2024 Presenters

Benjy and Heather Wertheimer have been leading kirtan (sacred chanting) worldwide since 2001 as the duo Shantala. They are known for their special gift of bringing the audience into a vast and loving experience through their unique blend of exquisite voices with instruments of India and the West. Together they create music with beauty, passion, and reverence. Heather and Benjy have released nine beautiful and well-loved albums of sacred chant music since 2003, including Living Waters, Jaya, LIVE in love, Sri, The Love Window, LIVE2love and FIVE. They also have a passionate international online following, with hundreds of thousands of YouTube video views, millions of iTunes/Apple Music downloads, and millions of streams on Spotify. Heather Wertheimer is a kirtan artist, singer, songwriter, and guitarist who combines her special love of both music and yoga to lead devotional chanting internationally. With a rare ability to sing directly from the heart, she infuses sacred chanting with a powerful sense of peace and depth. Heather has toured in the U.S. and abroad with her husband Benjy, Steve Gorn, Manose, and Deva Premal & Miten. Heather’s debut CD with Shantala, Church of Sky, was named by New Age Retailer as one of the top ten albums of the year. It has been aired on radio stations internationally. Heather brings the richness of her healing background as a therapist and teacher of meditation and yoga into the practice of kirtan. Master musician Benjy Wertheimer is an award-winning songwriter, vocalist, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist (playing tabla, congas, percussion, esraj, guitar and keyboards). His extraordinary and unique musical gifts from East and West create a sense of wonder and awe in the listener. In addition to touring with Shantala, Benjy is a founding member of the sacred music ensemble The Hanumen (including Gaura Vani, John De Kadt, and Visvambhar Sheth of the Mayapuris) and has toured and produced two CDs with them since 2009. Benjy joined David Michael and Grammy winner Nancy Rumbel to form the Confluence Trio in 2019. They released their first CD, Confluence, in May 2019. Benjy has toured and recorded with such artists as Krishna Das, Deva Premal & Miten, Jai Uttal, Walter Becker (Steely Dan), and virtuoso guitarist Michael Mandrell. He has opened for such artists as Carlos Santana, Paul Winter, and Narada Michael Walden. A founding member of the internationally acclaimed Ancient Future world fusion music ensemble, Benjy also toured the U.S., Canada, and Japan with renowned bamboo flute master G.S. Sachdev. He has studied Indian classical music for over 40 years with some of the greatest masters of that tradition (including Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, Ali Akbar Khan, and Z. M. Dagar). Benjy has produced 18 CDs since 2000, which receive extensive airplay around the world, and his CD Circle of Fire went to #1 on the New Age radio charts. For more about Benjy Wertheimer, visit benjymusic.com.

Ananda Das is a revered figure in the realms of Kirtan, Sattva Himalayan Kundalini Yoga, and the teachings of singing, mantra, and Bhakti Yoga. With a heart deeply rooted in devotional practice, Ananda Das has dedicated his life to exploring the intersections of music, yoga, and spirituality, guiding countless souls on their journey towards inner peace and liberation. As a Kirtan leader, Ananda Das is known for his soulful voice and the ability to create profoundly moving experiences through sacred chants and melodies. His Kirtan sessions are not just musical events; they are communal gatherings where the ancient practice of call-and-response chanting becomes a conduit for connection, healing, and the celebration of universal love. Ananda Das's music transcends cultural and spiritual boundaries, making the ancient art of Kirtan accessible and relevant in today's world. In the practice of Sattva Himalayan Kundalini Yoga, Ananda Das brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep personal experience. His teachings are infused with the wisdom of ancient lineages, offering a holistic approach to yoga that integrates dynamic kriyas, meditative asanas, and powerful pranayama techniques. Ananda Das's classes are designed to awaken the Kundalini energy, fostering transformation, clarity, and a profound sense of aliveness in his students. As a teacher of singing, mantra, and Bhakti Yoga, Ananda Das emphasizes the transformative power of the voice and sound. He skillfully guides his students in uncovering their unique vocal expressions and in harnessing the vibrational energy of mantras to deepen their spiritual practice. Through Bhakti Yoga, Ananda Das invites students to embark on a path of devotion, using song and chant as expressions of the heart's deepest yearnings and as a means to connect with the divine. Ananda Das's teachings are a reflection of his own journey—a testament to the power of music, movement, and mindfulness in achieving harmony and enlightenment. His compassionate approach and dedication to the path of love and service inspire all who cross his path, making him a beloved teacher and guide in the global spiritual community.

