Meet the Leadership Team

Valma Shakti, E-RYT 500, Holistic Practitioner- Yoga, Ayurveda, Astrology, Palmistry, Energy Medicine

Valma Shakti (Brenton) is a transformational trainer. She discovered Kundalini Yoga 27 years ago while working in Chile.  Within a short time, Valma noticed that the benefits of her Yoga practice raised her level of awareness, allowed her to stay focused, healthy and present in all aspects of her Being. This was important to her, as she had lost the use of her legs temporarily in the recovery of a spinal injury some years before. In her continued exploration of Yoga and other healing modalities such as Energy Mirrors – Intuitive Energy Healing, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Sound Healing, Attunement to Nature, Animal Communication, Spiritual Iridology, Numerology, Tarot, Vedic Astrology, Astro Palmistry, The Sedona Method, Ayurveda and further Self-Awareness Trainings she found her practice to create a bridge between the body, mind and the Spirit and she believes this will play an important role in the global awakening. Presently, she lives at the Clarananda Natural Living & Wellness Retreat, a beautiful desert oasis in southern Baja, Mexico. Valma has furthered her education as a Permaculture Designer and incorporates sustainable natural living practices at Clarananda and her daily life. Valma has been studying with local Mexican natural medicine experts and grows and utilizes local master plants for products to offer her clients. "My purpose, says Valma "Is to be a mirror for others, to share my knowledge and wisdom of life and empowering them to imagine, nurture and live their desired dreams, reach their fullest potential and live their best life. To inspire them to create miracles in their lives and be open to the present moment… creating balance through awareness, self-confidence, intention and faith.” I invite you to celebrate personal success and natural Well-Being through awareness, motion and nature. Join me on the journey of freedom through Yoga, Qigong, Ayurveda and let your Spirit fly.

Elizabeth Martin CYT 200, RMT, CH

Elizabeth is a natural leader and teacher who lives on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, sharing her practice with community families. Her education began in 1996 in alternative medicine and nutrition. She earned her Chartered Herbalist Diploma and Doula Certification in 2000. Specializing in pregnant mamas, she facilitates women’s healing circles and sweat lodge ceremonies. At age 23 she started Massage Therapy College in BC Canada, a 3000-hour medical modeled, therapy-based program with the highest standards for massage therapy training worldwide. She trained with Chiropractors, RMT's, and Nurses specializing in prenatal care. In 2005 she attended a Yoga Teacher Training in Baja, Mexico and had one of the best months of her life, learning and living communally. She lived in Hawai’i for 2 months of 2006 at a Yoga retreat community, doing a Karma Yoga work trade program and taking Yoga and dance classes every day. Here, she took the Yoga Intensive Teacher Trainings. After attending Pachamama Retreat in Costa Rica in 2008/09 she came home to birth her son Bodhi Sage and take time off for motherhood. In 2013 she purchased an acre of land in Errington and started her dream business; Amethyst Healing Retreat. With a Massage Therapy Clinic on the land has had 18 RMTs, 5 Yoga Teachers and has hosted 122 helpers from around the world work at the retreat, offering full moon women's circles, and spa sister yoga days..  Elizabeth is happily dedicated to sharing what she knows, and learns incredibly through teaching. Her classes and sessions are extremely positive, with focus on deep relaxation and healing.

Elizabeth has been teaching anatomy at the HERIZEN™ Yoga for Women Level 1: 200 Hr YTT Immersion Lifestyle Camps since 2008 and now teaching on our Online YTT via the Virtual Oasis Ashram.

Jaimi Davie

Jaimi is our Clarananda Natural Living & Wellness Retreat, Baja Sur YTT Holistic Chef extraordinaire.  Jaimi comes to us with many years of organic gardening and holistic cooking experience.  She has traveled and worked extensively on the West Coast of Canada, California, New Zealand, Australia, England, Hawaii and Mexico.

Jaimi has trained with Aboriginal Masters on the Big Island, Hawaii in Lomi Lomi massage and in Canada with lymphatic massage techniques.

She has certification training as a Vegan and Vegetarian Chef by award winning Chef Mark Renfield of Vegan Fusion Cuisine. Besides offering her fresh organic home made vegetarian meals she is an avid surfer.  Jaimi has a great love and respect for the ocean and surfs daily. Trained as a surf instructor, Jaimi has surfed and taught in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Mexico.

Jaimi presently lives in Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico with her 5 year old son Cruz and her partner, where she provides holistic catering, organic gardening, surf instruction for HERIZEN™ Yoga for Women and in addition; she is a talented artist refurbishing old furniture and selling to the local community.

All of our students are delighted to meet Jaimi, as she is enthusiastic, loving, nurturing, fun and prepares only the very best locally grown organic foods to nourish your soul.

Carolyn Doonan, MPM, BA, CSD, RYT 200, CIE, CSC®

Carolyn is a Deep Listening Practitioner and a Certified Spiritual Director. She is passionate about holistic wellness, self-mastery and inclusion. As an RYT 200, spiritual director, intuitive eating counsellor and SoulCollage® facilitator, Carolyn’s life’s aim is to support others to claim their intrinsic worth and live their life to the fullest. Carolyn offers her services both online and at Salt & Light Yoga Studio in Nanaimo, BC. For the past 35 years Carolyn has served others as an ordained pastor and an executive director of social services; her higher education in pastoral ministry, spiritual formation and spiritual direction inform her present offerings. Carolyn trains spiritual directors as part of the leadership team of the Pacific Jubilee SoulGuiding Program.

