INSTRUCTOR BIOS

Guided Meditation
Dawn Baird, PhD
Dawn Baird, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist by training who has been a devoted student of yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years. In her life and practice she is inspired by the healing power of awareness in mind and body. It is a joy to observe and experience the transformation of mind and body through practice. Originally trained as an Ashtanga yogi, she began Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training fifteen years ago. She has taught mindfulness based meditation practices to individuals and groups in a variety of settings including hospitals, corporations and schools. Most recently, she is completing a two year Mindfulness Teacher Certification Program through the University of California at Berkeley. Compassionate awareness, positive psychology and body centered inquiry are integrated into her meditation classes for both beginners and experienced meditators.

Mindfulness Meditation
Jackie Berner
Jackie is a Mindfulness meditation instructor in the Buddhist Shamatha tradition. She has also studied Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and is certified to teach mindfulness techniques to children k-12. As a member of the Healing Arts Collective of Rye, she is part of a group of health and wellness professionals dedicated to helping community members manage stress, foster resilience and nurture well-being. Through the HAC, she has facilitated guided walking meditations for Rye teachers and residents. Mindfulness meditation has and continues to deeply enrich her life and Jackie is passionate about sharing this practice with others so they too can experience the fruits that mindfulness has to offer. www.jackiefrederick-berner.com

QiGong
Dana McAvity
Dana McAvity has been practicing and studying QiGong for 11 years. She received her teaching certification from Lee Holden and has also studied intensively with various Masters, including Yang Yang, Mingtong Gu, Robert Peng, and Kenneth Cohen. She has a private Jin Shin Jyutsu pressure point therapy practice in Greenwich, CT and sits on the board of the Global Lyme Alliance and the Hyde School in Bath, Maine.

Therapeutic Yoga and Yoga Labs
Iekelien Buurman
I call myself a yogi with both feet on the ground. My classes are accessable to all and taught in a clear and thoughtful way. Each class is carefully crafted so that the most important muscles and joints are properly warmed up before moving on to more difficult postures. What sets me apart from other yoga teachers is my ability to address the personal needs of each and every student in the room. Having studied many different styles of yoga, I am able to offer a unique blend of sequencing, modifications and adjustments to satisfy everyone!
Background
After a career in finance and the birth of her children, Iekelien was drawn to the power of yoga. She is a 500+ YTT, having completed the Hatha Yoga teacher training at Samsara in the Netherlands, the Power yoga teacher training at the Dasra Center for a greater physical challenge. In addition, she has completed specialized trainings for Children's Yoga, Yoga for the pelvic floor and muscle chains, and Critical Alignment Yoga training by Gert van Leeuwen.

Peace + Mediation Classes for Middle Schoolers
Truike Boekholt
Truike was born in The Netherlands where she graduated from “The Amsterdam School of the Arts” For the past 18 years, she has worked as a Music Educator at the United Nations International School in NYC. In 2009, she received her (200 RYT) yoga teacher certification from Rishikesh Yogpeeth” in India and founded a non-profit learning center for underprivileged children named “Children of the Ganges” in 2010. Truike is a guest teacher at MahatmaYoga Ashram. In the summer of 2020, she completed a “Mindful Educator Essential” training from The Mindful Schools.
Background
Truike has received the 2020 Excellence in Teaching award (CTAUN) at the UN headquarters for her work as a “UNIS PeaceKeeper”, as well as for her volunteering and leading of “The Children of the Ganges” organization. She is a proud mother of 18-year-old twins Ari and Bloeme.

Composer/Sound Therapist/Educator
Gary Posner
Gary Posner is an award-winning composer, musician, educator and Certified Sound Therapist, earning his degree from The British Academy of Sound Therapy (BAST). For the last three years, he has been facilitating weekly Immersive Sound Bath Meditation for the students, teachers and staff at The American School in London as well as regular Immersive Sound Bath Meditations at Rosslyn Hill Chapel — a 400 year old Unitarian chapel in London, England. Most recently he started facilitating BAST style Sound Bath Meditations in the Westchester/Southern Connecticut area.
Gary taught, studied and played music all over the world. He composed music for HBO, Cinemax, ESPN, Court TV, Tru TV, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and History Channel. In addition, he toured and recorded with Tom Tom Club, Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, The Grateful Dead, Ziggy Marley, Keith Richards, Debbie Harry, The Ramones, Television, The Fine Young Cannibals, The Gypsy Kings, Robert Palmer and Roberta Flack. To find out more, visit simply-sound.com.

Family Meditation
Julie Engerren
Julie is certified Mindfulness Meditation Instructor. She has trained with Kaia Yoga, Mindful Schools and Search Inside Yourself, a Google-born Mindfulness-Based Leadership program. As a student of positive psychology, Julie is drawn to the role of mindfulness in developing personal resilience, finding purpose and practicing compassion. She has delivered mindfulness trainings to corporate leadership teams, individuals, couples, and families and loves to watch the transformation that takes place as her students develop their practice.

Kundalini Yoga
Kiret Deva Kaur
Yoga devotee, practitioner and teacher since 2001, certified in Hatha, Iyanger, Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. Licensed Massage Therapist since 2002. Her approach to healing and liberation is through chanting a secret Mantra, challenging physical exercise, mental projection and hands on healing. She teaches with love and compassion to all human kind, she is devoted to share the technology and knowledge she learned from her teachers, which helped her to be in alignment with the Divine Creative Force. She is a mother of 3 children, and a French Bull dog. Love of nature, animals, cooking and dancing!

Parenting Programs
Ann Magalhaes
Ann has been leading parenting courses and workshops since 2008. She trained and worked with the Parent Practice in London until 2013 when she moved to Rye. She has since taught the Positive Parenting Course and workshops in NYC, and in Westchester and Fairfield Counties. She co-founded The Parent Team in 2021. She holds a BA in Japanese Language & Literature and Spanish Studies from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Canada’s Richard Ivey School of Business. She previously served on the Heard in Rye committee and is the Vice President of the 5 Steps to Five Board, where she also volunteers her time teaching parenting in Port Chester. She has been on the Wainwright Board since 2022.

Heartfulness Meditation
Mary-Lynn Masi
Mary-Lynn Masi has been practicing Heartfulness meditation since 2000. Heartfulness is a modified raja yoga meditation practice updated for modern day. In 2005, she was prepared by her teacher to assist others and began teaching classes and leading meditations. As a Heartfulness meditation trainer, Mary-Lynn teaches relaxation and meditation wellness programs to both individuals and groups of all ages. Everyone can learn these simple effective techniques designed to promote peace and harmony and develop a sense of well being. Mary-Lynn resides in Cos Cob, CT with her husband. She can be reached at westchester.ny@heartfulness.org.