Priscilla Bright, MA, lead facilitator of Women’s Wellness Weekend, is an international speaker, program leader, and healer. Her work with individuals and groups focuses on gaining greater fulfillment and connection in one's life and relationships, and on freeing and nourishing one's personal energy system. She offers workshops on inner healing throughout the Northeast, and offers private phone sessions that combine personal transformation work with energy work.
Priscilla holds an MA in Health Behavior from the Boston University School of Medicine, and is the School Dean of the world-renowned Barbara Brennan School of Healing. Information on her programs can be seen at www.priscillabright.com or contact her at priscilla@priscillabright.com or 845-688-7175.
Sharon Suess
Sharon has been teaching this watercolor class since the inception of WWW. She was formerly the graphic designer for Frost Valley before she retired in 2008. She still does freelance design, and now has more time for painting, drawing and other creative endeavors. Learn more about Sharon and her philosophy of art at her website: web.me.com/sharon.suess
Doris Nieves
Doris Nieves lives in Mount Tremper and is licensed in Zumba and Zumba Gold for seniors. Doris teaches in Pine Hill at the Pine Hill Community Center, at the Phoenicia United Methodist Church, at Birchcreek Spa and at the 28 Gym on special occasions.
On her non-Zumba time, Doris owns an Interior Design firm, NWD World, LLC. Doris is currently working on a project at 40 Wall Street in NYC, relocating a firm from Oklahoma City
Charlene “Perizad” Roberts
It's hard to put a definition to Tribal Style Belly Dance. The essence of what it brings out to one who dances it has to be felt and experienced, caressed and expressed, joyfully and passionately…Perizad incorporates this principle in everything related to dance. She started with a foundation of traditional Middle Eastern dance, and after just one year of dance lessons she became a member of a traditional Egyptian dance troupe and was performing in New York City and all over New Jersey. Her obsession and natural talent led her into leading her own dance troupes, both as creative director and instructor. Perizad's strongest passion was discovered when she found American Tribal Style Belly Dance. Known as ATS, it is a fusion of earlier, nomadic dance styles that incorporates the tribal aspect of ceremonial dance by women in ancient times. Perizad was enamored with this style the minute she found it, and it is now an integral part of the foundation for her own style of tribal fusion - Gypsy Tribal Dance. Perizad embraced Middle Eastern dance styles in her early 40's when she was going through menopause, which helped her transition from mother to crone with amazing healing results. She is now putting that experience to paper and hopes to have her book, "Dancing Thru Mynopause" in print soon. Perizad currently teaches in the surrounding communities of the Hudson Valley where she brings her own creativity to the classroom with her original dance moves and choreographies. You can find Perizad's classes in Stone Ridge and Olivebridge. You can also visit her online at twistedtassels.com and ancientcallings.com where you can find out more about American Tribal Belly Dance, and how this dance can enhance your life with passion, joy, and power.
Debbie Birch
Debbie Birch is the creator of Birch Beauty Family, a company dedicated to developing healthy alternatives to aging gracefully and maintaining a youthful appearance using organic plant based products. Debbie is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Instructor and Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant. She received her Pilates training at North Carolina School of the Arts, while studying to be a professional dancer. She went to New York City where she performed in several Broadway Musicals and National Tours. At the same time she taught an array of fitness classes at Broadway Dance and Manhattan Plaza Health Club. She also served as a personal trainer to many performers and celebrities. Debbie most recently was the Activities Director, instructor and personal trainer at New Age Health Spa before developing her Birch Beauty Company. Devoted to the fitness and wellness industry since 1985, training clients in the Sullivan and Ulster County areas and promoting her line of organic skin care products. Please go to her web site www.birchbeauty.com to learn more about her DVDs and other products.
Gail Kotel
Gail Kotel is a private practitioner in Philadelphia. She is a manual physical therapist and a master Pilates instructor. Her credentials include: a Masters degree in Physical Therapy from Hahnemann University, Pilates certification from the Physical Mind
Institute, Inramuscular Dry Needling certification from Kinetacore, Manual Therapy
for Pelvic Floor disorders from Erica Fletcher PT, MTC and Cranio-Sacral Therapy
certification from the Upledger Institute. She has studied Pilates for thirty years. Gail is an accomplished visual artist and has shown her work at many galleries since 1990.
