every WOMAN - Whistler May 22 to 24, 2009
Thank you to sponsors, workshop leaders & volunteers

every WOMAN - Powell River
Thank you to sponsors, workshop leaders & volunteers

Previous Every Woman Workshop Leaders

Special thanks to all the amazing women who have contributed to the Every Woman in the World Conference in previous years.

Patricia Brooksbank - Pilates
Montreal born, Patricia does not have a traditional movement background, but was active in gymnastics through University. Patricia recently moved to Pemberton, BC, after a 7-year hiatus in the US. While recovering from hip surgery in 2002 (a torn hip cartilage, sadly undiagnosed for 12 years), Patricia discovered the benefits of Pilates through the Freedom Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio. She spent the last year completing their apprenticeship-training program (approved by the Pilates Method Alliance) and wants to extend the benefits of "body control" to others. www.purepotentialpilates.ca

Betsy Carstairs - Real Estate 101
Betsy has been selling real estate for over 20 years, working with her clients to help them purchase a home that is comfortable to live in as well as appreciate in value. The average North American moves every 7 years, so she knows how important the investment component is in a purchase. www.betsycarstairs.com

Kimberly Cummings - Yoga
Kimberley, co-owner of Body Storm and ICE Fitness has resided in Whistler for the last 2 years, coming from the Okanagan Valley where she wrote a fitness column for OH magazine. She has been personal training, teaching aerobics, spinning, aquafit, yoga and Pilates for the last 6 years and her main focus is combining a well rounded physical and mental body through physical exertion and bodily awareness. She currently guides athletes and those seeking increased self esteem, physical physiques, stamina as well as emotional well being through motivation, accountability and old fashioned hard work! You will never see this woman without a smile.

Peggy Clarkson - Spontaneous Art
Peggy Clarkson, M.A., R.C.C., RCAT, ATR, is a Registered Clinical Counselor and Registered Art Therapist in private practice in North Vancouver, B.C. She also currently works as the Clinical Supervisor at WAVAW/RCC (Women against Violence against Women/ Rape Crisis Centre). She brings 10 years of diverse experience to her work as a therapist, and has presented internationally at conferences in New York, Budapest, and Hawaii. Peggy studied at Concordia University to complete her Master's degree in art therapy, and has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from U.B.C. Peggy has also studied art and art history for many years including courses at Emily Carr College of Art and Design. Peggy's therapeutic work is holistic, focusing on the interdependent relationship with the earth, mind, body and spirit. Peggy enjoys painting and is an ecotherapist, who kayaks and strives to live a healthy, balanced life. pegesus@shaw.ca

Roz Csordas - Personal Goal Setting
Rosalind has been in the coaching community for more than 5 years and has learned first hand about the positive opportunities to change one's life. She was so inspired by her own transformation, which she decided to pass along the insights gained and enhance it by going to coaching school. Her focus is to bring out the best in people and to empower them to live the lives they deserve. Through balanced life strategies and working with core values, Roz helps people move forward with their vision of success. www.cocoacoach.com

Laurie Ebenal - Reiki
Laurie has been a Reiki Master for 12 years and over that time has taught hundreds of students the power and importance of Reiki. She combines her knowledge of REIKI with traditional First Nations' healing practices. Reiki is a non-evasive healing practice using Universal Light Energy. This life force can be described by any healer as they chose, God, Higher Power,Source or as LAurie chooses, Universe. Reiki is not a religion or affliated with any religion. Through Laurie' workshop it is hoped that all will find a stronger connection with the life force.
Laurie currently works as a Special Education Co-ordinator with School District 43. She has Bachelor of Education degree in Special Education as well as her Masters. She obtained her Master from James Cook University in Australia.

Galeshka - West Coast Native Story Telling
In 1993 Galeshka taught healing classes at the Women's Shaman Gathering of the NW Coast (Canada/USA). There she had the honour of teaching Black Snake, Grand Chief of Australia. In 1999 she coordinated an Earth Day celebration at Mt. Currie Reserve where they built a Sacred Sweat Lodge and held Sacred Fire Ceremonies on the site where Bob Marley visited in 1976.
She is also honored to be the infamous Storyteller behind Noble Knowing Kind King Arthur's Castle, a ski-in children's park on top of Blackcomb Mountain. Galeshka tells the stories of her Native Ancestors overlapped with Shamanistic adventures in her book called "New Myth Crosses Time".

