Keynote speakers, presenters, panelists, workshop leaders, practitioners, teachers and visionaries are bringing their unique energy and wisdom to the Wellness Immersion at Sunrise Ranch, Aug 8–10
Keynote speaker
Julia Butterfly Hill (activist and author)
Renowned for her legendary 738-day tree-sit in a 1,000-year-old California redwood, Julia is a global voice in environmental activism and personal transformation. In 1997, during a standoff with a logging company in Humboldt County, Julia climbed the 200-foot tree, planning to stay for just a week. Her act of courage became a global symbol of environmental activism, and the tree—now known as Luna—stands as a living testament to her commitment.
Julia, with the great help of steelworkers and environmentalists, successfully negotiated to permanently protect the 1,000-year-old tree and a nearly three–acre buffer zone. Her two-year vigil informed the public that only 3 percent of the ancient redwood forests remain and that the Headwaters Forest Agreement, brokered by state and federal agencies and Pacific Lumber/Maxxam Corporation, will not adequately protect forests and species.
On December 18, 1999, Julia Butterfly Hill, then 25, came down to a world that recognized her as a heroine and powerful voice for the environment. Her courage, commitment and profound clarity in articulating a message of hope, empowerment, and love and respect for all life, has inspired millions of people worldwide.
Julia’s keynote topic: Bringing Our Best Selves to our Hurting World: Personal Ecology and Planetary Ecology Are All Connected. How to help avoid or heal burnout, renew, rejuvenate, and inspire ourselves and others to show up with our highest calling and gifts.
Her Sunday workshop will be: Crisis to Chrysalis: Teachings from the Butterfly on how to transform the unknown and fear into courage and capacity.
Julia will also be reciting some of her poetry at the Bohemian Cafe on Thursday, August 7, at Sunrise Ranch.
Featured speakers
David Karchere (author and Spiritual Director at Sunrise Ranch)
David Karchere is an author, speaker, and spiritual teacher committed to awakening individuals to their highest potential. With a focus on emotional and spiritual healing, he inspires transformation through his global initiatives, workshops, and writings. His latest book, Primal Christianity: Uncovering the Original Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, along with other works, such as Becoming a Sun and Attunement, explores the integration of personal health with universal consciousness.
Learn more at his website, davidkarchere.com
Brigitte Mars (herbalist, author and educator)
A pioneer in plant-based wellness, Brigitte blends ancient herbal wisdom with modern holistic practices to promote healing and vitality.
As an herbalist, author, professor, and nutritional consultant, Brigitte Mars brings more than 60 years of experience to the table. Her passion for natural health is contagious, and she’s excited to help others navigate the world of wellness.
Brigitte is the author of Natural Remedies for Mental and Emotional Health, Dandelion Medicine, and Addiction Free Naturally.
Find out more about Brigitte and her work here.
Ed Goodman (Lifedesign facilitator and experience designer)
A visionary in experience design, Spiral Thinking, and functional creativity, Ed helps individuals and organizations like Disney bring their boldest dreams to life.
Ed’s creative strategy, inventive thinking and management style have enabled him to navigate multiple career paths, rising to executive levels in entertainment, engineering, community design, marketing, branding, technology, organizational ecology, dreamscaping, experience design and more.
He has more than 30 years of interdisciplinary problem-solving experience, with consistent effectiveness in ideation and implementation of optimal solutions.
Dr. Sharon Montes (holistic physician)
Dr. Sharon Montes is a holistic physician with more than 30 years in family medicine, focusing on integrating mind, body, and spirit in healing.
She empowers patients with practical, compassionate care, blending traditional and alternative medicine for wellness.
Her upcoming lecture will cover “Healing the Healer,” and she will also lead a workshop on “Introduction to Mushroom Wellness.” You can learn more about her here:
LivingWellWholeHealth.com
Ahva Lenay (ceremonial guide, master facilitator)
Ahva Lenay is a beloved ceremonial guide, ordained minister and master facilitator who brings decades of experience in transformational ritual, ecstatic dance, conflict resolution, and embodied soul work. With deep roots in bioenergetics, bodywork, and shamanic practice,
she creates spaces where hearts open, bodies awaken and spirit leads the way forward.
