DJ Fabian Alsultany - DJ Fabian Alsultany has carved a unique niche in the aural realm, compiling the world's great traditional and electronic ritual music into a comprehensible whole. A major figure in the international music community, Alsultany's insightful ears lend a forward-thinking dynamic to modern ceremony: the DJ as an inner vehicle. "Ritual music has been around since the beginning of time," says Alsultany, "since people started beating drums around the fire and chanting. What I do is bring both ancient and modern forms of music into a ceremonial setting as a soundtrack to a ritual."
Samuel L. Sharmat, M.D., a board-certified psychiatrist with a subspecialty in addiction treatment, most recently practiced at New York's prestigious Mt. Sinai Medical Center on their premier Madison East unit. With a Family Practice background as well as involvement in a diverse range of both clinical and non-clinical interests, Dr. Sharmat has built a reputation for treating the patient as a whole. His integrative approach to treatment and his experience with a wide range of people in the entertainment, corporate and creative communities have characterized Dr. Sharmat as a preeminent physician able to relate to a wide variety of patients and people. Dr. Sharmat also spends his time as a psychiatrist for an outpatient HIV practice, on the Executive Council of the New York County District Branch of the APA and has volunteered with the mental health service at Burning Man.
John O’Connor – Inspired in his teens by Quantum Physic sand an early fascination with the laws of the natural world, John O'Connor cultivated an intuitive nature and fascination with energetic principles which he applies at his New York City practice, Rhythm Massage Studio. In 12 years since graduating the Swedish Institute of Massage Therapy, John has incorporated deep tissue, Thai, Swedish, cranio-sacral and a plethora of other energy and massage skills he's picked up along the way to formulate an integrated approach to massage, healing and wellness, rooted in his unique ability to listen to the body and spirit. Holding a space for clients to shift toward balance and freedom, he gifts himself and lucky recipients, from vast and varied backgrounds in business, dance, sports and celebrity, with the witnessing of and shared experience of shifting and healing, meeting individuals where they're at to facilitate a uniquely individualized experience for each client.
Doug Evans is the owner of Organic Avenue; a New York based Organic Lifestyle Collective dedicated to serving the local and global community by providing: Hemp & Organic Fiber Clothing, Fresh Raw & Organic Produce, Organic Lifestyle Products & Consultation, Holistic Retreats, Lifestyle Classes, Gourmet Organic & Living Food Dinners. Doug creates and oversees all of Parashakti’s Juice Cleanses.
Alexander and Arul Dunlop - We met on a five-day juice cleanse in April of 2005. We didn't actually connect until the last night of the experience when we shared a ride a home that became a ride home...The five-day cleanse was an urban retreat led by Parashakti and based on the ancient principle of fasting. For five days, we drank only fresh squeezed juices. We met as a group in the evenings to receive teachings, relate experiences, practice yoga, meditate, and dance. On the first night, we were asked to clearly set our intention for the cleanse. Arul wrote that her intention was to heal her heart from past hurts so as to be able to open her heart to true love. Now, separately, Arul had also been wanting for a long time to open her own Colon Hydrotherapy Center with Nacim. But, though the two of them had planned it for some time, it had never yet manifested. Alexander wrote that his intention was to manifest his Shamanic power and also to meet his partner, future wife, and mother of his children.
Liberation Drummers
Ray Ippolito – Multi Instrumentalist / Composer / Producer - As a musician versed in many musical styles and cultures, Ray has found himself in the roles of performer, teacher, producer, band leader, arranger, music director, composer in the US as well as Japan, Brasil, Nepal, Venezuela, India, and BURNINGMAN. He has performed and/or recorded with such renown artists as: Jai Uttal, Krisna Das, Wah!, Shyam Das . Dave Stringer, Michael Franti, Mickey Hart, Yungchen Lhamo, Angelique Kidjo, Richie Havens, Baba Maal, String Cheese Incident, Baba Olatunji, The Spin Doctors, Dr. John and the Blues Travelers
David Schommer - Under the name, “Duke Mushroom”, David has played on well over 50 records and remixes in a diverse amount of styles-from N. African/ African to Brazillian to Rock to Hoome Made – including work with such Artists as Gloria Estefan, Nelly Fertado, Janet Jackson, Cher, Ministry, Dave Eggar, Die Warsaw, Incognito, Static Revenger and numerous Film Scores – as well as working with such notable Producers/Remixers as Tony Moran, Roger Sanchez, Erick Morillo, Hank Shocklee and Masters at Work. David was also the drummer for legendary Detroit Techno Group, “Inner City” and has toured the world with multiple other artists as a percussionist. As a session musician he has also lent his talents on Keyboards, Bass and Vocals to a multitude of recordings from Pop to Ethiopian World Music.
