Briel Beaty is a Traditional Western Herbalist and Co-Director of The Pennsylvania School of Herbal Studies. She is also the co-organizer of the Hawthorn Botanical Gathering that meets one weekend in June every year. She grew up in the PA forest learning about plants from her family from a young age. Her formal herbal education started in 2014 when she took Susan Hess's year long Homestead Herbalism Course and the following year attended the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine with 7Song where she went on to apprentice until 2018. She is also a certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor. She currently teaches and works with clients in State College, PA.

Jenn Dashem, Retreat Organizer, E-RYT, completed her Yoga Teacher Training at Lotus Seed in Portland, Oregon in 2009. She went on to co-found Karma Farm yoga studio in Walla Walla, WA where she also instructed yoga fundamentals and philosophy at Whitman College. Jenn has led classes locally at Wellness in Motion and world-wide on the Insight Timer app. She has presented at yoga festivals nation-wide and is thrilled to be organizing her first international retreat in Mexico, March 2025. Jenn and her husband, Matt are the local music duo, Anchor&Arrow and accompany many yoga special events. She will forever be a student of all disciplines of yoga and finds each one as fascinating and mind expanding as the next. Jenn aims to bring a light-hearted kindness to her classes as well as a feeling of safety and comfort.

Matt has been a musician since the age of 3, when he picked up his first violin. Playing everything from sax, to piano, to bass and guitar, he’s truly a one man band. Matt makes up half of the local duo, Anchor&Arrow with his wife, Jenn. He is a teacher of 18 years at Nittany Valley Charter School, where he teaches music and is a classroom teacher for grades 4-6.

Anna, Ph.D., E-RYT500, YACEP, Yoga Lab Co-Founder, is a yoga teacher, photographer, clinical psychologist, brain-imaging researcher, activewear designer, and co-founder of Yoga Lab. Her yoga teaching focuses on mindfulness, interconnectedness, sustainability, alignment and functional movement, and compassionate action, on and off the mat. She has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, and her clinical interests and academic research focus on stress, anxiety, depression, and their associated patterns of brain activity using fMRI. In 2013 she shifted her career from brain imaging research to focus on yoga, following her interest in experiential approaches to improving health and wellness. She now teaches yoga in the Kinesiology Department at Penn State, where she has earned Teaching Excellence Awards for her yoga teaching. She loves spending time in nature, hiking, and traveling the world, capturing moments of beauty with her camera. She created Sunny Get Up, an eco-friendly line of yoga clothes with designs drawn from her nature photography, to raise money for environmental charities. She hopes to inspire people to get up, get moving, and get involved in causes they care about to help make the world a better place."

Jeremy David Engels, Ph.D.,E-RYT500, YACEP, Yoga Lab Co-Founder, is an award-winning scholar and teacher committed to building wiser and more mindful democratic communities that can thrive in a world on fire. He is currently a Professor of Communication and Ethics at Penn State University. His students know him as the “bed-headed professor” and “yoga prof.” Formally trained as a scholar of American politics, culture, and rhetoric, he has been studying and practicing yoga and meditation for 25 years, and he brings the insights of his spiritual practice to bear on his scholarship and his scholarship to bear on his spiritual practice. He has authored four academic books, including, most recently, The Ethics of Oneness: Emerson, Whitman, and the Bhagavad Gita (University of Chicago Press, 2021). He is a co-founder of Yoga Lab Studio, and enjoys sharing practices that promote greater balance and deeper compassion with his community. He lives in State College, PA, with his brilliant wife Anna Sunderland Engels and two cuddly cats.

Nic(o)/le Gargiulo is a musician, artist, and expressive arts practitioner living on unceded Susquehannok land in the ridges and valleys of central Pennsylvania. Her life-work is informed by creative expression, somatic healing, Emergent Strategy, and mindfulness. She believes these practices are beautiful vessels for collective healing and aims to support others on their journey toward creative embodiment.

Nicole began practicing Yoga over 20 years ago for physical and mental well-being and, through her journey of practice and self-discovery, developed a desire to share her love of Yoga with others. Nicole is a 200 hour RYT, has a BFA in Dance, and has spent her professional career teaching and directing dance education programs. For the past 5 years, she has been living and teaching yoga in State College and is excited to play a part in Wellness in The Wild! Nicole’s Vinyasa class is a harmonious fusion of grounding & flow designed to help you relax & rejuvenate!

Michele is a mother, lover of central Pennsylvania food, and deputy director of The Cornucopia Institute. Yoga has been fundamental to her lifelong practice of closing the open windows in her mind. On Tuesday mornings you can find her at Boalsburg Yoga & Wellness Studio, where she teaches the Early Riser class and shares poetry that help us linger in the silence.