Bridging ancient wisdom and modern embodiment modalities, she has cultivated a profound ability to track subtle realms, seen and unseen, creating sacred spaces where community meets heart to heart encountering their own soul genius, individually and collectively.
As Founder of Rhythm Sanctuary Ecstatic Dance Ritual in Denver, she has midwifed a thriving dance community rooted in connection, celebration and spirit-led evolution.
Allison Al-Khemia (business and health coach)
Allison Al-Khemia helps new paradigm medical professionals grow their businesses via quantum manifestation, human design and business growth strategies so they can make a larger impact on the world.
Allison holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biblical Studies, is certified in Sales and Marketing by Design (Human Design), Functional Medicine Health Coaching, and CranioSacral Therapy. As coach, healer, and business owner for 20 years, she has extensive experience in medical studies, writing, editing, classical music, project development, and business expansion.
Teaching her clients how to quantum leap as a matter of course, and manifest literally anything, is what excites Allison most about the work she is privileged to do everyday.
Learn more at alchemywithallison.com
Anastacia Dadashpour (author, peacemaker)
Anastacia Dadashpour is the author of Love, A Manual for Humanity, a book written in response to her long quest to answer the question: How do we create peace?
She completed her graduate work looking at Human Rights and Conflict Resolution in the Middle East. As a former journalist, focusing on documenting stories of less privileged individuals and communities, she dedicated herself to looking at power, privilege and the drive of the human spirit.
Anastacia has sought to cultivate an ongoing investigation into the nature and potency of the human spirit. She has been influenced by Kundalini yoga, Vipassana meditation and ecstatic dance.
Her workshop title is Being the Peace our World Needs.
Gary Goodhue (teacher and poet)
Gary Goodhue is a student and teacher of consciousness and creation. Living and working at Sunrise Ranch, he serves as associate faculty for the Full Self Emergence and Primal Spirituality programs. He is the Director of Community Coordination at Sunrise Ranch.
Gary supports healthy relationships and conflict resolution as a Restorative Circle facilitator and Unitive Justice trainer for Northern Colorado.
As a wordsmith, he enjoys teaching, public speaking and performing his original high-vibrational spoken-word poetry. His focus is on bringing deep principles of truth and love into practical, everyday application. The results are increased presence, clarity, peace, focus and power.
Lana Roach (practitioner of herbal and plant spirit medicine)
Lana Roach is a passionate practitioner of herbal healing and plant spirit medicine. With over a decade of experience, she has dedicated her life to understanding and teaching the ancient wisdom of communicating with plant spirits to heal and enhance our well-being.
Lana combines traditional knowledge with modern practices to offer transformative workshops that reconnect us with nature’s profound healing energies.
Bexx Taran Shanti (yoga and meditation teacher, herbalist)
Bexx Taran Shanti is a yoga instructor, meditation teacher, herbalist, and master energy healing practitioner and teacher with over 20 years of experience, specializing in kundalini awakening and spiritual transformation. Her journey has taken her to the sacred Himalayas of India, where she taught yoga and deepened her understanding of the alchemy of mind, body, and spirit through practices that awaken and harmonize kundalini energy.
Guided by compassion and the belief that our experiences are meant to be shared, Bexx weaves her ongoing studies in Ayurveda, yoga therapy, and energy work into her teachings, creating a welcoming space for students to awaken their inner light, access their highest potential, and transform challenges into opportunities for healing and growth.
Michael Redhawk Rodriguez (yoga teacher and sound healer)
Michael Redhawk Rodriguez has been a yoga teacher since 2016, guiding sound healing sessions at festivals like Arise and Sonic Bloom, and in Fort Collins studios. Certified RYT 200, he blends yoga, kriya, and acoustic sound baths for holistic healing.
Kriya Yoga Sound Healing with Handpan and Didgeridoo — join Mike, RYT 200 and Reiki Usui L2, for a yoga experience combining hatha, vinyasa, and breathwork, enhanced by the handpan, didgeridoo, and singing bowls for all ages and abilities.
