Meet the Teachers!
Soul Medicine Flow:
Live Music + Yoga
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Workshop Description
A soulful collaboration of a LIVE ambient DJ set by Sol Rising, guided intention-setting meditation, and an awakening all-levels yoga flow. This immersive experience will join us together in the heartspace and set the tone for an unforgettable day of healing, playfulness, and elevating our collective consciousness!
Facilitator BiosSol Rising is an international touring DJ whose original soundscapes evoke inspiration and bliss through an eclectic blend of electronic music, mid/downtempo, chill-trap, and lo-fi. To learn more about Sol Rising, read his full bio at the end of this page.
Monica Graves Garcia is the woman behind this Sol Fest mission, and she is thrilled to serve as your Guide and Emcee for this remarkable event! To learn more about Monica and her journey, visit our Team page.
Karissa Taylor has been practicing yoga since 2014 and teaching power vinyasa since 2016. A registered nurse and mom of two teenagers, she is deeply passionate about health and wellness, believing mental and physical well-being are equally important.
Karissa originally completed her first teacher training to deepen her own practice during a season of rediscovery as a stay-at-home mom, but soon found a powerful sense of purpose in sharing yoga with others. She later completed meditation training in 2019 and earned her Baptiste Power Yoga certification in 2022. Her classes are energetic, music-filled flows that connect breath to movement while building strength, resilience, and a deeper mind-body connection.
on Shiva Stage
POUND Unlugged
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Workshop Description
POUND Unplugged balances focused, high intensity movements with restorative stretches rhythmic breathing and meditation. Using ripstix, exercise drumsticks, the workout guides participants through a deeply intentional, rhythmic journey designed to promote the health and fitness of the whole person- mental, physical, and emotional.
Quick, efficient, and challenging, POUND Unplugged connects mind, body, and sound to create immersive, sensory experiences, unlike anything you’ve experienced in a group fitness class.
Facilitator Bio
Erin Richardson is an energetic wife, mom, middle school math teacher, and fitness instructor who believes that movement has power to transform both mind and body. She is an AFAA certified group fitness instructor with specialized certifications in POUND and POUND Unplugged, and has been leading high-energy classes in Warren, PA for the past 6 years.
Her mission is to inspire people of every age and every stage to pick up those ripstix, step out of their comfort zone, and connect to the music in equal parts challenge and release.
on Shiva Stage
The Fertile Ground: Herbal Healing
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Workshop Description
Come prepared to breathe, listen, and reconnect with your inner alchemy.
In this transformative session, herbalist, somatic healer, and fertility support specialist Loukeisa Denise reveals the often-missing link in reproductive wellness: the nervous system. While most hormonal protocols focus only on the physical, this integrative approach brings together plant medicine and physiological safety.
Through the Triple Moon lens of empowerment, you’ll explore how survival mode impacts the endocrine system and learn ways to signal safety to the body.
Blending herbal wisdom with somatic practices, this session offers practical tools to support hormonal balance, fertility, and deeper connection with your body’s natural healing intelligence.
Facilitator Bio
Loukeisa Denise Edwards is a professional herbalist, certified fertility doula, and somatic healer who believes true hormonal wellness requires supporting both the physical body and the nervous system that governs it.
Working at the intersection of traditional wisdom and modern understanding, she blends herbalism with somatic healing through her integrative practice, Triple Moon Alchemy. Her work supports those navigating fertility, preparing for ART, or seeking deeper hormonal balance.
Through 1:1 and group work, both virtually and in person, Loukeisa offers a trauma-informed space where clients learn to understand their physiology, regulate their nervous systems, and work with plant medicine safely and confidently.
Credentials:
Certified Fertility Specialist (Doula), 10 years
Certified Somatic Healer, 5 years
Professional Herbalist, 25+ years
on Shakti Stage
From Resistance to Regulation
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Workshop Description
Many people are drawn to mindfulness and yoga, yet quietly struggle to access the practices. Sitting still, focusing on the breath, or being in the body can feel uncomfortable or even unsafe, especially for those with anxiety, chronic stress, or trauma. This often leads to frustration, shame, or the belief that they’re “bad at meditation.”
This interactive workshop offers a nervous system–informed approach to understanding why mindfulness may feel inaccessible. Rather than pushing through discomfort, we’ll explore how the body can perceive these practices as a threat.
Through gentle, practical exercises, participants will learn to build safety, awareness, and regulation, leaving with compassionate tools to approach mindfulness in a way that truly supports them.
Facilitator Bio
Dr. Amanda Whitehouse is a licensed psychologist whose work focuses on nervous system regulation and trauma informed care. She specializes in working with individuals who experience anxiety, overwhelm, or shutdown in ways that make traditional mindfulness or yoga practices feel difficult or even unsafe.
Through her clinical work, teaching, and writing, Dr. Whitehouse helps clients understand how the nervous system responds to stress and perceived threat, and how those patterns can create resistance to stillness, breathwork, or body-based practices. Her approach emphasizes practical, compassionate tools that meet the nervous system where it is, rather than forcing calm or presence.
