 Gaia Richards, |
Gaia walks the path of a healer whose head is ruled by Oshun. She brought forward the 1st Annual Midtown Yoga Festival in Minneapolis in 2007. She is a grandmother of three and a godmother of three. She believes that in order to heal ourselves we have to serve others in whatever capacity Divine Mother & the Christ ask of us. Having been a hot head most of her life (“You are a nice person but you have a helluva temper,” said the Spiritual Adviser to her in the hills of Jamaica), she tries to adopt the principles of Ahimsa (compassionate non-violence) into her life by being a dedicated vegan. Click here if you would like more info about her doings in Jamaica. |
 Gurneet Singh |
Gurneet is the Chief Executive Officer of an internet marketing and design company –www.EnnWebb.com — and is based at Pune- India. Gurneet Singh is a gifted entrepreneur who developed a global,forward thinking, cutting edge, successful internet marketing and design company. Still only in his 20s and having announced his destiny to those who would listen at an early age, Gurneet’s talents lie not only in internet acumen and web design, but art, literature, humanities and being of service to his family. |
 Luke McDonald |
Luke ascribes to Socrates’ concept, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” He has been delving into ideas such as Buddhist philosophy, sustainable living, meditation and yoga. Inspired by the words of the Dalai Lama, in his speaking about the Buddha, the idea of action and reaction, Luke has come to believe that the suffering – as defined by the Buddhist philosophy — that his experience has lead to the ideal of the good work that the Twin Cities Yoga Festival is promoting. |
 Jennifer Cross, Assistant Organizer, Board Member |
An artist, interior designer & yogi, Jennifer currently teaches yoga at LifeTime Fitness and is an avid Kirtaneer (one who loves the uplifting chant & response music of yoga). Jennifer and Gaia are working on all aspects of the Festival together: rallying the troops, inviting sponsors & merchants and pulling the local yoga community together for this endeavor. Her natural finesse and beauty add grace and credibility to the world of yoga and make the entire project fun and seemingly effortless! |
 Genevieve Skye Fiedler, Board Member, Administrative Advisor |
Skye and Gaia became childhood friends while attending the Convent of the Visitation in Mendota Heights. While Skye is not an “asana” (poses) practitioner of yoga, she is a very dedicated Franciscan, and in the yoga world we would call that a Bhakti Yogi — the path of devotion. Skye donates her savvy business skills and time and love to building this year’s Festival. She is the Business Administrator at St. Stephen’s in South Minneapolis and a Novice in the Franciscan order as well as organizer for the Interfaith event at the Mall of America. |
 Susan Shehata, Board Member |
Susan Shehata, also known as the Space Guru, assists clients in transforming the space around and the space within, through feng shui,music, holistic healing and spiritual coaching. She is the co-owner of Sacred Rearrangements Shop and Healing Center in Uptown Minneapolis,which is devoted to spreading truth, simplicity, love and service through bhakti and karma yoga. Her radio show, Raising the Consciousness, co-hosted by Colleen Buckman, Sundays at 1pm on AM950 inspires global change through individual action by providing simple solutions for conscious living. Susan recently co-produced the First Annual Twin Cities Kirtan Festival as well as the Kirtan concert with Dave Stringer, among other events and is on the Board of Directors for the Twin Cities Yoga Festival. Susan is also a writer whose column, Space Guru, appears regularly in the Edge Magazine. Her current work as a leader is to help bridge the gap between belief systems, healing systems and life philosophies, as well as educating on the creation and support of conscious businesses. Her life’s mission is to use her voice as a vocalist, writer, speaker and healer to assist in the evolution of the planet. |
 Jennifer Nelson, Organizational Team Leader |
Jenn Nelsen is a Certified Yoga Instructor. She holds a B.S. in Special Education providing services as an advocate and specialized instructor using Yogic philosophy as an integral part of academic and behavioral success. Her yoga career began as an instructor of Viniyoga at StayFit Athletic Club in Minneapolis, offering classes to individuals as well as various organizations; creating peace of mind and well-being in the corporate arena delivering wellness seminars. Jenn has spent the past two years as a Yoga Therapist in a hospital setting where she works in Behavioral Health. She has a passion for bringing people together; evoking happiness and a sense of well-being. She is continually amazed at the connections yoga has brought to her life supporting her roles as a mother, educator and friend. She is an assistant organizer of the Twin Cities Kirtan Meetup group. |
 Michele Bergh, Organizational Team |
Michele is a Graphic Artist, Life Coach, Owner of Lodestone Dynamics, LLC. Michele designed our new logo, with the seven pedals of the rising sun representing the seven chakras of life, dynamic in the tones of red, yellow and orange to represent the strong life current in the Twin Cities yoga community. |
 Pascale LaPoint, Production Team |
Pascale hit the kirtan music scene about two years ago, began leading kirtans and hasn’t stopped. She has a fire inside her for yoga, for devotion, for community and for fun. She is the organizer of the Twin Cities Kirtan Meetup group. “I am very excited about the yoga festival. What a wonderful opportunity to delve into yogic practices and learn first-hand what yoga, in all its aspects, is all about. Great opportunity to meet like-minded people and spend a fun day experiencing some great offerings. Hope to see you there!” |
 Carrie Mahoney, Web “Guru” |
Carrie is a Web Marketing Manager with a small, local web design and development firm. You can find her practicing yoga, attending kirtans and supporting the community. Her savvy web and marketing skills help keep the Festival web site up-to-date. She’s delighted to donate time and ideas and be of service to such a wonderful event. |
 Gerard McTernan, Advisor, Board Member |
Pictured here overseeing his production, “CivicFest MSP2008,” Gerard provides professional guidance and support in the creation and production of the Twin Cities Yoga Festival. Among his many important projects, McTernan was instrumental in the creation of the Santa Fe Community Yoga Center with Michael Hopp in the 1990s. |
 John J. Iverson, Sponsor Development Liason |
John took his first Hatha yoga class at the YMCA in Fargo, North Dakota in 1999 and was hooked at Namaste. John has had the good fortune to study with many wonderful teachers in the Upper Midwest: Juliet Trnka, Theresa Murphy, Martha Garvy, Zoe N., Zoe K., Liza Ferguson, Patrick Anderson, Ron Samulson, Neille Arnold and many more. He gives special thanks to the people who inspire his practice off the the mat: SMC, PLM, Bill W., and his brothers @ NUC. “Breathe deep, think good thoughts and Know, All Is Well. It’s All Yoga!” |
