The Quantum Alignment Podcast

Sitaram Dass served his beloved teacher Ram Dass for several years on Maui, where he committed himself to the path of Bhakti Yoga. Now he spends his time singing kirtan, teaching, and serving wherever he can. His settings have ranged from homeless shelters, prisons, and hospice clinics to yoga studios, retreat centers, and festivals. He often writes about the intersection between spirituality and activism and is a contributing writer for the Be Here Now Network. Find out more at Sitaramdass.com

In this episode we are joined by the women of Welcoming Dawn Midwifery Olympia McCutchan and Tracy Lough

Olympia McCutchan is a California Licensed Midwife and a Certified Professional Midwife. Additionally, she is a Wilderness First Responder, Reiki 1 certified, a student herbalist and mid-level Spanish speaker. She is a mother or two children, both born at home with the care of Midwives. She teaches Holistic childbirth education classes and will begin teaching Health classes for children and young adults in the Fall 2018. Her studies have taken her from University in Santa Cruz, CA to a Midwifery apprenticeship in Bristol, Vermont, to a Midwifery clinical residency in El Paso, Texas. Returning to her childhood home of Humboldt County, she has brought midwifery care to both town and rural areas of the county. In total, she has attended over 190 births.

Tracy Lough, LM, CPM, is a local home birth midwife with Welcoming Dawn Midwifery. She is owner of the “Birth Yurt” located in Fieldbrook, CA. Tracy meets each birth experience with gentleness, respect and safety while supporting the mother and family’s needs and wishes. She was inspired by her own birthing experiences with midwives and has been able to provide a high standard of pregnancy care coupled with a more caring, personal and intimate birth experience. She feels welcomed in as a guest for each birth to ensure mother and baby’s safety or is able to provide doula support at the hospital if that is the safest place for a baby to arrive. Tracy offers affordable care because she believes low-risk pregnancies often achieve the best outcome with home birth and every women desiring to have their baby at home with a midwife should have that option. In addition to her midwifery practice, Tracy is able to provide Craniosacral Therapy for mothers and babies, teaches hypnobirthing, offers placenta encapsulation and runs a Waldorf-Inspired Outdoor Nature Preschool on her homestead.

Wade Pajares is a Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner, a Human Design "Living your design" Guide, as well as a Baantu Chart reading graduate. Born and raised in southern California, he moved to Trinidad 23 years ago to study music at HsU, and the north coast has been His home, ever since. He draws inspiration from the incredible landscapes and the pure energy of this area. His hobbies include surfing, yoga and music, and his greatest joy comes from being Dad to his 17 year old son.

In this episode we are joined by Stephanie Calderon

Steph Calderon is a beekeeper, cannabis consultant, and poetess. Stephanie started Highly Motivated Consulting in 2015 and since has worked with an array of recreational cannabis companies in Oregon and California. Having a background in seed to sale, farm to dispensary, her approach to business development integrates the observed collaborative work flow of honey bees. She keeps several hives on a couple of licensed cannabis farms and has launched a new project to inspire and educate the new generation of honey bee stewards. Cannabis and honey have played an integral role in personal and community healing in Stephanie's journey.

In this episode of The Q&A we are joined by Rob Diggins!

Rob received his 500hr certification November 2016 at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Ashram in Rishikesh, India and is currently working towards completing the 2000hrs of teaching post-certification necessary to receive the E-RYT 500 designation.

Rob has studied with his teacher, the late, Swami Veda Bharati (formerly, Dr. Usharbudh Arya, Dr. Litt.) since initiation with him in 1983.

He teaches the science and philosophy of Yoga and the tradition is called the Himalayan Yoga Tradition, or HYT.

Currently further interest and/or study in the HYT can be pursued through teacher training and retreat program under the auspices of the international organization, Association of Himalayan Yoga and Meditation Societies, International - AHYMSIN. ahymsin.org

It is a meditation based tradition.

Currently, in addition to private sessions, Rob and his teacher voluntarily teach regular yoga classes at the Timberidge and Silvercrest Adult assisted living facilities as well as at Humboldt County Correctional Facility.

Rob gives us insight to his life mantra and embodiment of Love, Service, and Remembrance,

In this episode we are joined by Samantha Akers.

Samantha (Sam) Akers, E-RYT-500, C-IAYT, CMT, found yoga and massage when she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia in 1998. Her practice began with Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra and brought her such incredible healing, she knew this had to be shared with others. As she began to recover, she began to study more and eventually was well enough to embark upon several training programs.