Dr. Whitehouse's work views somatic awareness and mindfulness as the bridge between psychology and spirituality, offering pathways for clients to build regulation, self-trust, and embodied safety over time.
on Shakti Stage
Sol Fest Vinyasa Flow
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Workshop Description
This all-levels vinyasa flow is a celebration of movement, breath, and community. Expect a dynamic yet accessible practice that weaves together energizing sequences with moments of grounding and restoration. With thoughtful guidance and plenty of options, you’ll be supported to move in a way that honors your body while building strength, fluidity, and ease.
This class is more than a practice. It’s a shared experience designed to uplift your energy, deepen your connection, and leave you feeling empowered, restored, and inspired by the collective spirit of our yoga community.
Facilitator Bio
Jill Murphey is the owner of yogaErie LLC and a dedicated yoga teacher since 2009. After the birth of her fourth son, she committed deeply to her practice and has since completed over 300 hours of training, including YogaFit and advanced studies with Amazing Yoga and Cleveland Yoga.
Jill teaches a vinyasa style rooted in flow, strength, and mindful awareness, offering modifications to support all levels. She leads retreats, including yogaErie’s annual Costa Rica experience, and is passionate about creating a welcoming, empowering space for students. Outside the studio, she enjoys time with her husband, four sons, and extended family.
on Shiva Stage
Be Your Own Healer
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Workshop Description
The Be Your Own Healer method is a signature blend of breathwork, meditation, and self-massage to identify and release your physical and emotional blocks. We store unprocessed emotions in our muscles, which creates a ripple effect of tension throughout the body.
BYOH guides you through your body's unique tension pattern, showing you what emotions need to be released.
Afterwards, you'll experience less pain and increased mobility, but more importantly, less burnout, and a deeper trust in your intuition. Once you learn the system, you can create these results at any time on your own, truly making you your own healer.
Facilitator Bio
Leah Staley is a wellness entrepreneur and seasoned movement specialist whose practice is deeply rooted in outdoor adventure. Growing up skiing and whitewater rafting instilled in her a commitment to resilience, which defines her 14-year career in the wellness industry.
With over two decades of consistent yoga practice, 10 years as a massage therapist specializing in helping outdoor athletes, and 600 hours of formal yoga teacher training, Leah combines extensive anatomy and physiotherapy knowledge with traditional breathwork and bodywork techniques. She creates classes and sessions that feel deeply tailored to the individual, guiding women and adventurers to truly "come home to their body."
on Shakti Stage
Light + Bright Acoustic
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Description
Midnight Frolic is an Erie-based acoustic duo known for their light, bright mashups of songs spanning generations, from nostalgic favorites to modern hits. Their sound creates an easy, feel-good atmosphere that invites you to slow down, take a breath, and soak in the moment.
Settle into the grass, feel the warmth of the sun, and let their music offer a sweet pause in the midst of the day’s activties.
Artist Bio
Coming soon!
on Shiva Stage
Crystal Alchemy Sound Bath
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Workshop Description
This immersive sound journey weaves together crystal alchemy singing bowls tuned to 432Hz, a cosmic gong, drums, chimes, and other resonant instruments to create a deeply restorative and expansive experience. The layered vibrations invite you to soften, release, and journey inward, supporting energetic balance and gentle recalibration.
Guided meditation and a Reiki blessing are woven throughout, offering a nurturing container for integration, relaxation, and profound inner connection.
Facilitator Bio
Ash describes herself as a modern-day ecstatic, weaving together the threads of transcendent experiences gathered from her journeys to craft her unique brand of spiritual alchemy.
Always deeply inspired by the transformative power of music and sound, she discovered their profound benefits of healing with frequency during her first sound bath. This life-altering experience led her to leave the corporate world and embrace her calling as a healer. Through her practice, she shares her gifts via sound therapy, yoga, and dance, helping to reveal to others what has been revealed to her.
Ash is also an intuit, a gift awakened over a decade ago, which allows her to channel wisdom from spirit, ancestors, and guides, bringing clarity and insight to those she serves.
on Shakti Stage
Alt Fit: Rage Rock Release
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Workshop Description
Alt Fit: Rage Rock Release is a music-driven movement experience designed to help you shake off stress, reconnect with your body, and leave feeling lighter and grounded.
Blending expressive dance cardio, strength-based movement, and yoga-inspired mobility, this class moves through high-energy release into calming, restorative flow.
Expect a supportive, judgment-free space where you can move in your own way. No experience needed—options are offered throughout.
You’ll build strength and mobility, release tension, deepen body awareness, and leave feeling empowered, calm, and reset.
Facilitator Bio
Morgan Gardner is a Detroit-based movement instructor, creative entrepreneur, and the founder of The Alt Fit Experience, a music-driven fitness format that blends dance, strength, and yoga-inspired movement. She has over 10 years of experience leading group fitness, community wellness events, and music-inspired movement classes for diverse audiences.
Morgan’s background includes dance fitness, strength and conditioning, yoga-influenced mobility work, and somatic-style stress release. Her classes are known for being welcoming, beginner-friendly, and emotionally uplifting — designed to help people reconnect with their bodies through music, breath, and expressive movement rather than perfection or performance.