Dr. Stephanie Thomas (founder of Happy Gut Healthy Mind Nutrition)
Dr. Stephanie Thomas, PharmD, NTP, CGP, is the founder of Happy Gut Healthy Mind Nutrition based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With a unique background as a Doctor of Pharmacy, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, and Certified GAPS Practitioner, she integrates holistic, evidence-informed strategies to support whole-body health—placing the gut and proper nutrition at the center of physical and mental well-being.
Blending the insights of modern science with the timeless wisdom of ancestral traditions, Dr. Thomas is dedicated to challenging the dogmatic assumptions of conventional medicine, particularly its narrow focus on symptom suppression. She advocates for a root-cause approach that honors the body’s innate capacity to heal when supported with real nourishment, thoughtful care, and a return to foundational health principles.
In a culture saturated with misinformation about food and wellness, she empowers individuals and families with practical guidance to make informed, life-enriching choices.
Emily Glenn (Advanced Holistic Health and Wellness Coach)
Emily Glenn is a Registered Nurse with 20 years of experience as an inpatient nurse and House Supervisor Leader in Northern Colorado hospitals. She was also part of the Incident Command Covid Response Team for Northern Colorado.
Emily is now an Advanced Holistic Health and Wellness Coach and Board-Certified Nurse Coach, owning Fully Aware Wellness Coaching. She also offers Holistic High Performance Coaching to individuals aiming for long-term success while maintaining positive well-being and relationships. Emily incorporates her love for the outdoors into her coaching, even leading women’s backpacking retreats and nature coaching experiences.
Dr. Laura Lasater (physician, mystic, author, and coach)
Dr. Laura Lasater is a former Internal Medicine physician, mother of two wonderful daughters, mystic, author, and permaculture enthusiast.
After many years of practice at Denver Health and other sites, Laura left Western Medicine because she realized she was not equipped to address the fact that most diseases start at a much deeper level than the physical. She felt out of integrity prescribing pharmaceuticals that often only provided a BandAid approach. She obtained additional training in qigong, Healing Touch, tapping, Classical Five Element Acupuncture, medical cannabis, shamanic practices, and, most recently, Soul-based coaching. She believes that the deepest healing lies in coming home to ourselves and restoring our connection with all of life.
Laura offers transformational coaching focused on helping people access their own inner wisdom and healer. She specializes in helping people navigating spiritual awakening or who are at a crossroads in their lives and want more clarity, ease and creativity in navigating uncertainty and change.
During her workshop, “Emotional Freedom Techniques to Liberate Your Spirit,” Laura will offer simple energetic tools to regulate your nervous system so you can access higher centers in the brain, rewire limiting beliefs and clear judgments that block love.
Coco O'Connor (yoga teacher)
Beginning her yoga journey in 2006, Coco O’Connor immediately found the practice to provide benefits far beyond the physical. She has been humbled to study under teachers around the world, and hopes to remain a constant student on this spiritual path.
Coco carries a 500-hour certification in yoga instruction as well as a Reiki Level 1 certification, both of which help provide supportive classes structured around discovering energetic alignment from within.
Her classes often incorporate singing bowls, yoga props, yogic philosophy and community involvement. Her teaching incorporates solo and partner Hatha, Meditation, Nada, Nidra, Restorative, Vinyasa and Yin styles.
Coco finds importance in creating safe spaces, with classes providing options to accommodate everyBODY to show up to their mat as they are. Coco truly believes that if you can breathe, you can do yoga.
Jess Erickson (fusion belly dance instructor and performer)
Jess Erickson is a fusion belly dance instructor and performer, a somatic practitioner, and change worker.
Jess believes that movement is innately healing and she thrives when sharing the joy, freedom, and fun of fusion dance. Jess also loves emotions, all things healing, and helping others to feel better and have more emotional resilience and agency.
