible food forest where people can still forage legally. She is CEO and founder of EachOneCarryOne, a school whose mission is to improve and sustain the health and wellness of Black families within the African Diaspora, and improve generational health & well-being by providing foundational living skills that rely on the resources provided by nature. eachonecarryone.org

Barbara Biziou is a renowned spiritual alignment coach and global ritual expert who has dedicated her life to bridging ancient wisdom with modern living. She brings a unique blend of strategic insight, emotional intelligence, and spiritual depth to her work. Barbara has studied with spiritual masters and wisdom keepers around the world, integrating these transformative teachings into practical rituals that empower individuals and organizations to navigate change with clarity and resilience. barbarabiziou.com

Leslie Blackhall, MD, is Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Humanities at the University of Virginia Medical Center and Director of its Palliative Care Services. She also earned a master's in theology at Harvard Divinity School, with a concentration in biomedical ethics, history and philosophy.

Jan Booth MA, RN, NC-BC, has worked as a nurse for many years at the intersection of quality of life and end-of-life, as a hospice/palliative care nurse and as an end-of-life coach and educator. She serves as faculty for the International Nurse Coach Association and the Conscious Dying Institute, and is the author of Re-Imagining the End-of-Life: Self-Development & Reflective Practices for Nurse Coaches. .

Tashel C. Bordere, PhD, CT is an internationally-known scholar, author, and speaker, and a grant-funded researcher at the Center for Family Policy and Research at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is certified in Thanatology. Dr. Bordere has done workshops, keynotes, and published research on inequities in loss and culturally resonant practices, including her co-edited book, Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief (Routledge). She is a grief health advisor on films and has been featured in national/international media.

Anthony P. Bossis, PhD, is director of palliative care, co-principal investigator, and a session guide for the NYU psilocybin cancer anxiety study, an FDA approved clinical trial investigating the efficacy of a psilocybin-facilitated mystical experience on the existential and psycho-spiritual distress in persons with cancer.

Dr. Nancy Brandt, DVM, OMD, MSOM, dip.OM, CVC, CVA, CVMA, is a renowned and dedicated holistic veterinarian and expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine, with a career spanning almost 35 years. After training in medical aromatherapy in France, Dr. Brandt pioneered its use for animals, founding the Veterinary Medical Aromatherapy Association (VMAA) and creating the first curriculum for Safe/Effective Veterinary Medical Aromatherapy®. nancybrandtdvm.com

Richard P. Brown, MD, is an associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and co-author of more than 100 scientific articles, books, and chapters. He is a certified teacher of aikido, qigong, yoga and meditation, and develops mind-body workshops for, among others, healthcare professionals, the military, disaster survivors and refugees. breath-body-mind.com

Ira Byock, MD, is a leading medical authority, author and public advocate for improving care for people living with serious medical conditions, and is a past president of the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. His article, “Taking Psychedelics Seriously”, in 2018, helped spark renewed interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies within the field of palliative care.

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

Jeanine M. Canty , PhD, lives in the foothills above Boulder, Colorado, within the ancestral lands of the Arapaho, Chey­enne, and Ute peoples. She is a professor within the transfor­mative studies doctoral program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS).

Barbara Carrellas, AASECT, ACS, is the author of Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the Twenty-First Century, Ecstasy is Necessary and Luxurious Loving: Tantric Inspirations for Passion and Pleasure. Her pioneering Urban Tantra® workshops were named best in New York City by TimeOut/New York magazine. barbaracarrellas.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

Dawson Church is an award-winning science writer with four best-selling books to his credit. The Genie in Your Genes was the first book to demonstrate that emotions drive gene expression. Mind to Matter showed that the brain creates much of what we think of as “objective reality.” Bliss Brain demonstrates that peak mental states rapidly remodel the brain for happiness. dawsonchurch.com

Mary Cosimano, LMSW, Psychedelic Support and Integration LLC, served as Director of Clinical Services, Psychedelic Session Facilitator, and a Research Program Coordinator at Johns Hopkins University in the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. She also has 15 years of experience with direct patient care as a hospice volunteer.

