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Malidoma Somé, PhD
 Malidoma is one of today’s most eloquent champions of indigenous wisdom. His
life and teaching form a bridge between the traditional ways of his people, the
Dagara of West Africa – among whom he is an initiated elder – and the modern
world. He is a gifted medicine man and diviner, as well as a compelling teacher
and author.
Before his birth, in 1956, the elders of Malidoma’s village knew that his
purpose in coming into this world was to carry the message of indigenous
technology and spirituality to the western world, a place where modernity was
growing increasingly hungry for a reconnection to ancient wisdom. Little did he
know, as a young child, stolen from his family and village, that the years he
would spend under the harsh tutelage of the religious order would prepare the
way for the eventual challenge of integrating old and new, the sacred and the
mundane.
For more than twenty years, Malidoma has shared the ancient knowledge of his
tribe with people in the West who are increasingly disconnected from their
ancestors, spirit, and the richness of life in community. His voice awakens in
our hearts the recognition that we are all born with a life purpose to fulfill
and that we can do so in a deep and abiding relationship with all beings. Dr.
Somé is the author of several books, including Ritual: Power, Healing and
Community, The Healing Wisdom of Africa, and his acclaimed
autobiography, Of Water and the Spirit.
Tasha Simms
 Tasha is a registered counsellor with a private practice in Vancouver, B.C. She
works with individuals, families and couples integrating a variety of
disciplines including Family Systems Theory, Gestalt, as well as Cognitive and
Psycho/Spiritual orientations.
She is also an actor, writer, teacher and workshop facilitator who holds a
Masters degree in Counselling Psychology. Her passion is supporting the
expression of the authentic self through teaching self acceptance in all our
human aspects, both shadow and light.
Tasha has been a student of A Course in Miracles for over a decade and has
taught and contributed to all levels of the Personal growth /Practioners
Training Program at Clearmind International in Vancouver. She is a co-creator of
the Women's Workshop, Drawing Down the Moon, Clearmind's Assistants Training and
the International Leadership Workshop, The Summit.
As a certified Master Neuro Linguistic Programming facilitator trained in body
work, energy healing and hypnotherapy, her latest contribution is an audio
series called Body Awareness Training designed to support living fully in the
body with feeling and consciousness.
Tasha's integrity, compassion and celebration of life are some of the gifts she
brings to her commitment to be of service to those wishing a full expansion into
their spiritual and human purpose. She believes that everyone's birthright is a
life of juicy, passionate, free expression, joyfully human yet in perfect
alignment with spirit.
Ian Barhydt
 Ian is a Canadian living in Stockholm, Sweden, Ian is currently the Head
Therapist at Wäxthuset’s Holistic Rehab Centre in Sweden. Wäxthuset is a
residential rehab centre for drug addicts, alcoholics and others with
depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc. He has worked there for the past
twelve years and brings over twenty years of experience working as a teacher,
group leader and psychotherapist in personal development and spiritual practice.
Originally trained by a Master of Self-Healing in the Toronto area he has worked
intensively with A Course in Miracles for many years and uses a direct,
practical and meaningful way to apply it to the varied and rather serious
suffering that people recovering from substance abuse, trauma and dysfunctional
lifestyles experience. He is also a Hatha yoga teacher and has many years of
meditation practice, along with many years of experience in Rebirthing breathing
work.
Ian’s warm, direct and often humorous approach to this work helps him to be an
effective and dynamic group and course leader. He also has his own practice in
Stockholm and works at a local community college as an outdoor high ropes course
leader. He is the father of two young miracle boys aged 6 and 8.
 Satyen Raja
& Suzanne Raja
Satyen’s deepest purpose for living is to make it possible for others to Awaken
in a way that is real, practical and sustainable. Each step on the Path of the
WarriorSage reflects a step in Satyen’s own life and an offering of his purpose.
Sex, Passion & Enlightenment, Living Ecstasy, The Illumination Intensive, Money
Mastery, Spiritual Adventure Journeys, The Awakening of the WarriorSage…each
step is a transformation, a portal to the permanent Awakening of your soul.
Satyen’s single greatest accomplishment and his true legacy is his continuing
conscious choice, his unwavering practice, to open his heart. To really
understand anything else about this man, you must first recognize this.
Satyen is the President and founder of WarriorSage, one of the leading spiritual
growth organizations in the world. His company’s success is a testament to the
trainings he offers. Every detail of the company, from office relationships to
financial management, is run on the same principles that are taught in his
workshops. That WarriorSage is highly successful in an industry where financial
success is rare is evidence of Satyen’s business ingenuity and spiritual
integrity.
