The heart of The Inner Connection: Gateway to the Now is the strength and spirit of the people involved. We have brought together a group of luminaries from various faiths and professions. They have chosen the path of teacher of faith, and disciple of truth, and we are blessed to have them share their unique insights with us in our conferences and seminars.
Riane Eisler is an internationally renowned scholar, futurist and activist. She is the author of several groundbreaking books, including The Power of Partnership and The Chalice and the Blade, which has been translated into 18 languages. Riane is the President of the Center for Partnership Studies, a nonprofit organization founded to integrate and apply her experience as a cultural historian and evolutionary theorist, to all spheres of life through education and research. Her pioneering work in human rights has helped to expand the vision of international organizations to include the rights of women and children. She is a charismatic speaker who keynotes conferences worldwide and is a consultant to business and government. Riane serves on many boards, commissions, and advisory councils and is a member of the World Commission on Global Consciousness and Spirituality, along with the Dalai Lama, Bishop Tutu and other spiritual leaders.
Matthew Fox A visionary activist and one of the most important religious thinkers and teachers of our time, Matthew Fox has devoted his career to unleashing the suppressed mystical and life-affirming traditions within Christianity and other faiths. His theology of “Creation Spirituality,” the belief that we are born in “original blessing,” has reinvigorated the faith of countless seekers. He is an Episcopal priest, and author of more than 24 books. He is president and founder of the University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland, CA and is the co-director of the Naropa Oakland MLA. In addition to his work as a writer and teacher in the San Francisco Bay area, Matthew is a lecturer who travels throughout North America, Europe and Australia bringing his message of ecological and social justice, mysticism and blessing to ever increasing and appreciative audiences. www.creationspirituality.org (Tucson 2002, Houston, Tucson 2003)
Gangaji is an American-born teacher and author. She travels the world, speaking to thousands of people from all walks of life, responding to the deepest spiritual questions of our time. A teacher, wife, mother and grandmother, she is the author of You Are THAT!, volumes I and II, Freedom and Resolve, and Who Are You? The Path of Self-Inquiry. In a time when so many are seeking new ways to discover peace through spirituality, Gangaji brings a timeless message in a contemporary form. Her words resonate with the most ancient of truths and confirm what we already know in the core of our being true peace is already here. What we truly want is what we truly have. Gangaji welcomes you into the very core of your own heart, extending the open invitation to simply, consciously, and effortlessly recognize yourself as that which you have been seeking throughout time. www.gangaji.org
Michael Green Michael Green is a critically acclaimed artist, author, and now songwriter, whose books include Zen & the Art of the Macintosh, the bestselling The Illuminated Rumi, and The Illuminated Prayer. He places himself within the lineage of usually anonymous visionary artists reaching back to Lascaux, whose work inspires and informs his books. He is part a new, eclectic sacred tradition now being shaped harmonizing art, science, and religion. “It might be wiser for artists to see themselves not so much as creative personalities trying to ‘express themselves,’ but as conspirators discovering a fresh vision of the sacred. If an image is true, it came from - and ‘belongs’ - to the Great Mystery.” He has an eclectic educational background including a degree from New York University, film school, traveling in the Amazon and exploring various traditions and systems of art. He and his wife Saliha were close disciples of the venerable Sufi master, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen. Along with his son Kabir, Michael works with a group of musicians combining traditional American “roots” music and the verse of Rumi. www.artstribe.org/green (Tucson 2002, Houston, Tucson 2003)
Andrew Harvey Andrew Harvey is a mystic and visionary whose time has come. He has taught at Oxford, Cornell, Hobart and The California Institute of Integral Studies and presented lectures and workshops throughout the United States and the world. In his lectures and workshops, he has shown a mesmerizing ability to directly engage and inspire the souls of his listeners. Andrew is the author of over 30 books. He has been described as “fiercely articulate” and a man who “speaks with the passion of poetry and the sensitivity of prayer.“ Speaking and writing, “not as a guru, but as a spiritual friend”, he has been able to articulate and capture what it is the world needs most essentially right now: an understandable sense of the presence of the divine within each of us, practical help to find our own way home and a call to compassionate action for the sake of us all. www.AndrewHarvey.net (Tucson, 2002, Houston, Tucson 2003)
