A-K

Heather Dawn

Background: 

Heather Dawn is a New York native who started her health and wellness education on the east coast. While pursuing her BA in psychology and theater at Hofstra University, she developed her innate intuitive gift and became a certified Reiki Master specializing in crystal therapy. In addition, Heather is a certified Yoga instructor (E-RYT 200 and 500), Personal Transformation coach, intuitive and meditation teacher in Los Angeles.

classes taught at unplug:

  • Restore with Crystals, Aromatherapy & Reiki

  • Visualization with Aromatherapy & Reiki

Why I practice meditation:

Heather was first introduced (and trained) in meditation through creative visualization and guided imagery. She started her meditation practice to help ease her own emotional discord and challenges. She further developed her meditation practice by attending a Tibetan Buddhist temple for nearly two years where she thoroughly enjoyed their mantra based meditations. Her most recent passions are with with mindfulness based meditation techniques, which she integrated into her yoga classes creating a program called “Conscious Flow”.

Why I teach meditation:

Heather is extremely passionate about teaching meditation and the mind-body connection as she has experienced first hand the immense healing and health benefits it provides. She understands that sometimes life happens to us despite what we want or hope and we can all use a helping hand. In working with Heather you get the humor and compassion her students love, the magic of her intuition and the traditional education and expertise you would expect from any professional.    
Visit her at www.bodymuse.com

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Anika Patel

Background:

Anika offers a fresh approach to self-help by combining her deep knowledge and expertise in mind-body science with simple techniques that allow people to easily apply in their own lives and reap immediate benefits. Her classes are highly experiential and leave her clients feeling clearer, calmer and more confident to create the results they want.

Classes/privates taught at Unplug:

**Anika's classes are only available on the Unplug App (purple icon). The titles of her videos are:

  • Making Sh*t Happen

  • Dissolving Difficulties

Why I practice meditation:

Aside from all the incredible health benefits, I find it one of the best (and cheapest!) ways to get back to what really matters, fast.

Why I teach meditation:

Learning how to quieten and focus my mind is without a doubt the best skill I have ever learnt. Helping others learn how to cultivate this skill is hugely rewarding and also helps deepens my own practice.

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Connect with Anika:

 

Shannon Algeo

Background:

Shannon Algeo is a speaker, coach, and yoga + meditation teacher who has helped thousands of people around the globe tune into their life’s purpose and activate transformative personal and career growth. He is the founder of SoulFeed, the iTunes Top Self-Help Podcast, where he interviews inspirational leaders like Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Seane Corn, Gabby Bernstein, and more. Shannon was named one of the “Nicest Instructors in New York City” by RateYourBurn for his work as a yoga teacher and his coaching intuition has been called a “gift to the wellbeing community.” He leads corporate mindfulness programs for companies like the global non-profit (RED) founded by Bono as well as several start up companies. In addition to giving talks for lululemon and Wanderlust, Shannon was invited to speak for the United Nations at the "Yoga and the UN Culture of Peace." Shannon is a co-founder of Awaken.Yoga, a online sacred space for you to practice yoga + meditation so that you can tune into yourself and practice whenever you want.

Why I practice meditation:

In our culture of over-achieving, external validation, and incessant doing, mediation allows me to radically defy the pressure to keep going, press the pause button, and experience my own being. Every time I sit, I am gifted the opportunity to be still, listen, receive, and begin again. I love experiencing glimpses of deep peace. Meditation reminds me that I can consciously choose respond to life with love instead of unconsciously react to life from fear.

Why I teach meditation:

Our inner environment informs the way we see and show up in the world. I believe that in order to create a rippling vibration of peace on the planet, we must know and embody the experience of peace within ourselves. It is a great honor and privilege to facilitate and guide people into a deeply relaxed state of rest and peace. 

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Janae Archuleta

Background:

Janae is an Empath, Tarot reader, Clairvoyant, Medium and workshop facilitator/teacher of healing arts and metaphysics. Janae has a background working in Upper Management in Corporate America, for many years. A job offer brought her to Los Angeles in 2012, but deep down, she always knew she was not fulfilling her Highest Purpose.

She was born and raised in New Mexico, and in an environment of holistic and alternative healing. She comes from a family of healers. She began training in healing arts, mostly for the sake of  2013, she answered the calling to embark on a journey in Healing Arts, professionally. She is dedicated to continued self-work in order to be a fit vessel for higher consciousness.

Janae holds several certifications including Holy Fire Reiki Master ART, Reiki Ryoho (Shoden and Okuden), Sound Healing, Crystal and Vibrational Healing, Emotional Freedom Technique, Tarot and Psychic Reading. She also practices Shamanism, in which her training is ongoing.

Her experience and training in various modalities allow her to create a uniquely, well-rounded and deeply healing experience. In addition to individual healing sessions, she also facilitates soundbaths, meditation and Tarot workshops and offers Tarot readings at various locations in the Los Angeles area.

Why I practice meditation:

I discovered meditation seeking peace amidst chaos, and found so much more. Meditation helps me maintain balance and harmony within, connection to my Higher Self, and a state of Oneness.