Sam's love of therapeutic yoga, inspired her to open TheraYoga Studio, in Los Angeles Ca. From there, she went on to develop the TheraYoga Method which is not only a 200 and 300 hour teacher training, but also encompasses smaller trainings and workshops in Restorative Yoga, Mindfulness and Yoga for Special Conditions, Fascial Fitness in Asana and Yin Yoga. Her approach combines Hatha & Iyengar yoga techniques & therapeutic applications with Restorative and Meditation practices, for a balanced and well-rounded experience.

Sam has trained under Judith Lasater, Kelly Wood, Russ Pfeiffer, Leeann Carey and Doug Keller. She is currently studying mindfulness and its effectiveness in working deeply with psychological attachment patterns. She completed the 10 month Meaningful Life program, and intensive training on this subject in 2014, under the guidance of her teacher, George Haas, at Against the Stream in Los Angeles. She weaves concentration, insight and metta into her trainings, workshops and private sessions and believes that the ability to stay present is the key to the power of self-healing and love.

Dorje Kirsten’s path as an astrologer and meditator began when he went to the Naropa Institute in 1992. There he was immersed in the unique world wisdom tradition training blending with psychological studies and poetics that only that university has to offer. While at the Naropa Institute he met his teacher Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche. To deepen his understanding of mind he went to live at Rinpoche’s retreat center, Rigdzin Ling, in 1995. He stayed there for 11 years engaging in deep retreats and became a ritual arts master and shrine keep of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In 2006 he moved to Arcata California and began practicing the art of Astrology and Feng Shui as a method of helping others align with their own inner wisdom. In 2013 he became a certified Tea Master under the auspices of the International Tea Masters Association. He also carries a 800 year old Shinto buddhist tradition of single brush stroke sumi-e serpent paintings that are both works of art and talismans to honor nature spirits.

His astrological writings can be found at Heartastrology.com. Currently he lives in Arcata California, where he gives consultations in Astrology, Feng Shui and runs his tea company, Planet Teas.

In this episode, we are joined by Jennifer Wiest as she shares her knowledge about various elements of Ayurveda.

Jennifer Wiest has been studying ayurveda since 2007, locally with Traci Webb as well as out of the area study courses. She is the owner/practitioner of Madre Illumination Healing in Bayside and the owner/product developer at Amrita Botanicals, a local ayurvedically inspired health and wellness brand. She is a Certified Aromatherapist that grows and distills her own Hydrosols that she uses in her practice and sells locally. In 2017 she received her Reiki II certification and her Holistic Health Practitioner Certification and is combining all her healing modalities to work with her clients at Madre Illumination Healing.

She has lived in Humboldt County for over 20 years and has three children. She loves working and living in such a health-conscious community and feels blessed to be able to call this place home.

Madre Illumination Healing offers balance, healing, and vitality through Ayurveda, the traditional

healing modality based in the balance of the mind-body and awareness of one’s particular type, or

dosha. We provide Ayurvedic consultations, Ayurvedic facials, Shirodhara, Reiki and

Aromatherapy in a warm, peaceful private studio nestled in beautiful Bayside.

Rediscover your divine health, vitality, and balance with Madre Illumination Healing.

For more information, product orders, or to schedule a consultation or treatment, visit the

website or call:

www.madreillumination.com

707-845- 5806

Etsy store: Amrita Botanicals

www.etsy.com/shop/AmritaBotanicals

Ayurvedic Facials are a rejuvenating and transformative experience that nurtures the spirit using

hydrosols grown and distilled personally. Customized to your specific skin type and dosha, all ingredients are prana filled and chemical free to create a calming, relaxing treatment that includes facelift karma points and massage, energy balancing and Reiki.

Shirodhara:

This treatment is deeply nourishing to the pineal and pituitary gland which helps to rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. The treatment helps with any disease of the head, neck, ears, eyes, nose and throat. In addition Shirodhara will calm the nervous system which is helpful for any anxiety and insomnia. The treatment is considered helpful with difficult diseases like diabetes and epilepsy.

In this episode we are joined by Chrystal Ortiz.

Chrystal Ortiz is a permaculture gardener, founding member of FulSol Farm and works as the Operations Manager of True Humboldt, a premium sun grown cannabis brand supported by The Humboldt Sun Growers Guild. Chrystal is active in the Humboldt County cannabis community and works diligently to help build a regulated cannabis industry that promotes the highest environmental standards. She believes that California has the unique ability to have a regulated cannabis industry that supports the economy of rural communities while protecting its natural resources. It is this vision that has inspired her most recently to join the board of the International Cannabis Farmers Association. The ICFA is a group of stakeholders and scientists committed to traditional sun grown farming practices.

In this episode of The Quantum Alignment Podcast we are joined by Dr. Roy King.

Dr. Roy King has a PhD in math from Cornell and an MD from Stanford. He also has a Master of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion. He is an associate professor emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University. He is fascinated by alternative approaches to mental health issues including yoga, meditation and art therapy. He has published over 100 articles.