Brian Cotnoir is an alchemist, artist, and award-winning filmmaker. A contributor to Frater Albertus’ Parachemy, he is also the author of a series of Alchemy Zines. His books include Alchemy: The Poetry of Matter, Practical Alchemy: A Guide to the Great Work,  Alchemical Meditations, and The Emerald Tablet.  His most recent volumes are On Alchemy: Essential Practices and Making Art as Alchemy. Launched in 2014 with the publication of the Emerald Tablet, Khepri Press is the portal for his alchemical work. khepripress.com

Simon Cox is a martial artist, scholar, and teacher who trained extensively at Wudang Mountain. He holds a PhD in religion from Rice University and runs a Kung Fu school in British Columbia that blends Daoist traditions with practical teachings to inspire modern audiences.

Joanna Crespo, MBA, has been teaching Reiki for over 20 years and was a Reiki instructor at the NY Open Center from 2005–2022. Joanna is certified in Chinese Herbalism and Kundalini Yoga and studied Family Constellations with Suzi Tucker from 2008-2011. reikirhapsody.com

Amy Cunningham was a magazine writer until 2009 when her elderly father’s memorial service ignited a passion for helping folks plan more meaningful end-of-life events. When she’s not directing funerals for her firm Fitting Tribute Funeral Services, she writes a funeral planning blog called TheInspiredFuneral.com.

Michelle Darling is a BIPOC ritualist who supports people in keeping their grief warm. Following her husband’s death, she began her apprenticeship with sorrow, stepping into relationship with non-ordinary reality as an energy worker and shamanic practitioner. She is a Reiki Master Teacher, Yoga Nidra Teacher, Grief Educator and Death Literacy Specialist. Her heart's work is in service to the cycle of life, death and rebirth. shamansvoice.me

is a certified music thanatologist, hospice chaplain and end-of-life educator based in Salt Lake City. With harp and voice she tends to the emotional, physical and spiritual needs at the bedside of palliative patients and their loved ones. Her 2021 video performance at the edge of the Great Salt Lake brings awareness to climate thanatology.

Jeanne Denney, MA, is a somatic psychotherapist, educator, hospice worker, founder of the School of Unusual Life Learning (SoULL) and author of The Effects of Compassionate Presence on the Dying. She has worked in many roles to help people fearlessly embrace a life which includes aging, dying and nature.

Richard Anton Diaz is the director and co-founder of the Traditional Chinese Healing Arts Academy, a certified teacher in the Universal Tao system founded by Master Mantak Chia, and a professional Health Coach & Practitioner certified with the Trinity School of Natural Health. He also co-founded, with Professor Drew Divittorio, the New York Institute of Herbal Medicine & Nutrition. liveaninfinitelife.com

Stephani Dimopoulos is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in NYC, holds advanced degrees in Art Education from Boston University and has been an educator in the private and public sectors in NY for 36 years. She is also the founder and executive director of Dimos Intuitive Arts Inc., a spiritual retreat and wellness center in the Catskills Mountains offering a holistic approach to personal transformation through intuitive and creative arts. dimosarts.com

Drew DiVittorio is a nutritional consultant who maintains a private practice in Chinese Medicine and Taoist Healing. He is currently the founder/primary instructor at the New York Institute of Herbal Medicine & Nutrition, was an adjunct associate professor at the University of Bridgeport Acupuncture Institute, and is a popular speaker on news channels, colleges and hospitals. askprofessordrew.blogspot.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

Henry Fersko-Weiss, LCSW, created the first U.S. end-of-life doula program at Continuum Hospice in New York City in 2003. He co-founded the International End of Life Doula Association and wrote the book Caring for the Dying, The Doula Approach to a Meaningful Death, now reprinted with new material as Finding Peace at the End of Life.

Rev. Eileen Fisher is an ordained minister, an initiated Sufi dervish and the former Co-Director of One Spirit Interfaith Seminary. She holds a master's degree in education and has experience developing educational programs while working with young children, families and adult learners. As a Middle School teacher, she recently developed and implemented a school wide Mindfulness program for students.