Kirtana Born in a small coastal town in Maine, Kirtana has been writing music since the age of 11. As a teenager she was drawn to the teachings of spiritual masters, including Yogananda, Ram Das and was initiated into Transcendental Meditation at age 17. Her music defies any current categorization, as it fits into a new genre such as “Music for Awakening” or “Contemporary Sacred.” Her CD, This Embrace, was inspired by the love and self recognition she experienced upon meeting her beloved teacher, Gangaji. By the time this conference begins,she will have released her fifth cd, comprised of songs which invite us to revel in and surrender to the Mystery. In Kirtana's own words, the best description of both her music and intention in sharing it is to "celebrate divine love and the truth of who we are.” Her lyrics and melodies are guaranteed to penetrate into the deep recesses of your heart. www.kirtana.com (Tucson 2002, Houston 2003)
J. Pittman McGee is a widely known lecturer and educator in the fields of mysticism, psychology and theology. He recieved a Master Of Divinity from the Virginia Theological Seminary and was ordained as a preist in the Episcopal Church in 1969. In addition, he holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity from the Espiscopal Seminary of the Southwest. Formerly the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Houston, he is currently a Diplomate Jungian analyst and the director of the Institute for the Advancement of Psychology and Spirituality. Additionally, he is serving as the Carolyn Faye Professor of Analytical Psychology at the University of Houston. Pittman is a well published poet and essayist. (Houston 2003)
Riki Newell is a multitalented musician and artist. He utilizes a full spectrum of musical acumen as a composer, performer, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, sound designer, recording engineer, producer and sound healer. He taught himself to play the piano at age five and as a young adult he learned to play the Spanish classical guitar through heart felt inspirations of the legendary, Andres Segovia. Riki developed his own style, composing music that blends a sonic palette of Spanish classical guitar, Native American flutes, piano, keyboard synthesizer and djembe drums. His inspirational sound paintings are a fusion of new age music, world beat and smooth jazz, a music genre he calls, New World Jazz. He has released four CDs to date which are internationally distributed.
Oriah Mountain Dreamer is a gifted speaker and author of the inspirational prose-poem books, The Invitation, The Dance and The Call, Discovering Why You are Here. Blending ruthless honesty, humor, insight and compassion for our human struggle, Oriah seeks to inspire and challenge herself and others to live life fully. Her name was given to her by the elders with whom she apprenticed and means one who likes to push the edge. Oriah lives in Canada. www.oriahmountaindreamer.com
Lisa Otey An internationally acclaimed musician, Lisa Otey combines sophistication, spirituality, humor and originality. She has a powerful, sultry voice that sounds like pure velvet. Her progressive blues style, has won her many awards including, 2001 Arizona Blues Hall of Fame, 2001 TAMMIES Best Keyboards, 2000 Arizona Composer of the Year. Lisa expresses her talents in many venues, ranging from Musical Director of the Gaslight Theater, (one of the top rated melodrama theaters in the United States), and the Invisible Theater's Pastime Players, (a highly acclaimed performance group of special education students), to offering music classes in public schools, playing for St. Francis Methodist Church and bringing her music to the world through her concerts and recordings. www.lisaotey.com (Tucson 2002)
Russill Paul sythesizes music from the East and West. He has created a unique system-combining sound, music, yoga, chanting and movement-to guide people to expreience the essence of Spirituality in their body, mind and soul. He is a world-class performer and international presenter at leading universities in the United States. He has produced "Yoga of Sound" and recorded 12 albums both domestically and internationally. Russill spent many years in India as a monk under the direction of Dom Bede Griffiths. It is this unusual combination of spiritual training and musical acumen that audiences worldwide have been praising and exprienceing for over twenty years. www.russillpaul.com (Houston 2003)
Mary Redhouse is a member of the Dine' (Navajo tribe) who plays Native American flute, is a jazz vocalist, electric bassist, composer, lecturer, and cultural presenter. She is a member of the renowned R. Carlos Nakai Quartet as well as the William Eaton Ensemble. Her musical creations combine Native flute and use of her 5-octave vocal range in Native chants, eco-spiritual vocalizations of bird, animal cries, overtones and high frequencies that result in otherwordly soundscapes. She has produced music for ballet and educational documentaries. Mary performs for resorts, festivals, schools, conferences and is a particpant on 5 CDs, including the most recent Sparks and Embers.