Madhurai is a yoga and meditation teacher based in Ashland, OR. She has been traveling back and forth to India for 7 years, learning yoga, singing kirtan, organizing immersive retreats, and volunteering with kids in a children’s safe home in Rishikesh, India. She has been sharing kirtan with the Mount Shasta community for a few years now, and loves witnessing the joy and connection that it creates. Madhurai plays harmonium and leads the vocals in kirtan regularly, and with great devotion.

Christopher Lionheart is a singer/songwriter whose music style is inspired by conscious alternative artists such Trevor Hall and Nahko, as well as devotional kirtan artists like The Hanuman Project and Guara Vani. He creates a warming blend of intimate acoustic, reggae and devotional sounds that quickly bring listeners into the heart space. Christopher was born with a passion for worship, often leading worship for Bible studies and youth groups, until he started searching for his own authentic path to God – which led him to Kirtan. Christopher offers a unique and heartfelt fusion of Kirtan and medicine songs. In recent years he has gravitated towards the path of Bhakti, devotional worship and chanting, and it has become a cornerstone of his music and life. The deep resonance and power he brings with his voice helps listeners and participants to allow their own voice to open from the depths of the soul. His intention for his music is to break people’s hearts open to divine love and that they realize that their own devotion through song is a wide open doorway to that.

Sara Joy is a wellness practitioner, yoga teacher and life long musician. Coming from a background of studying classical piano and opera for the majority of her life, her love of music and spirituality eventually lead Sara to finding yoga, meditation and chanting mantras. Setting a foundation in these healing modalities has been pivotal in reconnecting her to body and spirit with the practice of chanting the sacred names. Her unique harmonies and uplifting and angelic voice along with the harmonium are sure to bring you to a state of peace and calm. Let us cultivate song and sound together on a vibrational level. May All Beings Be Happy.

Ganesha Das has been offering his kirtan ministry, holding the space for you to have your own experience of the boons of chanting, for over 25 years. Ganesha Das accompanied Bhagavan Das for over a year when they both lived at Harbin Hot Springs and, at Bhagavan Das's urging, kept kirtan going at Harbin, leading it there for almost two decades. Like Bhagavan Das, Ganesha Das leads kirtan with an ektar which provides only rhythm and drone, putting the emphasis on the singing rather than on orchestration. After moving to Ashland in 2016 he established Ashland Sunday Kirtan and has held his "Chant Church" every Sunday since, even live and in person all through that strange time when other churches were closed. At a Ganesha Das kirtan you'll be inspired to join him in cheerleading for God by invoking the divine qualities of Ganesh, Hanuman, the Devis, Shiva and RadhaKrishna with simple, easy to follow, perhaps familiar chants to transcend the mind and let your soul and spirit soar.

Kristen Sofia Valentina is a kirtan artist devoted to the Bhakti path. Through this practice, she has witnessed her whole life change for the better. She is passionate about devotional music, pouring her heart into chanting, and bringing listeners to the state of Bhakti bliss through the unity of song and dance. Kristen has been a consistent support vocalist for Ganesha Das and for the Ashland Kirtan Collective for the past few years, and is joyful to spread her voice and her love of kirtan at A Day in the Bhav.