Yael Greenfield - Traditional Chinese Medicine
A Registered Acupuncturist, Yael is fascinated with the unity of all things. Growing up she was a competitive gymnast/dancer, and an avid nature lover (canoeing, kayaking, hiking, camping, skiing, rowing, biking). Her experiences lead her to Traditional Chinese Medicine, based on the unity of humans, nature and the universe. Her journey is to guide herself and others on their path of least resistance, as they cycle with the laws of nature. Since graduating three years ago from the Academy of Oriental Medicine, she has been running a private practice in Vancouver. www.yaelshayla.com

Pat Harrison - Visioning, Centering, Grounding
Pat is dedicated to positive change in sports. She has been recognized with the highest honors in her sport of softball and has been inducted into both the Canadian and United States Softball Halls of Fame. Her involvement in competition as an elite player, educator, national and international coach has offered her the opportunity to experience a deeper awareness of athletic involvement.
As a writer, lecturer and counselor Pat shares her unique understanding of the Authentic Self and the intuitive aspects of this relatively unexplored dimension of sport. Her message is one of empowerment, with the Authentic Self being the magical power source of great athletes and great moment in sports. She is the author of two books "Competing From The Heart" and "Once Upon A Locker Room". She has also produced a CD entitled "Honoring The Athlete Within".

Maureen Fitzgerald: Mission Possible
Maureen Fitzgerald is a lawyer, author, speaker and conflict & collaboration expert. She is the author of four books including "Mission Possible: Creating a Mission for Work and Life" and "Hiring, Managing and Keeping the Best ." As president of The Fitzgerald Group she is dedicated to helping organizations, teams and individuals have "fierce conversations" - to resolve conflict and create collaborative cultures. She is a seasoned speaker and mixes humor with practical insights. Contact her at www.maureenfitzgerald.com

Patricia Jones - Self-Defense Karate
Patricia has studied Karate for over 13 years, three of which were spent in Japan -- teaching English and training as a 2nd degree black belt in Goju-Ryu Karate (which is traditional and sport karate). She also spent one year doing full contact Karate in Whistler and is a licensed instructor. Patricia applies the discipline of Karate in her day-to-day successful entrepreneurial business life. How? You ask, "By simply trying things over and over and over again until you perfect them," says Jones, "Persistence is one of the keys..."

Dawn Lefebvre - Taekwondo
Master Dawn Lefebvre is a 5th degree black belt and former Canadian National Champion. After 27 years of training in the martial art of Taekwondo, Master Lefebvre was promoted to a 5th degree Black Belt status. She is the second woman in Canada to receive this honor. In 1987 Master Lefebvre placed second in Canada on the National Team and in a positive move she relocated to Whistler, BC. Driven by ambition and a vision to share her skill and knowledge she was inspired to teach. Dawn has been operating The Whistler Taekwondo School for 13 years. www.whistlertaekwondo.com

Sarah McMillan - Nutrition
Sarah has been involved in the natural healing industry for just over 3 years. In 1999 a dusty trekking path in Nepal led her into the Lantang Valley, up into the clouds, and on to her eventual career path. In 2001 Sarah started dabbling in the industry by completing a Remedial Massage Diploma at the renowned Nature Care College in Sydney, Australia. That same year she studied Reiki under Dr Ranga Premeratna, attaining Level 1, as well as the first certificate in Bach Flower Remedies.
But the food just kept on calling her and she is now studying to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in Vancouver.

Jocelyn Miller - Lindy Hop + Charleston
Jocelyn, a lindy hop enthusiast since 1997, will be teaching with her sometime teaching partner, Lucy Falkner (above). With her impeccable sense of rhythm, body control and responsiveness to her partner, Jocelyn's dancing has been inspiring dancers around North America for many years.