Satyen’s goal today is to offer you what really works in Real Time. The
Path of the WarriorSage is your Path. It is your choice to wake up into what is
possible. Your birthright is Prosperity and Ecstasy, but because the world has
become so convoluted, you have to claim it through intention, choice, action and
practice. The Path of the WarriorSage is a direct route to sustained Peace and
Freedom.
Suzanne Raja
Suzanne is the embodiment of true Feminine radiance and of deep Feminine power.
Simply being in Suzanne’s presence brings men into their depth and women into
their natural glow. Suzanne does not just practice what she teaches, she is what
she teaches. Suzanne is Love.
Following a childhood in her native Jamaica, Suzanne formally studied and
experienced traditions and teachings from around the world. She has taught on
nearly every continent and in over 15 countries reaching thousands and thousands
of students with the wisdom of open-hearted practice.
Suzanne and Satyen have been together for more than 22 years. They were high
school friends who turned into sweethearts. They have faced almost everything
there is to face in relationship. When they are in a room together you can feel
their humour, their experience and their union. Suzanne and Satyen are so real
and exposed that it is fun to be with them. As a couple they emanate passion and
possibility.
Suzanne is a living invitation. She invites men to live as their deepest
presence in order to fulfill their genuine purpose and to offer their direction
in the world. Suzanne invites women to replenish, to laugh easily, to dance
freely and to rest openly, all in the midst of life. Students do whatever they
can in order to personally experience Suzanne as a teacher and as a mentor
because of how deeply she connects and how gently she passes wisdom. Suzanne
demonstrates that true power is subtle, and that it is possible for all of our
lessons to come encased in Love. As our world heads into a new era, it is
teachers like Suzanne who will lead the way.
Mahara Brenna
 Mahara is a Master Rebirther with over 30 years teaching Holistic Rebirthing
throughout Canada, U.S.A., Europe and Australia. At the age of 23, Mahara healed
a lifetime of epilepsy through this powerful healing modality. She is also a
Holistic Health Educator, Mediator, Community Builder, Performer and Speaker.
She has been dynamically leading community building on campuses and for
conferences for the past 25 years and designs and facilitates special events for
the upliftment and unification of our Family of Humankind.
Mahara is known as a "Mid-Wife for Souls", a "Planetary Change-Agent" and has
been teaching many workshops including ones on the Divine Feminine since the
80's. As a Priestess, Mahara is often invited to open events with sacred
ceremony, and as a Minister, Mahara performs specially designed marriages and
memorial services.
The foundation of her teachings are based on the ancient knowledge of the
Ascended Masters, A Course In Miracles and the integration of psychology,
spirituality and shamanism. She is proudly one of the founding members of the
Akasha Mystery School and the Radiant Rose Academy.
Ela Rezmer
 By placing faith in current circumstances, whether good or bad, Ela believes
that solutions confidently arise and deliver the best possible outcome. She is
very energetic, fun-loving, and loves to work with teens. Ela wants to improve
people's lives and guide them toward joy, meaning and purpose.
As an Interior Architect, Ela’s most passionate desire is to create a unique,
personalized environment that delights the eye, invigorates the senses, inspires
minds, entices imagination, heals and refreshes the soul. Further illustrating
her dedication to artistic expression, she enjoys creating playful and engaging
projects. Recently she designed a bench for a public sitting design competition
for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. When Ela enlisted help of her teenage
children David and Daniel, they designed a bench named “Friends” that mimics two
people with open arms.
Ela has a wide variety of education in the design field & she graduated with a
Masters Degree in Interior Architecture at the Faculty of Architecture &
Industrial Design of Academy of Fine Arts in Europe. Influenced by European
design, her natural style is simple and elegant, incorporating contemporary
architectural features.
During Teen Journey she will be leading the sculpturing workshop.
Chris Fletcher
 Chris resides on the beautiful Sunshine Coast, B.C. with his wife Jennifer and
their two children Braydon and Reese. Chris received his Bachelor of Arts Degree
from Simon Fraser University, obtaining a major in Criminology and a minor in
Psychology. He has over 22 years experience working with youth identified as
having the highest risk and greatest needs in the province.
Chris initially started working as a Residential Youth Care Worker in group home
settings. He then moved into the Senior Youth Care Counselling position at a
high profile alternate school, serving the the Lower Fraser Valley. He provided
individual, group and family counselling for youth, foster parents, and family
members. Chris was also the Director for the work experience/life
skills/recreation program at the Alternate School, providing and supervising job
training and job placement.
He also created an outdoors program focused on self-esteem building. This
assisted youth in working through their barriers at a life changing level.
