Julia Ferganchick - Christian instruction

Julia Ferganchick, Ph.D., is a life-long Christian who has studied meditation in North America, India, and Europe. She earned her doctorate of philosophy in rhetoric from the University of Arizona where she studied communication, language theory, and education. As an international speaker, Julia has presented at various academic conferences and has taught writing and meditation workshops around the world. For the past few years, she has concentrated on studying ancient languages and philosophies of the East, including meditation and yoga practices. She taught high school Sunday School at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Tucson and was an active founding member of Voices of Sophia, a Presbyterian women's group.

Robbi Funck - Buddhism & Meditation Instruction

Robbi Funck initially become involved in the healing arts of meditation, yoga, and western medicine as a way to help others, and has been practicing these for over ten years. She is a devoted practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, having studied with a number of western and Tibetan masters. She is finishing up the Asian Classics Institute's in-depth courses of the vast practices and texts of Tibetan Buddhism, and is also studying the more advanced practices.

She has experience in guiding others in a variety of meditations, and is a firm believer in its health benefits. She also is exploring the mental and physical health benefits of yoga, particularly for those people with significant health challenges such as cancer and arthritis.

In addition to her training in meditation and yoga, she received a formal BFA in Studio Art in 1991, and is experienced in drawing and painting in a variety of media. In 1995, she completed the Physician Assistant Program from Duke Medical University in 1995, and continues to work as a practicing PA.

Lama Giselle Ansselin - Yoga Sutra teacher

Lama Giselle Ansselin is a director of the Diamond Cutter Buddhist Study, Retreat, and Yoga Centre in Australia. She is a holistic practitioner and has a private practice integrating naturopathic medicine, yoga therapy, dance, counseling, astrology and Buddhist philosophy. It is her dream to offer all facets of the study and practice for Enlightenment to others through her work and teachings. She has been studying and practicing all forms of yoga for over ten years. She has completed certification with her teachers Geshe Michael Roach and Lama Christie McNally, and she teaches Tibetan Heart Yoga and the Yoga Classics in Australia and Arizona. She is also completing a three-year advanced Yoga Teacher Training Diploma in Australia.