OUR team
CLAIRE RAGOZZINO
Claire Ragozzino is a certified yoga instructor and Ayurvedic counselor with a background in holistic nutrition and natural cooking. Her work is dedicated to bringing yoga, Ayurveda, and nutrition to a modern lifestyle. She is the author of the popular site, Vidya Living, and also writes and photographs for online and print publications surrounding topics of food, culture, and our relationship to nature. Her first book, Living Ayurveda, published with Roost Books, offers a comprehensive Ayurvedic cookbook and lifestyle guide. Claire works with clients around the globe and leads immersive workshops and retreats.
Claire is the company founder and kitchen alchemist, planning and preparing our daily nourishing meals and guiding workshops around the yoga of food and sacred nourishment. When she's not in the kitchen, she's leading yoga, pranayama and meditation, and teaching the ways we nourish ourselves beyond food.
Connect // www.vidyaliving.com
Adena rose bright
Adena Rose Bright is an Ayurveda Practitioner and Panchakarma Therapist, trained in Maya Abdominal Therapy. Adena specializes in women’s health in all stages of life including pregnancy and postpartum. Adena is a mother of two, wife, Druid, living and working in Vermont. Adena teaches for the Mahatma School of Ayurveda and through her business, Adena Rose Ayurveda.
Adena will be leading our 2024 Vermont Retreat group in a hands-on local herbal medicine making workshop and offering private Ayurvedic Marma Therapy and Maya Abdominal Massage sessions.
Connect // www.adenaroseayurveda.com
JULIE BERNIER
Julie Bernier helps women to bring their bodies back into balance, whether they’re struggling with hormonal imbalances, period problems, digestive troubles, skin conditions, anxiety, depression, preparing for or recovering from giving birth, or any other dis-ease. This holistic approach to individualized wellness is rooted in ayurveda: a holistic system of healing from ancient India. Julie is a registered Ayurvedic Practitioner and Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist with the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) as well as a Certified Massage Therapist. She studied each of these modalities in the US and straight from the source in India. She is the founder of True Ayurveda.
Julie was the co-host of our 2022 Mexico Retreat, where she taught daily yoga classes, shared Ayurvedic wisdom and made you laugh with great stories around the table!
Connect // www.trueayurveda.com
KELSEY LEA PICKARD
Kelsey is an Ayurvedic Chef and Postpartum Doula based on the island of Kaua’i. She first learned about Ayurveda in 2010 and was awed- using the elements of nature to bring healing and balance to our bodies felt like a profound remembrance. She moved to Kaua’i to chef for Hale Pule Ayurveda and Yoga, to deepen her studies and to be immersed in Vedic living. Since then, she has been the chef for newborn mamas, wonderful families, Olympic athletes, and celebrities. When she’s not in the ocean or jungle, she stewards her little slice of land in paradise and infuses love and blessings into the meals she creates for her clients.
Kelsey was our lead Ayurvedic Chef at our 2022 Mexico Ayurveda Retreat. She served up delicious meals made with love to fuel our adventure.
Connect // https://www.islandveda.com
JADE BRUNEL
Jade is a tea practitioner, curator, writer and space holder. She has been exploring the way of tea, meditation, yoga, bodywork and nature for the past 12 years. She founded the project WAOTEA, an online tea store and community, offering consciously sourced tea, teaware, and accessories, and a variety of tea offerings, such as a tea course, tea events and tea travel experiences. Jade has shared the teaching of the way of tea to students from 5 continents. She is the co-host of several retreats exploring the elemental wisdom of nature around the world. She is the co-author of the book “Tea, remembering the essence of life”.
Jade led our 2019 Taos Retreat with daily tea ceremonies, Five Elements Tea and workshops at the Taos Retreat.
Connect // www.waotea.com
CASSIE BALLARD
Cassie is a brand designer and photographer based out of Southern Michigan. She is the founder of Veda House, a studio that focuses on finding clarity and resonance for conscious lifestyle and wellness brands. Her wellness journey started when she started to look for holistic ways to cure recurring migraines and disruptions in hormonal health. Today, she is devoted to exploring plants as medicine, advocating for woman’s health when she can, finding ways to live more sustainably, and constantly being inspired by the wealth of knowledge in this community.
Cassie is our resident photographer, designer and magic maker, creating and capturing beauty and loving connections during our retreat experiences.
