About Our Collective Curators
Sarah Hentges, PhD, E-RYT-200, YACEP
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Sarah wears many hats at the SGC and beyond. In addition to being a professor at UMA-Bangor, she has taught a variety of fitness and yoga classes for over 30 years and for more than a decade in Bangor. She has taught step and dance aerobics, cardio kickboxing, strength and tone, cardio pump, fitness yoga, slow flow yoga, Pilates, organic dance, mind/body dance fitness, cardio belly dancing, belly dance fitness, MOSSA’s Group Groove, and many other kinds of group fitness, yoga, and dance fitness classes. She has taught on college campuses, at non-profit community centers, the YMCA, and gyms. For a long time she has dreamed of having her own space and doing her own thing, but she never thought something like The Spiral Goddess Collective, a Center for Mind/Body Movement would be possible. And then suddenly it was.
Sarah’s path in fitness has unfolded alongside her trek in academia as she took a fitness instructor training course her senior year of college at Humboldt State University and then taught a variety of dance, fitness, and yoga classes while she pursued her Master’s in Literature and Culture at Oregon State and her Ph.D. in American Studies at Washington State. Sarah’s work draws on a vast and varied set of experiences in and out of academia and the world of fitness including her Ph.D. in American studies, ERYT-200 certification in yoga, 100+ hours of trauma-informed yoga teacher training, a 50-hour certificate in Embodied Social Justice from The Embody Lab, and her JourneyDance training, as well as around 30 years as a fitness instructor, 20+ years teaching college classes, and 15 + years as a yoga instructor. In the winter and spring of 2022, Sarah took the first two modules of the JourneyDance teacher training and she fell in love. She completed the third module, becoming a JourneyDance facilitator in April of 2023. Her passion has always been in the world of mind/body movement more than the world of “fitness” and she has often felt like she taught group fitness in a box where she did not fit. (JD is not a workout or a fitness class, though it will certainly meet those goals!) JD has allowed Sarah to tap into her intuition and creativity, as well as her experience as a professor, in ways that no other fitness teaching has allowed before. JD is something special and she is beyond excited to bring this healing modality to Maine where few such opportunities exist. |
Imke Jandreau, RYT 500, E-RYT 200, YACEP
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A native of Maine and a lover of the “way life should be,” Imke made her way to yoga as a means of escape while living in the craziness that is Washington, D.C. As a full-time communication professional in a bustling metropolitan area, she often found herself lost in the grind of her daily nine-to-five. Looking to bring balance back into her life, she made her way into a local yoga studio where she fell in love with the practice.
Beyond a good sweat, yoga provided a safe space to explore intellectual and emotional edges that were often neglected. Since first stepping into Tranquil Space (her yoga hOMe away from home), her practice has expanded beyond the mat and has become a way of life. Imke is a two-time University of Maine graduate, holding both a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Communication from the Department of Communication and Journalism. With over ten years of experience working as a communication professional, she has abandoned the nine-to-five world to work as a mom, traveling yoga teacher, public speaking instructor, and communication consultant. Whether you’re looking to explore yoga asana (the physical practice of yoga), meditation, or find a space to breathe and unwind, Imke’s gifts and talents, sparkle and warm heart, will make you feel at home on your yoga mat. She reminds her participants: “I don’t put you on your mat. You make the decision to arrive on your own. I don’t physically move your body into position. You take care of that too. I am merely here as your guide. I offer to you a path that you can choose to walk or not. So the next time you find yourself giving up credit for your evolution to someone else, pause. The truth is, the magic is all within you. I may help you reconnect to it … but it’s been there all along.” |
Geneva Gallant, LMT and RYT-200
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Geneva was born a native Coloradan to lovely progressive parents. Her mother practiced yoga starting in the 70’s and Geneva started doing yoga with her when she was about two years old. Geneva has continued to do yoga her whole entire life, exploring all different kinds from Ashtanga, Kundalini, Hatha, and Pranayama. Her passion for others’ health and well-being has guided her to find a career in massage therapy for the last 21 years alongside being an RYT-200 certified yoga instructor. She is also a proud mother of four beautiful kids. Geneva truly loves people and aspires to be a witness to their own healing and integration of joy and well-being.
We’re excited to have Geneva offering a Breath & Yoga class as well as an Advanced Vinyasa Flow class. There are very few opportunities to practice pranayama breath work, which is a very powerful modality that can increase vitality and health and mental clarity. She shares, “It’s truly been a life-changing practice for me. I feel truly honored and grateful to be able to offer this class at The Spiral Goddess Collective.” |
Rori Knott, LCPC, RYT
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Rori came to Maine in 1987 and forged a deep connection with this beautiful place. She attended the University of Maine at Orono and graduated with her Bachelors and ventured into the working world and figuring out how to be a grown up. Rori completed her Master’s Degree in Psychology and Counseling at Goddard College in 2003, and has maintained a private practice since. Rori has a deep belief and desire to connect with others in their healing process.
