Synergy Circle

Francisco Morales-Bermudez, is a healing artist that was born on the coast of Peru. The ocean of Peru and its mountains are his biggest inspiration. Francisco has studied under several masters in the healing & martial arts. His work has taken him deep into Peru's remote communities, North & South America, Asia, Africa, Europe & New Zealand. Francisco is the founder of Synergy Yoga & a master of Thai Massage Therapy & movement artist. His studies in the healing arts have enabled him to travel all over the world and share his wisdom.

Salim Rollins has maintained a dedicated hatha/vinyasa yoga practice since 2000 and was certified as an instructor through Yoga Alliance in 2007. He has studied under the mentorship of several master teachers including Jhon Tamayo (New York), Ullas Kumar (Kerala, India), and Sudhesh Chandra (Mysore, India). Through his company Soul Flow, Salim has organized numerous wellness retreats, workshops and festivals throughout Kenya. Additionally, Salim has conducted extensive research on yoga philosophy with scholars, yogis and saddhus throughout India. Salim is also a Contra-Mestre of the Afro-Brazilian martial art, Capoeira Angola. He runs a capoeira program for marginalized youth in Kibera slum, Kenya and Luanda, Angola.

Carlos Ferreyros is a native of Lima, Peru, and has lived in the United States for 35 years. A longtime Buddhist practitioner, Carlos is a senior student and meditation instructor under the guidance of his teacher Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, meditation master and lineage holder of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. As a celebrated communications professional, Carlos has directed brands such as The Disney Channel, FOX, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, among others. His work won 9 EMMY awards. Carlos is passionate about helping others to discover the positive benefits of meditation, mindfulness and awareness, for himself and the world.

Dante Settles founded S.W.A.T Fitness (Students with Aspiring Talents), a movement therapy and wellness company, to serve individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His major inspiration for forming this company is his daughter, who was born with muscular distrophy. S.W.A.T. Fitness was established in Washington, D.C. and serves clients such as the U.S. Federal and District of Columbia Government agencies, Special Olympics, Private Residential Providers and more.

In the fall of 2001, Jack took his first yoga class with his wife, Kelly. Transformed and inspired, he became a Bikram Yoga teacher in 2004 and later a Synergy teacher in 2015. Most recently, Jack traveled to NYC to complete the 500-Hour Life of a Yogi Teacher Training with Sri Dharma Mittra in 2018. Along the way, he began giving yoga philosophy lectures at studios, festivals and teacher trainings around the world. An advertising writer by day, Jack has found guidance in the words of Swami Sivananda, Paramahansa Yogananda, Patanjali and Lao Tzu, wearing the covers books like The Art Of Peace and The Little Zen Companion. In his spare time, he’s enjoyed exploring the six-year course outlined in the back of B.K.S Iyengar’s Light on Yoga. When not standing on his head or using it to solve marketing problems, Jack is co-director of a small yoga studio at his ad agency.

Originally from the Bay Area and currently living in the foothills of Northern California. Certified in and studied sound healing with Michele Averard and Nestor Konblum co-founders of the International Association of Sound Therapy and Harmonic Studies at the Dome in Spain. Provide individual sound healing treatments and combine yin yoga and the healing connection of Tibetan</p> <p>Began practicing Bikram yoga in Elk Grove in early 2003 and knew immediately that I would practice for the rest of my life.</p> <p>Attended teacher training's in 2015 with 26/2 hot yoga Bikram method followed by Yin Yoga in February 2016 and Yoga Nidra in September 2016.

Jonal Lartique is a personal trainer and teacher who leads the Synergy Movement program. Jonal has completed the Synergy Partner Yoga & Thai Massage certifications. Jonal has been a student of the principles, art form and culture of Capoeira for 13 years and has been training and teaching boxing for the past 10 years. He incorporates boxing and Capoeira movements into his training with his clients, leads group classes in both forms of exercise and also teaches children and youth through schools as well as nonprofit organizations like the Boys and Girls Club.

Broderick Rodell PhD ND CYT, is an educator whose passion and calling is to aid others in the art of practicing a life well lived. He sees his role as guide to those interested in acquiring the knowledge, skills and practices that will enable them to develop the characteristics that are conducive to self-realization, wellbeing and flourishing. A holistic approach to yoga that embraces a broad spectrum of truth claims from past to present over various traditions and disciplines is his means. Capoeira, a Brazilian dance/martial art, is also one of his teaching instruments for developing character and building community.<br />

Abhayam Kalu is a healing artist who explores various mediums of nature to create harmony and wellbeing of mind, body, and consciousness. He uses a sensorial based approach with light, sound, touch, smell, and taste as his allies. Abhayam has studied under masters of various healing and martial arts traditions around the world. His work has brought him to places such as Africa, Asia, India, North and South America. Abhayam is a Master Herbalist, Marma Touch Therapist, Meditation Instructor, and Holistic Wellness Professional. Abhayam is CEO/Founder of Apothekary Trading llc, a therapeutic grade herbal tea company. Abhayam’s intercontinental studies and devotion to wellness has enabled him to share his wisdom with the world