Sedona Swan Soulfire is a present day priestess, goddess embodiment coach and ritual artist. She has been dancing for a lifetime and has always connected with movement as her deepest source of joy and empowerment. She is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and in addition to teaching and performing also choreographs, directs and produces for both stage and film. Her discovery of Yoga, Bellydance and Classical Indian Dance were all monumental on her path. Each of these forms inspired her deeply with their rich cultural essence, supreme beauty, empowered embodied expression and encoded spiritual wisdom. She has traveled researching and training in these forms for the last two decades immersing in sacred dance cultivation in India, Turkey, Egypt and Greece. She has been so lucky to have had the opportunity to study with incredible teachers and lineage carriers throughout the many years whom include Rehka Tandon, Aida Nour, Colleena Shakti, Suhaila Salimpour, Ra Lalita Dasi, Prajwal Vajracharya, Swami Ramananda and Swami Satchidananda. In addition to her dance studies she is an initiated 13 Moon Priestess. She is the co-author of the Cosmic Dancer Oracle, and an instructor on the global online dance school Datura Online. She teaches and performs nationally and internationally as well as through her virtual temple & school; Goddess Embodied. She dedicates all of her work towards the collective realization of love and unity. Sedona Swan is leading a Priestess Dance immersion June 10-16 with a performace at a Day in the Bhav- find more details to join here: https://goddessembodied.love/priestessdance

Lady Graelynn is a Life Coach of the Sacred. She has been a practicing Priestess since 1991, is Founder and Director of The Goddess Temple of Ashland Oregon and its annual Priestess College since 2001. Graelynn is a Midwife of the Veils serving Childbirth, First Blood, Spiritual Intimacy, Marriage, Parenting, Divorce, Sovereignty, Death, and Rebirth. With over three decades of teaching various trainings in the Priestess Arts, Dance, and Devotional Yoga, Lady Graelynn is guided by the depth of her connection betwixt her heart and womb, and the bridging of Avalon, Ashland, Lake Atitlan, and Mt. Shasta. Her profound and personal communion with nature fuels her passion for sharing practical skills on walking The Path of Sacred Living. For details on her menu of global offerings and 13 Guidebooks : www.PriestessGraell.com www.GoddessTempleAshland.com www.PriestessCollege.com

My Yoga journey began 28 years ago thanks to a high school English teacher who convinced the administration to allow a Yoga/English block class. I was hooked on yoga from the first downward facing dog. After high school I began a deeper immersion into Yoga here in Ashland where I was introduced to Ashtanga Yoga in the K. Pattabhi Jois lineage. It was during these early morning practices (4:30 am) that I committed my life to the yogic path; traveling to learn and teach in Santa Cruz, India and Los Angeles. I'm so grateful for what yoga has brought to my life - it literally has given me a life! I'm excited to explore with you the depths of breath and movement here at A Day in the Bhav!

“Hyperspace Sky” Hrothgar is a multidimensional mystic & yogi who has spent his life immersed in exploring and navigating radical self leadership, soulful intimacy, psychedelic mysticism, future shamanism, creative recovery, and authentic expression as a neurodivergent artist. Sky is a certified Mystic Master Teacher, Tantric Kundalini Yoga Teacher, and Psychedelic Intimacy + Integration Guide who specializes in spiritual emergencies, clearing stagnant energy and trauma, revitalizing health, & expanding intimacy to holistically heal, thrive in ecstatic relationships, and consciously explore the mysteries of life, love, death, and beyond. Sky practices, teaches, and coaches invincible self care, personal mysticism, psychedelic integration, kundalini + tantric yoga, and relationship & intimacy magick online, in-person, retreats, and at transformational festivals. Sky lives and plays in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon at his Mystical Family Farm and Sacred Site - The Golden Hallows. He loves peaceful time with spouse and daughter, Tayler + Lila, and their many animals, exploring boundless nature, organic farming, making bass music and psychedelic art, holding magickal space with others, expanding the edges of human consciousness, and deepening his study of life, love, death, and beyond.

Immersed in the enchanting realm of spirituality, Sharanya discovers profound magic in the sacred practice of Puja and Hindu Sadhanas. Like spells woven in the fabric of time, each ritual gesture and whispered mantra invokes an otherworldly presence, bridging the gap between the mundane and the divine. With reverence akin to alchemy, she arranges offerings with meticulous care, infusing each gesture with the essence of devotion and gratitude. As incense spirals skyward and lamp flames dance in reverence, she feels the veil between worlds thinning, inviting celestial energies to converge in a symphony of divine communion. Sharanya loves the joy of sharing these sacred rituals with others, becoming a conduit for the divine, spreading the light of spiritual wisdom and awakening the hearts of all who are touched by its magic.