Connect // www.thevedahouse.com
KAMALA SANTOS
Kamala is an Ayurvedic lifestyle consultant and massage therapist. She is the founder of Soma Doula, a doula service that provides nourishing comfort through life's transitions (postpartum, divorce, end-of-life and bereavement) using the wisdom of Ayurveda and Yoga. She is a licensed massage therapist, IYT yoga therapist, and has completed a two-and-a-half-year Ayurvedic lifestyle immersive apprenticeship and five-year Ayurvedic mentorship program. Her additional studies currently include Dr. Frawley's Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant and End-of-Life Doula Care. Her service in this life is to offer nourishment through actions that create beauty, instill a sense of calm and facilitate relaxation.
Kamala is our resident massage therapist, creating healing spaces through private Ayurvedic bodywork sessions and offering loving lifestyle guidance in workshops.
Connect // www.somadoula.com
DILLON TISDEL
Dillon is a plant-based chef, spiritual practitioner and mama of two. She is the woman behind the food at Antara and sees retreat meals as potential vehicles for healing. Having lived with chronic digestive issues, Dillon became fascinated with using food as medicine and took a deep dive into ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. Using the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda as her guide, she devoted herself to her own healing, eventually resolving her long-standing health issues. In 2014, Dillon graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and in 2015, she started Oh, Holy Basil, a plant-based food blog. In 2017 she established PLANTFEAST, a plant-based community dinner series. You can find Dillon making mantra-infused meals, chasing children around the land and immersing herself in the study of Ayurveda, biodynamic agriculture and medicinal plants.
Dillon was our kitchen magician at our 2015 & 2017 Taos Retreats. She nourished us with creative plant-based meals in our home kitchen.
Connect // www.ohholybasil.com
BRIANNE BEAUREGARD
Brianne holds the lineage of Nada Yoga, the devotional practice of union with sound, as her primary healing discipline and vehicle for transformation of consciousness. Working with sound, breath, bhakti and non-dualistic philosophy, she integrates mantra and meditative, vocal toning techniques to her individual and group sessions. Brianne offers over 15 years of experience in the world of mind-body-spirit medicine to her clients around the world, specializing in trauma release and resting in the stillness of reality. Studies in India, Hawaii, and The Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico, inform her offerings as a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Panchakarma Therapist and Yoga Teacher. Brianne bows in deep reverence to the transcendent wisdom of Vedic culture that has found a home to flourish in her heart and be shared, joyfully, with the world.
Brianne led our Nada Yoga and sound classes at our 2017 Sonoma and 2018 Portugal retreats. She also offered private sound and Ayurvedic bodywork sessions.
Connect // www.briannebeauregard.com
KATERINA MARTIN
Katerina is an Ayurvedic chef and 200-RYT. She received her Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist certification at the Himalayan Institute. She recently moved from Iowa to Hawaii this past year to work as an Ayurvedic chef at Hale Pule Ayurveda.
Previously, Katerina worked in psychiatry research studying the effects of diet on mental health. When she discovered Ayurveda, she immediately connected with the holistic healing science and the ancient wisdom of using food as medicine. Katerina experienced first hand the healing power of Ayurveda when she transitioned to a diet of freshly cooked whole grains, legumes, and vegetables. She noticed a significant shift in her energy and her mind--she felt more clear, calm, and joyful. Katerina loves to teach others how to use easily digestible food to support the body's natural ability to heal.
Katerina served up nourishing meals at our 2019 Portugal Retreat.
Connect // www.katerinamartin.com
CANDICE NEAVES
Candice is a 200hr Yoga Alliance registered Hatha yoga teacher. With an emphasis on cultivating awareness, her classes combine mindful movement, pranayama and meditation.
Candice uncovered her deep love for yoga in her early teens when she began attending classes with her mom in Southern California. Yoga supported her to release stress, heal depression and maintain great physical and mental health throughout her youth. In 2003, she moved to NYC where she continued studying yoga and deepening her personal practice. She now lives and teaches in Hawai’i.
When she’s not on the mat, you’ll find her sharing her passions for holistic health, organic farming, music and raising mindfulness in the world.
Candice led daily yoga and meditation sessions at our 2019 Portugal Retreat.
Connect // www.candiceteresayoga.com