Rachel is the founder and creator of HealthMood, has 20+ years of experience in one on one personal training, group fitness, and boot camps. She is a former all-natural competitive bodybuilder, and nutrition coaching has been the thread weaving through it all with her focus on a whole food plant based lifestyle. As a Level 3 Usui, Holy Fire Reiki practitioner, she enjoys incorporating healing energy work into her practice as a deeper way to help her clients. Her online coaching community for helping women enhance their wellness and self confidence thrives with this powerful trifecta of fitness, nutrition, and soulcare. It is her passion and purpose behind her brand, HealthMood. Rachel lives in State College with her husband Johnny and their energetic pup May. The three of them love the outdoors and spending a lot of time at the beach. @rachel_mateo_

Joshua is a devoted servant to the awakening heart. Over the past 5 years, he has dedicated his time exploring the effects of sound on the brain and body, the medicinal and energetic benefits of cacao, the practice and teachings of the yogic path, and the potency of a single song. He has found that community is the heartbeat of these practices. In the words of Helen Keller, “alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”

Elaine is a passionate foodie for decades while focusing on her business, Webster’s Bookstore Cafe in downtown State College, PA since 1999. As someone who eats a plant based diet, she knows the power of food in fostering wellness in he own busy life and works to help others find the same joy she knows! A creative chef, she celebrates the variety of plants available in nutrient-dense meals. Elaine is currently completing her certification with Food Revolution Network to be a Whole Food Plant-Based Health Coach. Passionate about changing our toxic food culture, she is excited to share beautiful meals with guests and is always happy to answer questions.

Carolyne is a teacher of mindfulness, meditation, breath work and writing. She creates heart expanding gatherings that help us connect to ourselves and to heal through breath, music, poetry, and ritual. Carolyne holds a monthly breath circle at Boalsburg Yoga and Wellness and teaches breath work online. She is a teaching artist with Ridgelines Language Arts where she teaches writing as a healing practice. She writes Breath & Ink, a newsletter with heart centered practices, poetry and offerings at carolyne.meehan.substack.com

Beth is a Master Certified Life Coach and Wayfinder with a passion for helping others tap into their inner wisdom and live their best life. As the founder of The Grounded Canary, LLC, she brings her expertise to empower individuals through meaningful coaching and guidance. Beth is also the Director of Creative Content and Learning at Pivotal Moment Media, where she develops engaging educational programs and amplifies people's voices. She listens, reflects back and creates space for others from which they can grow. Beth thrives on connecting with others, building communities, and guiding individuals on their journey to personal fulfillment. She believes in empowering individuals to prioritize mental wellness, celebrating each person's unique journey of growth and self-discovery. She is a momma of three kiddos, a wife....and often plays pickleball, enjoys nature & dances her way thru life's music.

B.A., LMT, SI, MLD-C Amy's journey into the world of wellness and bodywork has been one of passion and purpose. Her extensive training and expertise in various healing modalities have honed her skills, making her a true master in her field. Whether you seek release from tension, revitalization of your spirit, or simply a moment to unwind from the stresses of daily life, Amy's intuitive touch and genuine compassion ensure that you leave feeling nurtured and deeply rejuvenated. Driven by her deep love for the healing arts and an unwavering dedication to helping others, Amy founded SHAPESHIFT STUDIO with a clear vision in mind. Her dream was to establish a sanctuary where every individual could find solace and personalized attention, nurturing a profound sense of relaxation and renewal for both the mind and body.

Lynn discovered Yoga in her late thirties after moving to the island of Kauai. She wandered into Yoga Hanalei looking for community and a path through unresolved grief. She found them both and met her teacher, Bhavani Maki. Lynn studied closely with Bhavani for 8 years, with a deep focus on alignment details and the Patanjali Yoga Sutra. Lynn completed her teacher training in 2009 and has been teaching ever since - leading yoga and meditation classes, asana and philosophy workshops, and assisting in Teacher Trainings in four states. Yoga will set you free, and Lynn considers it her Kuliana (responsibility and great privilege) to help her students discover that they are holding the keys.

Jennifer received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Photography from Penn State University. Jennifer has been a practicing herbalist and flower essence practitioner for over twenty-five years. She is a guest teacher and presenter in the community.

Fifteen years ago, Jennifer came to yoga looking for a way to strengthen her body and reduce anxiety. In addition to what she sought, she found a practice that fostered a reverence for life, nurtured a sacred space to let go of mental noise, and was joyfully fun! Her weekly classes at Wellness in Motion in State College provide an opportunity to drop in and cultivate a balance between strength and flexibility, effort and ease, and an inner and outward gaze. Jennifer offers a breath-inspired, mindful practice blending the elements of Hatha, Vinyasa, Pranayama, and meditation. She intends to provide space for reflection, rejuvenation, and reconnection with self. Satya Yoga (RYT 200); Satya Yoga Leadership I, Reiki I & II; Level 1 Baptiste, Journey into Power.