Why I teach meditation:

To help others journey to the inner dimensional awareness of their greater being and unlock their own light within. I have a passionate interest in elevating, as a community, to a higher state of consciousness.

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Connect with Janae:

Avery Whitmore

Background:

Avery is a healing artist deeply committed to the transformative powers of personal healing through the creative process. Via the breath, sound, reiki, applied kinesiology and bodywork, Avery’s unique approach allows him to facilitate healing to all walks of life.
Born and raised in Ohio to body and energy workers, Avery was exposed to various forms of healing at a young age. It has been his own experience, transformation and breakthroughs from this work that has inspired him to learn and share these sacred modalities with others.

Why I practice meditation:

My practice of meditation is an essential part of my life. I begin at the start of the
day, so that when I engage with the world I am grounded, centered, and my
vibration is prepared. It is from this space that I cultivate clarity and compassion,
with which I am better able to communicate and express myself.

Why I teach meditation:

It is my personal calling to be of service to others, which has led me to teach
meditation. I’m passionate about helping others cultivate the same tools that have
supported me in my spiritual journey. Teaching gives me the opportunity to
continually learn, grow, and creatively expand.

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Eric Mellgren

Background:

Eric Mellgren started a company called Vigilant Healing Solutions with his business partner Matt Faldmo. In 2015, Eric became certified in Nutritional Therapy with the NTA program. After learning about how stress directly affects how people process or don't process nutrients from the foods they eat, Eric started looking for ways to help. After performing a sound bath at the Integratron in Joshua Tree, it sparked Eric's interest in the energy and sound healing world. He finished both sound therapy (tuning the human biofield by Eileen McKusik) and Reiki Masters (Dr Usui taught by Lori Torok) certifications in 2017 and began group and private sound guided meditations. After being in the high paced, highly stressful, and anxiety laced corporate environment for 13 years, Eric is eager to bring alternative therapy for everyday people. This next step in Eric's life is his passion and path, and he is looking to spread the love as much as he can.

Why I practice meditation:

For Clarity and Ideas, For Balance and Harmony. To bring this world I live in into perspective and know that I have to power to create. Clearing the canvas to paint the life I want to live.

Why I teach meditation:

To Help people realize they can do this for themselves. That they are not in it alone. There is nothing "out there” about this work. And I believe I can relate to most and can guide them to start creating their own happy harmonious lives.

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Amanda Gilbert

Background:

Amanda Gilbert is a meditation and mindfulness teacher who has been a practitioner of meditation for over a decade. Her formal training is in mindfulness meditation and mantra meditation, she is a qualified mindfulness-based eating awareness instructor, and is certified in meditation facilitation with UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center and The Chopra Center for Wellbeing. Before dedicating herself to teaching full-time, Amanda was Center Director for The Aging Metabolism and Emotions Center at UCSF, conducting clinical research investigating the biological and psychological affects of mindfulness and meditation. Currently, she teaches publicly, privately, and in corporations across Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. Her curriculum for mindfulness in the workplace is taught in 10 cities across the US.

Why I practice meditation:

Meditation changed my entire life when I began a consistent practice. It allowed me to live a life based in wellbeing, health, and inner happiness. This is why I meditate. It makes me feel better everyday and I get to share this feeling of fulfillment with anyone I meet.

Why I teach meditation:

I know no better way to feel better and live our most optimal lives. I teach meditation because I know from my own personal experience and through scientific research that it has the ability to help us navigate daily stress and challenges with wisdom and grace, meet each moment with more clarity, and grow our sense of wellbeing and inner peace. 

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Amy Sandler

Background:

A funny thing happened to Amy Sandler after getting her MBA at Harvard: she went to film school and became a meditation expert. Amy has more than 20 years experience in the healing arts — including training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR); Reiki and other energy modalities; yoga, Buddhist and Shamanic practices; and certification as a breathwork teacher. Amy is a trained group facilitator and works with peer-networking organizations including Vistage, YPO and Circles. One of the first 30 certified teachers of Search Inside Yourself, Google’s top leadership development program, and a coach for Radical Candor, Amy helps leaders and teams align their purpose and optimize performance through neuroscience-based mindfulness and resilience training. A professional speaker, Amy is featured on the Simple Habit app and has taught meditation and emotional intelligence to thousands of busy people all over the world.

Why I practice meditation:

As a recovering perfectionist, I’ve found that practice doesn’t make perfect; practice is perfect. I’ve performed stand-up comedy; I’ve traveled around the world and I have walked on fire (five times). Meditation reminds me of who I am and why I am here. Meditation makes life feel easy, even when it’s not. Sometimes it’s even better than ice cream.

Why I teach meditation:

I have found that there is no better way to master something than to teach it. I teach to honor those I have learned from, and to share the many gifts I have received. I have studied with the world’s top experts in dozens of fields, but my greatest teachers will always be an 80 lb. Newfoundland/Labrador mix named Grizz and a cat named Bam Bam. They both passed away from cancer, but not until giving me two staph infections and countless scratches (the cat, of course), and the ultimate lessons in love and letting go. I teach because inner peace is a prerequisite for outer peace.

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Connect with Amy:

Unplug Meditation

12401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 101 Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 826-8899

info@unplug.com