Linda Kee is an actor, writer, independent film producer and teaching artist who uses art to make learning inclusive. She is also Forum Theatre Facilitator using theatre as a vehicle to promote positive social change and a Synergy Partner Yoga instructor, based in Calgary, Alberta. Linda founded her wellness company, The Throo Movement, applying social, emotional and experiential learning through movement, creativity and play. Linda works with communities and organizations exploring possibilities in creative problem solving, team building, effective communication and personal growth and empowerment. Linda received her Forum Theatre Facilitator Training with David Diamond at Headlines Theatre in Vancouver, BC, in 1998. She completed her Synergy Partner Yoga Teacher Training in Montecito, California in 2015, and her Vinyasa Teacher Training at the Lighthouse Yoga School with Jared McCann in 2017 in Brooklyn, New York.

Kelly Callender, founder of MELT--A Yin Yoga Training, began her yoga teaching career after attending Bikram's College of Teacher Training in 2003. Kelly began teaching in California and taught across the country, managed several studios, and in 2010 purchased a Bikram studio in Grass Valley, California. While nestled in the hills of Northern California she matured into a leader in the hot-yoga-world, grew her foundation in several yoga styles, and participated and assisted in countless trainings and retreats. From her found passion in Yin Yoga, MELT was born. MELT was created to give an all encompassing training on the beliefs, practices and implementation of the Yin Practice. The MELT brand is growing and Kelly is branching into retreats and MELT experiences that she brings to studios and yoga communities that are looking to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Yin practice.

Based in Alberta, Canada, Sachin Sudra is an Ayurvedic Wellness & Nutrition Educator and Certified Yoga Instructor. He teaches, empowers, and inspires people of all diversities and ages to cook Ayurvedic food for one's unique lifestyle and yoga practice. He also specializes in teaching effective tools for regulation and self-healing, as well as balanced nutrition tailored to each individual's needs. Sachin is the founder of Namaste Cooking, a grassroots, community-based company that sets out to educate and inspire people on the Ancient Indian healing art of Ayurveda. As a descendant of Vishwakarma (Sanskrit: विश्वकर्मा) lineage, he represents and advocates for preserving Ayurveda as an ancient Indigenous knowledge through lectures, group workshops and private sessions. He believes in returning to the kitchen as a communal gathering space for resilience through health and wellness.

Joshua Bee Alafia’s meditation practice began in 1989 when his mother gave him a mantra (an empowering statement that is recited internally) to work with. This sparked a rich journey through many different meditation styles from the Hindu, Hawaiian Shamanic, Ifa, Sufi, Dzogchen, Taoist, and finally, Vipassana traditions. After realizing the transformative power of meditation practice in his own life, Joshua determined he'd bring it to the youth. He began teaching mindfulness meditation to incarcerated, court involved and system vulnerable youth through New York’s Lineage Project in 2010. He is a graduate of the Community Dharma Leaders training through Spirit Rock Meditation Center. In New York, he has taught at New York Insight, The Brooklyn Zen Center, MNDFL and the Garrison Institute. He now teaches at South Side Insight and TaoYoga Arts in Chicago as well as offers courses online. “This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” The Dali Lama

Lev lives to empower himself, his family, and his greater community by taking healing into our own hands. With an integral understanding of the human body, He combines the arts of massage, bodywork, Reiki energy work, breathwork, healing movement practices, and guidance towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle in order to assist his clients to reaching greater levels of vitality, relaxation, freedom of movement, strength, flexibility, and balance within their bodies. Lev’s fascination with the healing power of the body began as a child and was deepened as a result of experiencing several severe injuries at a young age that shifted his focus to meditation, healing arts, qi gong, martial arts, and movement. During his travels at the age 18, at a pivotal time in his life, Lev fell in love with the art of Capoeira Angola, which led to him travel to Brasil to study under Mestre Cobra Mansa at the Qilombo Tendonde. Everywhere Lev has travelled from Israel, Brasil, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, and across the states, Lev has explored every opportunity to study and answered the calling to immerse himself in these arts and utilizes them in a unique way in his healing arts practice today. Lev attended the Thai Massage Certification led by Francisco. He is part of our Synergy Movement Team & assists in the Thai Massage Certifications & the Synergy Personal Wellness Retreats.

Originally from Nairobi, Kenya, Sapna is a conscious entrepreneur, intuitive energy expert and transformational coach who has been practising healing arts for over 20 years with a focus on the discovery of soul purpose and alignment. She draws from ancient Eastern modalities and Western science in her practice to help her clients bring awareness to beliefs that have been limiting access to their purpose and authentic Self. Sapna brings her deep faith in the Divine, her acute intuitive abilities and fascination with the unique journey of humankind to facilitate life-changing healing work to all so that we can step into, and reclaim, our personal power from a place of self-love.