Gail first trained as a chiropractic assistant in an alternative holistic health center. She began her physical therapy career working as a home care pediatric PT. She worked in an outpatient ortho/adult day care center for four years. She was principal therapist in a three year study at Lankenau Hospital. This study proved that with physical therapy
intervention during their exchange, patients needed less dialysis and had better outcomes.
She worked as a physical therapist for Jefferson Hospital for five years.
Gail formed Theraputic Pilates in 2007. Therapeutic Pilates provides a unique setting for patients. Sessions are individual and are an hour or longer. Gail is known for creative solutions in the treatment of chronicpain, SI and orthopedic issues. She integrates Chinese medicine principles and orthopedic
concepts to form a holistic creative approach to manual physical therapy.
Vickie Russell
Singer, songwriter, Vickie Russell delivers a powerfully expressive performance filled with rich vocals, rhythmic piano and guitar all wrapped around her slightly mischievous original songs. She has a quirky sense of humor and an extraordinary flair for songwriting that keeps her audiences enthralled. Joined by her husband David Michael Peters on guitar, bass and harmonies, Vickie Russell is winning the hearts of audiences around the world!
Kelley Purcell
I first was attracted to the practice of yoga a few years ago while living
in Savannah, GA, where I attended a drop-in class after I first moved to town. I
was immediately drawn to the personal journey and moments of self-discovery it
offered, as well as the increased physical comfort and improved strength, agility,
and bodily awareness. Yoga provided a life philosophy, personal depth, and
physical exploration that I had never before experienced.
The following year, I met Linda Winnick (RYT, MA) of Shakti Yoga Studios
in Woodstock, NY and enrolled in a year-long, intensive program with her to
become a yoga instructor. While working on my certification I simultaneously
completed an extensive yoga teaching internship with Frost Valley YMCA, where
I was employed as an environmental educator. Since my graduation from Shakti
teacher training in September 2011, I have worked as a yoga instructor for Lotus
Life Yoga Center and CNY Fitness and Dance in Syracuse, NY. In addition, I
instruct yoga for professional athletes at VB Performance Fitness of Syracuse
and conduct classes for the Healthy Mondays Program at Syracuse University,
part of a national initiative to promote healthy lifestyle choices in students and the
surrounding community. My classes emphasize the benefits of proper breathing,
connecting that breath to movement, and developing a solid understanding of
movement principles of the body (alignment, joint rotations, etc.)
Off the mat, I am working towards my Master’s in Environmental Science
(SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry) and Science Education
at Syracuse University, while teaching science at the Montessori School of
Syracuse.
Debra Seidman, LMT, CLT,
Returning for her fifth Women's Wellness Weekend, has been a licensed massage therapist for over 14 years and is also certified a lymphedema therapist. Previous positions include six years as Massage Therapy Coordinator at Benedictine Hospital's Complementary Medicine Dept. She is one of a unique group of massage therapists nationwide with experience working in hospitals, where she also trained interns in acute care massage.
Debra prides herself on tailoring each massage to the individual's specific needs. Her client includes both infants and WWE wrestlers. Her signature treatment is a combination of relaxing Swedish and therapeutic Deep Tissue; however, you always determine the pressure of your massage: from as light as you need it (as with Manual Lymph Drainage) to as deep as you can safely tolerate it! :o) In addition to Wellness massage, she has extensive training a/o certifications in Sports massage, Chair massage, Geriatriac massage, Oncology Massage, Infant Massage Instruction and Lymphedema Management.
Debra is currently in private practice in her offices in midtown Manhattan and Kingston, NY and onsite in corporations, homes and arenas throughout the state. She can be reached for questions or information on massage or insurance coverage, workshops and lectures or to book an appointment, at (845) 616-4488.