Rami Shapiro is widely regarded as one of the most creative voices in contemporary American Judaism. An award winning poet and essayist, his liturgies are used in prayer services throughout North America. Rabbi Shapiro is a graduate of the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion and holds a doctoral degree in religious studies from Union Graduate School. He is President of One River Foundation and is a strong leader and articulate guide in the area of inter-faith dialogue. Rami Shapiro has touched many hearts with his blend of humor, intellect, and compassion. He is the author of numerous books, including The Way of Solomon and Minyan. www.simplyjewish.com (Tucson 2002, Houston, Tucson, 2003)
Wayne Teasdale Wayne Teasdale is a leader and trail blazer in the area of inter spirituality and religious harmony. He brings people of diverse ethnicities, cultures, and religions together in the context of the workplace, educational forums, spiritual and cultural events. He works with individuals and organizations guiding them to uncover the common ground that can be found in diversity. Wayne holds a Ph.D from Fordham University in Theology with a specialization in cross-cultural spirituality. He is a multi-talented individual who is a writer, speaker, and adjunct professor of Comparitive Religion, Spirituality and Ethics at DePaul University's School for New Learning. His most recent book is The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions. This ground breaking volume, reveals the commonality among the religions as spirituality, and therefore serves as a basis for leading members of diverse traditions into harmonious relationships. www.russillpaul.com/id53.htm (Tucson 2002, Houston 2003, Tucson 2003)
Robert A.F. Thurman is one of America's leading voices for sanity and peace through his dedication to the populariztion of the teachings of Buddha in the West. Thurman's work and insights are grounded in more than 35 years of serious academic scholarship. He has a BA, AM and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard, and studied in Tibetan Buddhist monestaries in India and the United States. In 1962, Thurman became the first westerner to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk, but gave up his robes after several years, when he discovered he could be most effective in the American equivalent of the monestary, the university. Thurman is a popular professor in the Religion department at Columbia University where he holds the Jey Tsong Khapa chair in Indo-Tibetan studies. He founded Tibet House US in New York, and his wife is managing director. Robert Thurman is a man who lives his life in cultivation of the highest Buddhist qualities of wisdom and compassion.
Amy Weintraub, MFA, RYT is a Kripalu Yoga Teacher mentor, certified at the Professional level by the Yoga Alliance. She leads international workshops on Yoga and depression and regularly writes on the subject of mental health and Yoga for national magazines. She is the author of Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering through Yoga (Broadway Books, 2004) and is an award-winning fiction writer. Weintraub currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, where she teaches Yoga privately and at the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club and fiction writing at the University of Arizona. www.yogafordepression.com
Pir Zia Pir Zia Inayat Khan is the son and successor of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan and the grandson of the great Sufi sage Hazrat Inayat Khan. The “Message of Spiritual Liberty” represented by Hazrat Inayat Khan, recognizes the essential truth of all religions and calls us to awaken to the divine inheritance within us. Pir Zia communicates the ecumenical, universal teachings of Sufism through stories and poetry, contemplative perspectives, and meditative practices. Pir Zia Inayat Khan serves as President of the Sufi Order International. He resides and teaches at the Abode of the Message in upstate New York. He is the editor of the recent anthology, A Pearl in Wine: Essays in the Life, Music and Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan” (Omega Publications, 2001) www.sufiorder.org (Tucson 2002)