Kami Fletcher, PhD, is an Associate Professor of American & African American History and Co-Coordinator of Women’s and Gender Studies at Albright College. She teaches courses that explore the African experience in America and unpack social and cultural U.S. history at the intersections of race, gender, class and sexuality. Her research centers on African American burial grounds, late 19th/early 20th century Black female and male undertakers, and contemporary Black grief and mourning. kamifletcher.com

Aaron French, PhD, currently teaches in the religious studies masters’ program at the University of Erfurt in Germany and works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Freie Universität Berlin. He received his doctorate in the study of religion, with an emphasis on science and technology studies. His writing on Max Weber, Rudolf Steiner and Modern Western Esotericism will be published this fall.

Patricia L. Gerbarg, MD, is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at New York Medical College who practices Integrative Psychiatry. She writes about complementary and integrative treatments, and researches and teaches mind-body practices for veterans, disaster survivors and stress-related medical conditions. breath-body-mind.com

Marc J. Gian, L.Ac, LMT, is a sought-after practitioner, teacher, and a licensed acupuncturist and massage therapist. He is the author of Holistic Aromatherapy, Practical Healing with Essential Oils and The Inner World of Night Dreams, and the developer of Meridian Biologix brand essential oils, with formulations based on Traditional Chinese Medicine. thecurebymarc.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

Roshi Joan Halifax, PhD, is a Buddhist teacher and Founder and Head Teacher of Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She works with dying people and their families, and teaches health care professionals and family caregivers the psychosocial, ethical and spiritual aspects of care of the dying.

Dr. Roger Jahnke, OMD, is a physician of Chinese Medicine with 40 years of clinical practice. He is the founder and lead trainer of the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi (IIQTC) and co-founder of the National Qigong Association. Dr. Jahnke is also developer of The Breath Medicine System, a distillation of multiple shamanic and Indigenous systems of breath practice, and author of The Healer Within and The Healing Promise of Qi. iiqtc.org

Emily Johnson, MSN, CRNP, is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner who provides palliative care in Johns Hopkins' Pediatric ICU. With extensive experience in pediatric critical care nursing, she has cared for hundreds of dying children. In addition to advanced degrees in nursing, Emily holds certificates in Nurse Education and Pediatric Bioethics.

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

William J. Kaplanidis, L.Ac, MS, MA, a licensed acupuncturist with 35 years of experience in several healing and martial arts, developed the Acudragon® Wellness System to rapidly and safely assist people on their path to healing and transformation. He has also had extensive training in hypnotherapy, meditation, Qigong, t’ai chi, aromatherapy and the Sandlin technique. acudragon.us

Rev. Kat Kowalski, MDiv, BCC, the Neonatal ICU Chaplain at Johns Hopkins, spearheads that hospital's perinatal palliative care program. Kat often works with parents who have received a worrisome prenatal diagnosis and has ministered to countless families experiencing the serious illness and/or death of a baby.

Linda Lentini has over 20 years of peer service experience, with 10 of those focused on the mind-body connection around mental health and addiction recovery. She is the Executive Director of BBMF and a Level-4 workshop facilitator, and worked closely with Dr. Gerbarg and Dr. Brown when BBM transitioned from in-person to Zoom courses in response to COVID-19.

Rita London teaches Kundalini yoga, breathwork and meditation and is an energy and sound healer. She has taught in yoga studios, corporations, community centers and privately. She is passionate about sharing centering mind-body practices to help others calm their minds, open their hearts and connect with their deepest resources to live their best lives. She has led creative wellness retreats in New York, Mexico and Italy and plans to lead more in the near future.