Magda Regdos - Massage Techniques and Bodywork
This Northumberland College Grad of 2001, completed her intensive 2200 hour Massage Therapy Diploma with a certificate of outstanding academic achievement and headed for the mountains. In Whistler, she has practiced massage since the fall of 2001 - taking time off only to further her education. She is trained in swedish massage techniques, myofascial therapy, craniosacral therapy, Reiki, Sports massage, Active Inhibition Techniques, pregnancy massage, scar tissue mobilization and most recently studied Thai Massage in the mountains of Northern Thailand. She has developed individual treatment plans for the athletes, tourists and locals of Whistler and insists that massage therapy is an excellent tool in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, soft tissue rehabilitation, preventing the reoccurence of injury and recognizing postural imbalances.

Leanne Schwartz and Deborah Ebenal - Conquer the Color
Leanne and Deb are both Certified Interior Decorators who have just started their own business called "Innovative Interiors". They have joined forces to offer a combination of skills, experience and a wealth of information in specializing in great design on a budget! Who says you need to spend heaps of money to get a fabulous looking space? Learn how to decorate spaces creatively and uniquely in cost-efficient manner. Leanne and Deb also offer additional services such as space planning, furniture arrangement, color schemes, lighting schemes, consultant purchasing for furniture, fabrics, lighting, background coverings, accessories and more. Putting it all together can be a mind-boggling process. Start the ball rolling with their workshop on color.

Taryn Wagman - Hip Hop
Since the age of 5, Taryn has enjoyed many different forms of dance. In her younger years, the majority of her training was in classical ballet. Later on she attended Simon Fraser University and not only studied ballet, but modern dance as well. After discovering this new form of dance, which was less rigid than the art of ballet, she moved her interest to a non-traditional style of dance, hip hop. She finds this a great alternative to an aerobics class.

Dawn Titus, BPHE / B Ed - Run/Walk/Jog
Dawn in a Teacher/Fitness Trainer who has resided in the beauty of Whistler BC for the past 20 years; a playground beyond compare.
She is the proud mother of twin sons and she continues to be involved with the Triathlon circuit - competing in IronMan Worlds in Hawaii/2001 and Age Group Worlds in Madeira, Portugal/2006. She has completed numerous marathons including Boston and also one at the base of Mt. Fuji. Locally, she has completed the Infamous Kneeknacker Ultra, running from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove over the Baden Bowell trail...
Her active but simple lifestyle has brought her many social, emotional and physical benefits. She strives to inspire and challenge each person to be the best they can be in her training sessions and classes, which she leads at Meadow Park Sport Centre in Whistler.

Connie Wanlin-Iskra - Drum Circle
Dr. Connie Wanlin-Iskra has been practicing as a registered psychologist in White Rock for four years. Connie believes very strongly in living your passions. She put herself through university as a gymnastics coach and swimming instructor and was the president of the University of Manitoba Figure Skating Club, leading her to combine her interests in sport and psychology. Recently she began researching ways to combine another passion: music. Having acquired two Djembes (African Drums), she researched the benefits of drumming for health. She started incorporating it into her work at a pain program with positive feedback from her clients. She has completed the Health Rhythms training (a drumming protocol that has been found to increase natural killer T cells in the body and to reduce stress, burnout and mood disturbances). In Oct/04 she started a drumming for stress management group and has facilitatedempowerment drumming session for women living with HIV and young women recovering from addictions. Connie invites you to join in and embrace your inner healing rhythm.

Leslie Young - Yoga
Leslie Young draws from over 20 years of experience with different styles of yoga, including Iyengar, Astanga, Vinyasa & Kundalini. Balancing precision with flow, her teaching is creative and eclectic. Originally trained and certified through The Association of Iyengar Yoga Teachers of Ontario, Leslie has studied with many senior North American teachers, as well as attending conferences with the Iyengars. She invites an ongoing cultivation of space and freedom in the mind and body, using her experience with mindfulness (vipassana) meditation to encourage a gentle awareness of the present moment. With a background in education, she has been teaching for over 15 years, offering classes retreats and workshops.