Additionally, Chris has specialized training in Conflict Resolution. He teaches
bullying and Anger Prevention courses in High School and Employment Center
settings, for both youth and their parents. He is also trained in addictions
counselling, suicide intervention, and has experience running support groups for
children of divorce, physical and sexual abuse, autism, and special needs.
Leonard Howell
 Leonard is renowned throughout the world, especially in North America. He is
today’s wisdom keeper, shamanic healer, qualified cultural facilitator, teacher,
storyteller, actor and singer/flutist song keeper.
Leonard draws his knowledge and voice from his Mother’s ancestors, the Native
Americans (Lakota Sioux) and his father’s Welsh Celtic heritage, while keeping
in the forefront with today’s discoveries through his extensive travels. His
wisdom is shared through consultations, workshops, and concerts.
The many events he hosts are practical workshops on shamanism, sacred geometry
walks, nature journeys and mountain expeditions, healing circles, medicine
wheels, drumming, singing and individual counseling. People that Leonard has
worked with are James Twyman, Doreen Virtue and Dr. Norma Milanovich to name a
few.
Seattle’s Contact Radio, Hollywood’s Angel Television and Canada’s CBC are just
some of the places where he has been featured. The enduring compassion and
understanding of this calming voice brings grace and beauty to every workshop he
facilitates.
Navaro Franco
 Navaro's work is inspired by ancient traditions of earth based music, rhythm,
and dance. She is deeply interested in the current movement of traditional
knowledge into present day context, and how it supports consciousness,
community, and healing in our modern world.
Navaro has spent 27 years dancing and playing Drums & Percussion within
community and professional music groups, and taught thousands of adults and
children in private, corporate, school and retreat center settings. She has
studied widely, spending 3 years in the Zimbabwean Music community in Canada,
with studies in Southern Africa, and also spent 3 years studying and performing
Babatunde Olatunji's music as a key member of Gordy Ryan's Cortes Island
Group, 25 piece drum ensemble, Island Rhythm. She is a regular presenter
and feature performer at the Seattle World Rhythm Festival. Navaro
co-created for 4 years with Vancouver percussionist, world music specialist Pepe
Danza, in duet performance and teaching work as well as co-directing Pepe's band
Drum Prayers. She currently co-creates DivaDrum, an all female Rhythm &
Movement Trio. Her drumming training includes a smattering of Brazilian
Batucada and Japanese Taiko Drumming. Navaro is also a dancer who has
worked with tribal, trance, ecstatic and healing movement forms since 1981. She
has led 'Earth Prayers Ecstatic Dance' healing movement journeys for the past 7
years.
Joseph 'Pepe' Danza
 Pepe
is an electrifying percussionist and multi- instrumentalist. A
native of Montevideo, Uruguay, he began classical guitar
studies at age eight, and started his professional career at thirteen. He
continued his studies in guitar as well as in piano, composition, music
history and the physics of sound at the National Conservatory.
All along he was naturally immersed in his native Candombe rhythms, the
national groove of Uruguay and a fundamental element in the identity of all
Uruguayans.
Pepe developed an early keen interest in world music and different
expressions of spirituality which eventually led him to spend three years in
Japan studying Shakuhachi and Buddhism , another two years
in India and Sri Lanka for Indian music, Yoga and Tibetan
Buddhism, Brazil for studies in Afro-Brazilian practices, Samba and
Bossa Nova music, and shorter periods in Indonesia (studying gamelan),
Korea and the Philippines. He also has lived several years in
Europe and the USA, performing and recording Latin
, Jazz and Contemporary music with a number of local
ensembles, and studying systems such as Sufism and the Gurdjieff Work.
Moving to Canada in 1989 he specialized in the study of world
percussion while quickly establishing himself as one of the foremost
drummers and band leaders on the West Coast. His credits include
performances with South Indian master drummer Trichy Shankaran,
singers Ann Mortifee and Christine Ducan, the
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir, and concert
tours throughout Europe, Asia and New Zealand. In his extensive touring he
has shared the stage with the likes of Ani DiFranco, Oscar
Lopez, the Dalai Lama and David Lindley. Pepe is the leader of
his own groups: Drum Prayers, a multi-cultural drumming ensemble,
and the recently formed Roots/Blues group The Blues Poets. He also
tours as a solo artist.
As a teacher Pepe
has been working with Vancouver's School Board, teaching Samba
music to children of all ages and workshops for music teachers. He is
presently working with the youth Marimba group Kunaka. He also
conducts group and private percussion lessons for adults at home, and
travels across British Columbia giving two or three day intensive workshops.
He has received countless award nominations including Musician of the
Year in 1999 (West Coast Music Awards), Juno for his
work with Asza, Leo awards for his work in film music, and
Jessie awards for his theater scores.
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