She has taught in gyms, studios, festivals, pop-ups, and community spaces, and specializes in creating immersive, music-themed experiences that feel more like a shared vibe than a traditional workout. Morgan is passionate about helping participants release stress, build confidence, and leave feeling grounded, empowered, and energized.
on Shiva Stage
The Healing Art of WORD
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Workshop Description
Experience an interactive 3-part journey that will teach you how to heal through the expressive word art of Poetry and self-expression. Miss Mabeline will guide you step-by-step through the process of tuning in with your feelings, arranging them in poetic format, then sharing those words through a release into the atmosphere.
There is someone in the midst of every crowd that is meant to hear your words - and that someone may even be YOU. Confirmation that you’re sharing authentically from the heart can come in many forms. It may be a smile, a tear, or a thank you for your bravery.
Either way - this activity is the beginning of a journey that can lead you to and through pathways of positive change long after Sol Fest ends!
Facilitator Bio
Coming soon!
on Shakti Stage
Immersive Music Performance
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Workshop Description
Step into an intimate, soul-powered acoustic experience with Noah Proudfoot. Blending poetic lyricism with folk, soul, and subtle electronic influences, Noah creates a musical space that invites connection, both within and with one another.
More than a performance, this is a shared experience. Through heartfelt songs and interactive moments, you’ll find yourself singing along, opening up, and dropping into the present moment.
Facilitator Bio
Born with a passion for poetry, the planet, and inner exploration, Asheville-based songwriter, producer, and DJ, Noah Proudfoot, has been uplifting the spirits of listeners across the world for well over a decade. Combining acoustic roots music with folk-electronic, soul, and medicine music- his wide ranging diversity connects with people from all walks of life.
From TedX to Burning Man, his tours have led him across the country, sharing stages with acts such as Matisyahu, Gone Gone Beyond, Mose, Satsang, Yaima, and more. His third studio album, 'Born to Fly,' has earned him international stage time at festivals in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico.
Certified as a yoga instructor and meditation teacher, his music is designed to reach deep into the soul, touching what it means to be human, and offering encouragement on the shared journey of life. He is most excited for his upcoming collaborations with electronic producer, Mose, and the songs that they will be releasing this summer.
on Shiva Stage
Tonal Alchemy: Closing Meditation
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Workshop Description
Tonal Alchemy is an activation of voice and vibration, that will end our event on powerful high.The intention of this practice is to open, balance and super-charge your Chakra energy centers for a greater sense of clarity and connection to oneself, others, and the Universe. It will support you to integrate all of your Sol Fest learnings and leave feeling awakened, transformed and ready to take this energy back out into the world!
Facilitator Bio
Monica Graves Garcia is the woman behind this Sol Fest mission, and she is thrilled to serve as your Host and Emcee for this remarkable event! To learn more about Monica and her journey, visit our Team page.
on Shiva Stage
Sunset Ecstatic Dance Celebration!
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Celebrate the culmination of the 4th Annual Sol Fest with an unforgettable sunset ecstatic dance journey led by Sol Rising. As the sun begins its descent, we gather for a high-vibe, heart-opening experience where music, movement, and community collide.
Blending ambient, downtempo, and soulful electronic beats, this set will guide you through waves of energy - from grounding rhythms to euphoric release - inviting you to move freely, express fully, and lose yourself in the moment.
Dance barefoot on the earth, feel the collective energy rise, and witness the sky transform as we close the day together… right up until the final golden light fades at 9:00pm!
Artist BioSol Rising’s original soundscapes evoke feelings of inspiration and bliss through an eclectic mix of electronic music, mid-tempo, downtempo, chill-trap, ambient and lo-fi.
Born in Vancouver BC, raised in Fairfield Iowa, Sol Rising began meditating at age four with a walking mantra technique. His mother took him to visit numerous spiritual teachers, who inspired him on the spiritual path he walks today. As a teenager, he became a hip hop fanatic. His rooted interest in hip hop led him to learning the art of scratching — using turntables as musical instruments. Sol Rising soon became one of America’s top scratch DJs, winning second place at the DMC, the world’s most prestigious DJ competition and first place at Scribble Jam, the same competition that Eminem competed in along with other notable underground artists.
After graduating in the top 5% of his accounting class at University of Iowa, he realized accounting was not his path. A journey to India illuminated his true calling — to light up people’s awareness of their true nature through music. This led him to study audio engineering and production at Pyramind Studios in San Francisco, CA.
Now a successful Producer with 20 albums released, Sol Rising has been streamed nearly 200 million times on Spotify and Apple music. He has licensed music for brands such as Apple, Clarks Shoes, Snapchat, Airbnb and US Polo as well as a placement in Academy Award winning director Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film “Loro.” Sol Rising has been featured in major media outlets including The Washington Post and Yoga Journal. Sol Rising is an international touring DJ playing festivals in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia at festivals such as Wanderlust, Burning Man and Lightning in a Bottle.
on Shiva Stage