Dr. Karen Frances McCarthy is deeply interested in the intersections of literature, spirituality, and culture. She is an accredited medium, academic, and author who's bestselling book Till Death Don't Us Part has touched the hearts of many. Her writing often explores themes of continued consciousness, healing, and re-enchantment and encourages readers to engage deeply with questions of empathy, meaning, and human connection. www.karenfrancesmccarthy.com

Jean McClelland is on the faculty of the MFA Acting program at Columbia University. She has been a guest lecturer at William Paterson University since 1991 and was a New York Open Center faculty member for over 30 years. She has given workshops at drama and music schools, universities, and holistic learning centers throughout the country. www.jeanmcclellandvoice.com

Christopher McIntosh, DPhil, is a writer and historian specializing in the esoteric traditions of the West. He studied philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford, and German at London University, later returning to Oxford to take a doctorate in history with a dissertation on the 18th century Rosicrucian revival. He also has a diploma in Russian from the United Nations Language School from his time in New York as an Information Officer with the UN Development Programme. ozgard.net

Silvia Nakkach MA, MMT, is a Grammy-nominated composer, interdisciplinary vocal artist, Hindustani raga musician, and multihyphenate educator and scholar. Nakkach has released 18 albums, authored the book Free Your Voice, and offered significant scholarly contributions to the academic study of music and sound therapies. voxmundiproject.com

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

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

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

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

Janis Phelps, PhD, is the Director of the Psychedelic Therapies and Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies, developing and launching the first university accredited, post-graduate training program for psychedelic therapy and research.

Joy Pierson has written extensively about food and nutrition, and leads cooking classes, workshops and courses. She and her husband Bart Potenza are co-founders of the Candle restaurants in New York, and have authored three cookbooks: The Candle Cafe Cookbook, Candle 79 Cookbook and Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe. candlecafe.nyc

Daniel Pinchbeck is a philosopher, futurist and cultural critic. He helped to initiate the new psychedelic renaissance and consciousness movement through his books Breaking Open the Head, Quetzalcoatl Returns, and When Plants Dream (available on Amazon). His 2017 book How Soon Is Now explored the systemic changes needed to avert ecological collapse and near-term extinction. Daniel has written features for The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Wired, and elsewhere. He speaks at festivals and conferences around the world.

Judith Pintar is a storyteller, sociologist, and game designer whose academic expertise is in immersive narrative experiences. She is the director of Game Studies & Design at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. She previously led a collaborative Oracle Design workshop for the 2020 (online) Esoteric Quest. judithpintar.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

Rabbi Simcha Raphael, PhD, is Founding Director of the DA’AT Institute for Death Awareness, Advocacy and Training and has been a faculty member of the Art of Dying program since the first Open Center conference in 1995. He works as a transpersonal psychotherapist and bereavement counselor in the Philadelphia area, and has authored eight books on death and afterlife. daatinstitute.net

Wilka Roig, MA, MFA, is a transpersonal psychologist, death doula, grief counselor, dream worker, ordained minister, educator, facilitator, writer, Taoist Arts instructor musician, photographer, performance artist, silversmith, baker and myth maker. She is founder and president of Fundación Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (EKR) México Centro, deputy director of education of EKR Foundation Global, BIPOC/International advisor of the International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA), co-founder of Red Iberoamericana de Acompañamiento en la Muerte y el Duelo.

Jade Scarlett calls herself a “Creativity Possibilitarian,” which is a made-up term that perfectly describes what her life is all about―making living a creative life possible for everyone. She has been an organizer and promoter of classes for major retailers, museums, and public institutions — including Michael's, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the New York Public Library. She is skilled at designing curricula and projects that build confidence in beginners while keeping experienced students engaged. Jade is also known for an upbeat, patient teaching style, strong organization, and ease at adapting to new audiences and venues. jadescarlett.com

David Schechter is a multi-faceted theatre artist. He is a director, writer, lyricist and actor. His diverse body of work ranges from his direction and authorship of intimate one-person shows (Drama Desk Award honored, Off Broadway success, Hannah Senesh, Alice Without, Paganini, Double Crossed, etc) to opera. He is equally at home writing critically acclaimed screenplays for directors like Steve Buscemi and Stanley Tucci, as he is writing and/or directing original musicals for the Broadway and Off Broadway stage. davidschechter.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

Timothy Simonsen, on-line host and tech co-ordinator, is a musician, singer, recording artist, songwriter, and producer who has performed with The Roots, Bruno Mars, Lil Wayne and more. Touring keyboardist and vocalist with Gym Glass Heroes, he is a Breath Body Mind certified instructor and the online tech manager for the Breath Body Mind Foundation.