As a graduate of two of HERIZEN Tm YTT Schools (Vancouver Island and Mexico) Carolyn is delighted to now be part of the HERIZEN Tm leadership team. Carolyn’s life treasures include her husband, her dog, five adult children, three son-in-law’s, six grandchildren with another here soon! She has completed 12 half-marathons and a trek of 800+ km.

Cherin Husko, RYT 200

Cherin is a very talented vegetarian / vegan holistic chef and is also a trained baker. She shares her food experiences and talents during our Van Isle YTT summer immersion programs.

Ladies love to gather in the kitchen and share stories with Cherin. She is very compassionate and a wise women. Cherin graduated from the HERIZEN™ Level 1: 200 Hr YTT program at the Clarananda Natural Living, Yoga & Meditation Retreat in April 2018.

Lauren Lowell, RYT 200

Lauren is a photographer, graphic designer, and solo backpacker from the United States.  She assists with many of the graphic elements for HERIZEN™ Yoga for Women, including website design and the creation of advertising. She earned her Level 1: 200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training / Certification through HERIZEN™ Yoga for Women in January of 2019 and has begun using her training to offer free classes along her travels, as well as to further enhance her own personal practice.

Avis Oxbury

Avis lives in Nanaimo, BC, Canada. She has a strong yoga practice, always continues to rejuvenate, stay active and has been on many HERIZEN™ Inspired Adventures. Avis is a very inspirational women, living large and always forever youthful. Thank goodness we have Avis as our admin assistant. She is a fun Yogini.

Monica Sharma - Programs Assistant in India 

Monica holds a Masters Degree in Commerce from Bareilly College - MJP University UP, India and over the last 10 years has held positions in two Multi level National Companies. She speaks good English and has excellent management and organizational skills.  Monica assists Valma Shakti with travel and other program operations for the HERIZEN Tm Yoga Fusion Adventure Experiences in India.

Monica is now a home maker and has started pursuing her passion for cooking.  She believes that traditional Indian cooking is an art and the great experience lies in cooking different food varieties. Monica aims to keep recipes simple, fresh and full of prana so that anyone can prepare.  She also has a talent for photographing her mouth watering dishes.  Her husband Udit, who also is a great chef, is a genrous person who supports and assists her in cooking new dishes. Monica is a good karma yogini and offers loving service to elders both in her family and community.  

Aditi Rastogi

Aditi is a professional Indian artist who sells her artworks around the world. She has completed her schooling from Army Public School Ranikhet, Uttarakhand, India.  She specializes in portraits and still life paintings . She works in all mediums such as oil, acrylic , water and pencil . Her passion depicts extraordinary realism in both canvas and murals. Her work allows her to constantly explore more creative ideas , inviting the viewers to see nature in diverse ways. Her uniquely creative artwork is found among many private collections. Aditi is the HERIZEN™ Yoga for Women artist creating drawings for training books and other related materials.

In addition, Aditi accepts numerous commissions and displays her works in exhibitions and art competitions.

Cherylynn Bassani

Cherylynn Bassani RYT - 500 is a Registered Certified Yoga Teacher and has been teaching yoga since 2016. She is also a reiki master and teaches reiki, actively training and mentoring new light workers. As a life coach she draws on the spiritual healing aspects of yoga and reiki, combining this with her formal training as a sociologist. Dr Bassani is a professor of sociology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University on the west coast, BC, Canada. Here she teaches sex and gender studies and research methods. Traditionally her research focused on youth, children and families' well being, though recently she has shifted her attention to sex-gender shifts in society, examining the interplay of religion, colonization and threats to patriarchy (i.e. violence against women. Cherylynn completed both the 200 & 300 Hr YTT trainings with HERIZEN Tm Yoga for Women.

Allegra Scrugham UX/UI & Graphic Designer

Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, Canada, Allegra loves to travel and enjoys meeting new people and experiencing new cultures.  Besides travel, Allegra plays rugby a few times a week.   During her downtime, she is freelancing, building things, solving Sudoku puzzles and playing board games! Allegra designs logos and website animation for HERIZEN™. She is very creative and things outside of the box.

Rose Mathiesen E-RYT 200 AYWC CYA-RYT Gold

Rose Mathiesen is an Ayurveda Yoga Wellness Consultant and has spent the last 8 years continuing her studies in BC, Canada and India.

After retiring from her corporate career in banking, Rose embarked on a new spiritual journey through Yoga. It was a combination of determined focus and faith that brought Rose to Valma Shakti and the HERIZEN™ Yoga for Women Level 1: 200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training program in 2014. After graduating, Rose returned to Mudge Island and began teaching Yoga. A small group of women joined and became her “tribe” for two to three weekly sessions, held outdoors in Rose’s yard whenever weather permitted.

During 2017, Rose continued her Ayurveda and Yoga studies and successfully completed a 350 hour program in Ayurveda Yoga Therapy. It was again through focus and faith that she was presented with the opportunity to study Ayurveda in India. Ayurveda is an ancient natural health science similar to Chinese Medicine and a branch of Yoga. In 2016 Rose travelled to India with a small group of women to complete a 6 week, 450 hour study program in Ayurveda Panchakarma at the Chakrapani Clinic and Research Center in Jaipur. Since her return from India, Rose has been offering her clients the opportunity to experience the many spiritual and health benefits of Panchakarma in her private treatment sanctuary on Mudge Island.