Neal Borowsky “Steel Neal” - Poet, Sculptor, Performance Artist, Furniture Designer/Fabricator, Union Ironworker. Graphic Design BFA from SVA (School of Visual Arts) in 1988. Traded T-square for TIG welder in 1990 working for Rohner Furniture. Created poetry video for Public Access. Steel Neal € Wordsmith € ©1993.
Bob Cancemi - Bob has been drumming since age 13. He brings elements of Latin, African, reggae, Middle Eastern and other tribal musics to his drumming. He plays in a variety of settings such as dances, ceremonies, and drum ensembles, using Djembe, Dumbek and Conga. He loves to share music with audiences of all ages and believes in the power of music to bring people together.
CarolMarie Fiorito, AKA Karuna, is a Holistic Health Counselor, board certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Integrating modern day nutrition sciences with ancient systems of healing, she specializes in digestive health, skin care, detoxification, and women’s wellness. Since 2003 she has divided her time between India and her homeland of NYC journeying with master teachers of nutrition, yoga, meditation, reiki, and dance. Her Devotional Dance Meditation classes merge together cultural traditions of movement with spontaneous artistic expression to form divine prayer. She strives to serve her community by bridging the healing and creative arts, and has recently founded the St. George Healing Arts Center in downtown Staten Island.
Gabriel Cousens - Gabriel Cousens, M.D., M.D.(H), D.D. (Doctor of Divinity), Diplomate American Board of Holistic Medicine, Diplomat Ayurveda, a physician of the soul, teaches and lives the sevenfold peace. To the process of awakening and healing, Gabriel Cousens, M.D., M.D.(H), weaves a background as a holistic physician, medical researcher, world-recognized live-food nutritionist, psychiatrist, family therapist, homeopath, Rabbi, acupuncturist, Ayurvedic practitioner, expert on green juice spiritual fasting and detoxification fasting, ecological leader, Reiki master, internationally celebrated spiritual teacher, author, lecturer, culture-bridger, world peaceworker, to give a unique holistic approach to nurturing the hungry soul. He is the author of the books Spiritual Nutrition: Six Foundations for Spiritual Life and the Awakening of Kundalini; Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine; Conscious Eating; Depression-Free for Life; Tachyon Energy; Sevenfold Peace; Spiritual Nutrition and the Rainbow Diet; Creating Peace by Being Peace: An Essene Sevenfold Path, and There Is a Cure for Diabetes. Rabbi Gabriel Cousens, M.D., is the founder and director of the Tree of Life Foundation, which trains Essene priests and priestesses, and coordinates international humanitarian programs benefiting indigenous and disadvantaged families, children, and cultures through holistic education and the development of high-yield, high-mineral, low-water veganic farming methods. He is presently working with the support of the Panamanian government to set up eco-health-organic villages for the economically disadvantaged and with LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) and Save the Children in Mexico to bring the nutrition and anti-diabetes message to the Spanish-speaking world.
Vernon Foster - Indian name, Wakia Un Manee (thunder he walks with) is a national Indian leader and works with many tribes across the United States helping to develop cultural and educational programs as a teacher and lecturer. He has been an activist for the native people since 1968 and is the Southwest regional director of the American Indian movement. Vernon has turned his focus on the spiritual ways of the Native people. He is a healer who uses the methods that have been used by Indian people for centuries.
Daniel Pinchbeck - Daniel Pinchbeck is the author of Breaking Open the Head and 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl. A speaker at many conferences and festivals, he has appeared on The Colbert Report and the History Channel, and is a regular guest on Coast to Coast AM. In 1994, he was chosen by the New York Times Magazine as one of "Thirty Under Thirty" destined to change our culture. Daniel is editorial director of Reality Sandwich (www.realitysandwich.com), codirector of evolver.net, and executive director of PostModern Times (www.iclips.net/2012). He has written for many publications, including Esquire, the New York Times Magazine, the Village Voice, and Rolling Stone.
Jenevi; Jennifer Varriano - a Sivananda Vedanta Certified Yoga Instructor, has been immersed in yoga; including Ashtanga with Tim Miller, Kundalini, Naam with Universal Force, Bikram, Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga. Health and nutrition was a primary interest for Jennifer and lead her to achieve a degree in chemistry, experience in the healthcare industry, and now coaches on the yoga of conscious eating and nutritional cleansing. As co-founder of New Faith Yoga, her mission is to encourage people of all faiths to consciously live with balance and purpose, while sharing the self-healing benefits of yoga and meditation.