Nancy Slonim Aronie is a distinguished writer, teacher, a commentator for National Public Radio’s All Things Considered and founder of the Chilmark Writing Workshop on Martha’s Vineyard. She is the author of Writing From the Heart: Tapping the Power of Your Inner Voice; Memoir as Medicine; The Seven Secrets of Writing the Perfect Personal Essay; and Crafting the Story Only You Can Write. chilmarkwritingworkshop.com

Claude Stein is an internationally celebrated voice coach and a Multi-Platinum Award Winner. His clients include Grammy winners, senior executives, seasoned politicians, and premier rights advocates. His approach blends transformative performance techniques with an array of vocal skills that empower both novice and professional speakers. He is known world-wide for his ability to channel the beautiful melodies and messages that lie within each of us and has been a treasured faculty member at leading holistic centers across the country, since 1996, such as Omega Institute and the New York Open Center. www.claudestein.com

Alan Steinfeld is an author, lecturer, and producer of the popular YouTube channel NewRealities. His latest book, Making Contact: Preparing for the New Realities of Extraterrestrial Existence, reached No. 1 on Amazon in hardcover, audible and Kindle formats in the UFO category.

Gary B. Strauss, MS, RPP, PWE, is a renowned holistic healthcare practitioner and teacher with 30-plus years of experience in energy medicine, nutrition, and natural healing. He is a master practitioner and instructor of polarity therapy and the creator of Craniosacral Unwinding™, a synthesis of craniosacral and polarity therapies. lifeenergyinstittute.net

Ezra Sullivan moved to South America after high school in California to initiate an inquiry into the life of the human being and nature through meditation and agriculture. There he encountered the work of Rudolf Steiner, and upon returning to the United States after three years, he orientated his spiritual life toward Anthroposophy.

Peeka Trenkle is an herbalist, homeopath and spiritual counselor, and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in NYC. She created the Green Medicine program in 1996 and taught it for 26 years at the New York Open Center.

Suzi Tucker is a popular presenter, teacher, facilitator and writer. She is a cofounder of Zeig, Tucker & Theisen Publishers and also of the Bert Hellinger Institute, USA. She collaborated with Bert, the pioneer of Family Constellation Therapy, on most of his English language titles. suzitucker.com

Demitra Vassiliadis has been a practicing astrologer in NYC for 30 years whose services include natal chart, solar return and synastry readings, as well as electional astrology. She teaches at numerous holistic centers and has been a featured presenter at corporate retreats and special events. heaventoearthastrology.com

Cora Welsh, CCLS, MA, is the Program Manager of Pediatric Palliative Care at Johns Hopkins. She provides psycho-social support to patients and families as well as follow-up bereavement care. She has degrees in Child Life, Literature and Pastoral Care, and special interest in adolescents and informed decision-making at all stages of development.

Ralph White taught the first course on holistic learning at NYU, and is the author of The Jeweled Highway: On the Quest for a Life of Meaning. He is director of the New Center for Holistic Learning NY and was co-creator of the New York Open Center, the city's leading venue for holistic programs for over 35 years. Ralph also directs the Esoteric Quest, a series of international conferences on the Western Esoteric Tradition, and is a long-time student of Rudolf Steiner's work. www.ralphwhite.net, esotericquest.org

Nathaniel Williams, PhD, grew up in the Southeastern United States, and studied painting, puppetry and anthroposophy in Switzerland and political theory at the University at Albany. He is the leader of the “Section for the Spiritual Striving of the Youth” at the Goetheanum in Switzerland, an independent college dedicated to contemplative approaches to knowledge.

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

Karen Wyatt, MD, is a retired hospice physician and the author of the award-winning book 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying. She hosts the popular podcast End-of-Life University and is widely regarded as a thought leader in the effort to transform the way we care for the dying in the U.S. eoluniversity.com