Monika Kretschmar, Ph.D.,
is the creator of Inner Voice Drawing® an intuitive drawing technique that taps into the wisdom of the unconscious to answer life’s questions. Having lived for ten years in Nepal under the auspices of outstanding Tibetan masters, Inner Voice Drawing® evolved in 1996 out of her training in meditation and Buddhist psychology. The Inner Voice Drawing® method can be used as a coaching tool for personal issues as well as an artistic tool to draw from your most authentic, creative self. Monika is a resident of New Paltz, where she teaches Inner Voice Drawing® by coaching people in individual sessions and workshops. For more info visit her website www.innervoicedrawing.com
Anita Maria
I am a Ballroom/Latin dance teacher with many years of training in the field of Ballroom dance. I have been teaching Ballroom dance for over 5 years weekly in both New York and Connecticut. My students have included adults of all ages, teens and preteens. I teach group classes, semi-private and private classes. I teach the following dances: Foxtrot, Rumba, Waltz, Cha-Cha,
Merengue, Mambo/Salsa, West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing,
and American Tango, Samba.
Education/Training
Bachelor of Arts in Education from UCLA
Dance Teacher Experience (including current and ongoing)
A Touch of Class-New York - my dance studio
Dunbar Dance- Monticello Fitness Factory (New York)
Club New Fit- Newtown, Connecticut
New Milford Sports Club - New Milford Connecticut
Phys-Ed Health Club, New Milford Connecticut
Ellenville New York Library - monthly dance classes
Girls Scout Troup - Sullivan County New York
Sullivan County Community College (teacher assistant)
Brookfield, Connecticut - Prince of Peace Church
Senior Center New Milford CT. - Demonstration class
Sullivan County Home-Schoolers - teen class
Salsa for Teens
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line - Western Mediterranean &Bahamas
Featured dancer for Community Fairs and Fundraisers
"When I first attended Anita's class she immediately put me at ease with her warmth and sense of humor. She instilled confidence and her enthusiasm was contagious. She was able to break down the dance steps so that it felt natural to me. I was surprised and delighted at how quickly and easily I made progress under her patient direction. In Anita's classes learning is always great fun."
Joan Champi, Grahamsville, NY
Rebecca Anguin-Cohen
is a hatha yoga teacher and reiki healer from New York City happy to be leading classes at the Women’s Wellness Retreat for the 6th year! She grew up in upstate New York and enjoys teaching in the setting of Frost Valley, which reminds her of back home, and also has the joy of teaching occasional group yoga classes outdoors in the parks near her upper Manhattan neighborhood.
She has practiced yoga for 19 years with a focus on a compassionate approach tailored to the individual grounded in therapeutic practice as well as energetic healing and trauma release, and meditation for 10 years, primarily the Theravadan Buddhist approach based on awareness, clear seeing, and alert relaxation infused with reiki principles of universal energy flow. She practices tai chi in her neighborhood with a teacher from the New York School of Tai Chi Chuan.
She was certified to teach yoga through the New York Open Center by leading Kripalu instructors, and her most influential and inspiring women teachers for yoga are Lilias Folan from PBS famed for her “joy is in the journey approach” and her friend Susan Grant who brings an open mind and sense of humor to practice, and, for meditation Kevin Griffin, Sandra Weinberg, and Gloria Taraniya Ambrosia.
Samantha Paige-Graeber, LMT, massage therapist
Samantha takes the approach to working with a person is to take into account their uniqueness and their needs. She brings her knowledge, experience, intuition and a positive caring attitude into every class she teaches. Some of the classes she will be leading are Breath as Meditation and Kundalini Yoga: Expanding your Lung Power. We are excited to have Samantha with us again and think you will be too!
Kumuda Belcher
Kumuda is a certified Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner and self-help instructor with a private practice in South Fallsburg, New York. She received her Human Biology degree from Stanford University and specializes in Nutrition and Food Supply in the Developing World. Kumuda will be leading a workshop titled Jin Shin Jyustu: The Power to Heal Yourself where you will learn basics about the movement of the vital life energy in the body and explore simple ways to remove accumulated tensions from the system daily, thereby empowering yourself to live happier, healthier lives! Kumuda will also be offering private Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions just for our guests!
For more information, contact us
