Our Teachers
Photo Credit: Erica Spratt
Trudy Shea
MSEd, ERYT-200, Reiki Master, Warriors at Ease I, AA Vedic Astrology, Meditation & Somatic Movement, Certified Life Coach, Sound Healing, YACEP, and Ayurveda Consultant
Trudy’s journey has rounded a few turns and created quite a few opportunities to recreate herself. Her experience in education has included travels in teaching K-12 students, teachers, corporate leadership, and equestrians. When describing her experience in a job interview, she realized that learning and spiritual growth were on the same path with the love of teaching regardless of the topic, environment, or audience of learners. Her In Balance Life classes have an ambiance of reverence and are grounded in Vedic philosophy and sprinkled with Buddhist wisdom, poetry, and guided asanas. Pranayama, meditation, mudras, and asana combined with mantra or intention setting, provides a deep experience in morning classes to prepare for your day, or in evening Restorative Yoga with Reiki and Sound Healing.
Trudy has a strong belief that deep continuous learning is important to be ready to design valuable learning experiences for students. Continuous learning has resulted in her earning numerous certifications and academic degrees. She has studied yoga and meditation since the late 1960’s and weaves knowledge from various cultures, practices, and energy work into her classes. She practices morning sadhana and morning yoga is her passion and evening yoga is her soul. Trudy’s background in music performance now has shifted her instruments of choice from piano and voice to Tibetan Singing Bowls, Gongs, Chimes, and various ethnic percussion instruments. Her sound immersions are composition with a unique fabric of sound that translates energies from the Moon into Sound Healing, Moon Celebrations, and Reiki sessions. Astrology has been her foundation built on her love of India and Vedic culture and practices. Since the early 1970’s Trudy has explored Vedic Astrology and continues to add to her knowledge with continuing education which she brings to anyone who has an interest in their Birthcharts.
When she isn’t “doing,” she enjoys meditating with her two Standard Poodles; Chopin and Monet, spending time with her two cats; Violet and Sasha and supporting the wildlife and birds around her home with gardens, fountains, and special treats. Trudy has a passion for the ocean, lakes, rivers, streams, mountains, wilderness...all of it. Her two adult children both have active lives and are a joy to her heart.
Casey Freden
RYT-200
Casey began in her yoga journey in 2017, searching for a new way to become physically active. She became discouraged, yet found great humor, after randomly picking yoga videos off of YouTube This practice was just not meeting her where she was. In 2018, she discovered a new local studio hosting a Chakra series class. Having some knowledge on the Chakra system, she jumped at the chance. She left class completely in awe, connected with her body, mind, and spirit; a feeling she had never experienced. She was hooked; a door had opened to a whole new world.
Yoga changed her physical body, but more importantly it changed her way of thinking, way of parenting, and way of moving through everyday life. After having a consistent practice since 2018, she realized she wanted to share with you what yoga can bring to your life. She enrolled in yoga teacher training at Hatha Yoga and Fitness, led by Kristina Reese, in Champaign, Illinois, graduated Dec 2019, and is now a RYT-200.
Casey's yoga classes guides you to connect with the breath, practice mindfulness, and listen to your body. Casey includes pranayama (breath work) and meditation during her classes, as she loves to teach that yoga is much more than just asana (physical movements). She strives to make every class accessible for all, to share with the world that yoga is for everyBODY. She offers creative prop suggestions and cues for variations to make each asana work for you. It brings her great joy to see your eyes light up when finding a connection during class.
When she isn't teaching, she is staying busy being a mom to 3 kiddos, 2 cats, and 1 large Newfoundland dog named Willow. She enjoys reading, cooking, and visiting where she grew up (a home in the country) where her parents live. The land holds a special place in her heart.
Nancy Smith
Certified Reiki Degree II, Owner Ramble to Restore, Master Naturalist, Forest Therapy Guide
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I grew up on a farm beside a creek spending most of my time outside loving adventures which ranged from time spent with animals to making imagined healing concoctions. I count it all as my basis and knew it was my true Self living in the now.
Time spent in college saw me studying anthropology, always wanting to know more and especially more about being human. Learning how humans have always had common needs and values and how those core beliefs have been expressed is still exciting for me.”
Now, I’m excited and honored to share the possibilities of Reiki with others. For me, Reiki is an ever present and available source. Nature provides a temple for connecting and flowing the energy.
We are all a part of nature. Let me help you find your connection.
Jordan Burkhardt
CYT-200
Jordan discovered yoga while attending college at the University of Oregon in 2011.
As a high school gymnast and springboard diver, he saw it as a way to continue to promote his overall fitness and flexibility. Little did he know, he would end up finding a deeper spiritual connection with his body, mind, and soul and ultimately fall in love with the practice.
After getting into a car accident on his bicycle a few years later, which left him with chronic back and neck pain, he found himself coming to yoga as a means to reconstruct and realign his body to heal his injuries. Yoga became a daily practice for him and through mindfulness and body alignment he was able to relieve himself of what was once constant pain and discomfort.
Once he experienced this first hand, he decided to become a yoga instructor so he could provide others with the same healing and spiritual benefits that he found in his practice. So he obtained his 200 hour certification in 2019 after practicing for 9 years through Palms Together Yoga.
Jordan provides a well-rounded class, beginning with meditation, breathwork and setting intentions, followed by gentle warm-ups for the entire spine and then flowing into a more active vinyasa, ending with a deep relaxation. Jordan strives to construct his classes for all experience levels but does like to provide you a chance to give yourself a bit of a challenge.
Guest Teachers
Debra Joy Hart
RN BFA CLL-E (Certified Laughter Leader Expert) CT (Certified Thanatologist in Death Education and Counseling) CHP (Certified Humor Professional) Grief Coach
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Much of Debra’s training in auras and energy work was during the ‘80’s. She visited some very special folks in Cave Junction, OR and lived, learned, and accepted more of who she was and who she could be.
Debra became a registered nurse in 1989 and was quiet about the auras, colors, and light, that she could see. In her healing work, her prayer is, “Dear God, please, always let me give people a sense of hope and let them feel empowered thru your words.”
She scheduled her first Aura Reading Class in July of 2009. The media was fully present and the cat was out of the bag. Since then Debra has been featured on radio shows, newspapers, and in periodicals. Debra’s humor emerges in that she is hopes Oprah will notice her work because she wants to experience the “Oprah energy.”
Since 2009 Debra has given over 1300 readings and taught Aura/ Energy Reading Levels 1 &2 at least 40+ times, teaching the basic (and advanced) parts of energy sensing. She is certified in Reiki Degrees 1 & 2 and has studied La Ho Chi energy work. Debra has been an Aura Healing practitioner since 1980, with an active remote healing clientele and continues to practice in the medical field as a registered nurse.
When asked why she is an Energy Healer, Debra responds, “It is my joy to work with Universal Spirit this way. I love people uncovering that they have an infinite amount of healing abilities… and it is needed NOW!”
Artist Connections
Jane Camp
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I am an art educator working as a Professor of Art at Heartland Community College as well as a working and exhibiting artist. I use various media focusing on photography, drawing and painting. The current theme of my photographic work addresses the Waters of the Great Lakes. The goal in this body of images is to exemplify how various cameras capture a similar scene with interesting peculiarities to create visual interest from the same subject. Please visit my website to view my art at: https://www.janecamp.art/
