Academy Guest Teachers
Mandga Sengvanhpheng
Mangda Sengvanhpheng is an artist, death doula, and the founder of BACII – a platform that focuses on loss and grief while providing services and offerings that renew our engagement to life. Her life and death work is guided by her Laotian last name, which means “the light of the full moon.” Mangda was an awarded recipient of Reclamation Ventures grant for under-represented leaders making pathways to addressing grief and loss.
Her work has been featured in VICE, Vogue, Architectural Digest, NY Mag’s Curbed, Brydie, Chacruna Institute and more.
Mangda will be teaching about Ritual, its benefits and its power.
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Tina Strawn
Tina Strawn (she/they) is a full time writer and a Tedx speaker. She has 3 adult children, an ex-husband, an ex-wife, and an ex-country. Tina is currently based in Costa Rica.
Tina will be speaking to the many forms of Grief that a human might be holding alongside their personal loss. Tina will also talk about the journey of Grief as a Liberation Practice.
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Author of Are We Free Yet? The Black Queer Guide To Divorcing America.
TedX Talk “Blaxit: The New Underground Railroad”.
Subscribe to Substack: The Are We Free Yet Files
Pleasance Silicki
Kohenet Pleasance Shamirah MS. Ed., is a spiritual activist with over 20 years of study in a wide range of wisdom traditions and evidence-based practices. She integrates these teachings into daily life with a focus on community care, racial justice, and ritual.
As an ordained Kohenet, movement chaplain, death/grief/birth/abortion doula, Ayurvedic lifestyle counselor, somatic trauma resolution practitioner, grief educator, mind-body medicine facilitator, yoga and meditation guide, community doula, and ancestral healing practitioner, she brings a diverse and holistic approach to her work. Additionally, she volunteers with hospice care and supports Jewish trips to Civil Rights locations.
Pleasance leads seasonal retreats, workshops, and one-on-one sessions, offering her services through her website, weavingworldsdc.com.
Pleasance will be teaching about how to build a Grief and Death Doula business and all of the many ways you are able to offer this beautiful work to your communities.
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Vanessa Lherisson
Vanessa Lherisson is an experienced 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP), and the visionary founder of BlackGirlYoga, a thriving community designed to empower Black women through the transformative practices of yoga and holistic health. Guided by a mission to inspire healing, self-love, and authentic connection, Vanessa curates nurturing spaces that foster personal and collective empowerment.
With over a decade of experience in the wellness space, Vanessa has become a sought-after yoga teacher and wellness curator, celebrated for her dynamic and holistic approach. She specializes in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Power Yoga, Reiki, and Sound Healing, seamlessly blending a mix of modern practices to create experiences that rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit. Her offerings are intentionally crafted to meet the diverse needs of her students, whether they seek deep relaxation, energetic renewal, or a sense of inner balance.
She has been featured in publications for Reebok and Bustle.
Vanessa will be guiding a Yin Yoga flow and talking about the poses that can assist in processing Grief and emotional trauma.
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Dr. Linh
Dr. Linh Le is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, herbalist, somatic practitioner, and ancestral healing guide. With a passion for helping others, Linh is on a mission to guide people towards remembering their authentic self, connecting to body’s wisdom, and healing emotions through Chinese Medicine, holistic mental wellness, herbalism, and mind-body spirit practices.
Dr. Linh will be teaching about the impacts of Grief on the body, and it’s specific organs, through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
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Website: https://drlinhlove.com/
Instagram/TikTok: @drlinhlove
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