Keahi Ewa (hula practitioner)
For Keahi Ewa, hula holds a special place in her heart, serving as a bridge between her Hawaiian heritage and her spiritual journey. As a practitioner of hula, Keahi finds solace and inspiration in the rhythmic movements and melodic chants of her ancestors. Through hula, she connects with the land, the sea, and the spirit of aloha that permeates Hawaiian culture.
Hula is not just a dance for Keahi—it’s a way of life, a sacred practice that grounds her in her roots and reminds her of the interconnectedness of all things. Whether performing on stage or practicing in solitude, Keahi’s love for hula shines through, a testament to the enduring power and beauty of this ancient art form.
Connie Baxter Marlow and Andrew Cameron Bailey
Andrew Cameron Bailey and Connie Baxter Marlow are original thinkers, writers, photographers, filmmakers, futurists, climate “solutionaries” and inspirational public speakers. Their explorations into the essence of Reality have led to a unique articulation of the conscious, loving, abundant nature of the Universe.
In their book, The Trust Frequency: Ten Assumptions for a New Paradigm, they present a set of assumptions, informed by indigenous cosmology, quantum science and Eastern and Western mysticism, which resolve key paradoxes that have kept humanity from walking in balance with Universal Law and with an open heart. They offer straightforward, practical tools for accessing The Trust Frequency, an alternative reality where the soul’s destiny awaits, the laws are expanded, and there is more balance, beauty, joy, freedom and abundance than we can fathom.
Connie and Andrew’s experiential workshop, Dancing the Dance of Souls in the Trust Frequency, presents key elements for raising one’s vibration by understanding the conscious, loving nature of the Universe and the role of relationships in showing us our light and our shadow on our journey to wholeness — self-love/self-acceptance, alignment with our divinity and purpose. It’s an inspiring process that takes us beyond the dualities of right/wrong, good/evil, victim/perpetrator. We update our assumptions about the nature of the Universe to a paradigm where there is absolutely ONLY Love, free will and the soul’s journey to wholeness. We move from victim to Beloved and know that everything in our life happens for us, not to us.
Eli Katz (movement alchemist, poet, ceremonialist)
Eli Katz is a ceremonialist, poet, and movement alchemist devoted to healing through rhythm, remembrance, and radical presence. Rooted in queer lineages and sacred plant traditions, Eli weaves ritual, music, and storytelling into transformative experiences that help people feel more fully alive and aligned. He is the co-founder of Dulcify Honey, a line of fast-acting, heart-opening medicines infused with Amazonian teacher plants, and the visionary behind Rhythms of Release, a movement festival series celebrating sober psychedelics and collective liberation.
Eli is also Executive Director of the Association of Entheogenic Practitioners, a religious professional organization and mutual-aid society uniting practitioners from many traditions who share a sincere belief in the religious nature of the entheogenic experience.
His work honors indigenous reciprocity, emotional composting, and the deep intelligence of the body. Whether guiding a labyrinth walk, facilitating ceremony or invoking truth through drum and dance, Eli carries a frequency of devotion, mischief, and unmistakable love.
Paladin Williams (ceremonialist, coach, spiritual guide, minister, and DJ)
Paladin Williams, MBA, is a ceremonialist, coach, and spiritual guide. He’s led retreats and workshops in nearly half the US states and Canada.
Paladin developed the Sacred Relating method as an inclusive and accessible practice to cultivate divinity and aliveness through interpersonal engagement in ceremonial space.
Paladin has spent years living at, learning from, and consulting for a variety of retreat centers and spiritual communities. He’s been a nondenominational minister since 2013, self-initiated in his own ancestral Druidic path, and has taken lay ordination in Shingon Buddhism after training for more than 10,000 hours of formal meditation practice.
Paladin has focused his efforts on bringing wisdom practices to AI technologists, generating support for pro-peace and environmental movements, and facilitating modern-mythic transformational men’s quests. He loves immersing in nature, creating sacred sound experiences through DJ’ing, and deep multidimensional connection.
His workshop, Sacred Relating, is a practice of connecting with ourselves, each other, and the world through the lens of our inherent divinity, drawing from meditation, guided movement, and Relatefulness.