Her personal experience with yoga has been profound and her yoga teacher training at Kripalu Yoga and Health Center was a transformative time that dramatically altered her perception of self, what is healing or therapeutic. Her work has evolved over the decades of joining with individuals in a variety of settings. Her approach has grown to become considerably more inclusive and incorporate more of the body’s felt experience. As she grew personally and professionally her understanding broadened to how the body held and stored our anxiety, depression, and distress (our trauma). Rori expanded her skills to begin offering body healing in conjunction with talk therapy. She also shares her personal love of the outdoors and offers "Walk and Talk" sessions. |
Sen Wilde
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Sen Wilde (she/they) is a child of the forest on a journey towards holistic healing and wellness.
Sen received her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maine with honors and certificates in Environmental Science and Peace and Reconciliation Studies. After graduation Sen continued to pursue her love of learning by studying horticulture at the University of Vermont, where she became a Vermont Extension Master Gardener, and receiving a graduate certificate in Animal-Assisted Therapies through the Animal Behavior Institute. Sen has also undergone training as a certified Integrative Trauma Practitioner, bringing principles of trauma-informed care to integrate self-love, compassion, sound, movement, humor, and play to all aspects of her personal and professional life. After finding the effects of vibrational healing techniques to be extremely beneficial in her own recovery from chronic illness, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress, Sen has decided to pursue her higher calling as an Earth-Centered sound and energy healer to facilitate healing and recovery wherever her path may lead. In addition to their life’s work as an Earth-Centered Healer, Sen incorporates their love for Mother Nature into their daily practice as a visual artist, gardener, writer, yoga practitioner, and barefoot mystic with special interests in sacred plant medicine, sound healing, creative expression, and grounded ecotherapies. Sen is openly and unapologetically queer, disabled, and neurodivergent. Through her offerings at the Spiral Goddess Collective, Sen hopes to draw participant’s attention to our internal sense of interconnectedness where we find strength, safety, solidarity, and support. All of her offerings warmly welcome and conscientiously provide affirming, accessible, and inclusive space for collective wellness, liberation, and reclamation of our own unique radiance. |
Kate Mikkelsen
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Kate is a wellness coach specializing in brain and nervous system health. She previously worked as an English teacher in Japan, a behavioral health professional, and in the restaurant industry. Though she enjoyed each job, they always ended in burnout. To end the cycle, she knew something needed to change. In 2016, she began a healing journey that would dramatically improve her quality of life and inspire her to share these practices with others.
Kate received a B.A. from Bard College where she majored in Dance and minored in Psychology. She holds certifications as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach (IIN), Brain Health Licensed Trainer (Amen University), and a Transformational Sleep Yoga Nidra Teacher (School of Living Yoga). She also completed the Embody Lab’s Applied Polyvagal Theory in Therapeutic Yoga. Kate has been drawn to movement since childhood; she felt most relaxed and fully herself while dancing and playing sports. Now, she understands why movement is such an important tool to regulate the nervous system. She leads classes that blend meditation, intuitive movement, and breathing techniques so participants can slow down and care for themselves. Kate also works individually with clients. In these sessions, they explore 10 aspects of brain health: nutrition, sleep, movement, management of health problems, purposeful work, play & creativity, stress management, relationships, meditation & prayer, and self concept. Integrity is one of her guiding values, so Kate (imperfectly) lives the message. She maintains a regular yoga practice and enjoys cooking, hiking around the midcoast area with her husband, playing pickleball with her mom, as well as opportunities for learning. |
Summer Sunderland, LCSW
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Summer is a mom, barefoot mystic, and transformational healer. She is a licensed therapist who has been specializing in complex trauma for 25 years, guiding her clients through deep dives into their inner worlds. She has discovered that when we go beyond clinical approaches to mental health and incorporate body, mind, and spirit, much more is possible in our healing journeys. Through Summer’s work as a therapist, she has created an inner map of the layers and places we find within ourselves. More importantly, she's created a map of core elements that are crucial in transformational healing. Her models are also ever evolving as she continues to expand her awareness. Summer will facilitate experiential healing exercises based upon her experience as well as what’s most alive for group members. Thus, participants in this workshop series are co-creators of the experience, bringing their experience, questions, tools, and needs to help shape the practices.
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Alex Gilgan,
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Alex Gilgan is a Multi-Dimensional Healer who incorporates a variety of different healing modalities to help individuals and groups bring alignment to all levels of their lives. Alex has used meditation and mindfulness practices to help her navigate through life. She believes that we all can find and experience happiness and stillness no matter what is happening around us.
After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Maine at Augusta, Alex listened to the calling of her soul and began her life’s mission as a healer. Practicing as a Usui Reiki-Master, Holy Fire III® Reiki-Master, and an Integrated Energy Therapy® Master-Instructor, Alex assists others in their healing journeys. She provides individuals with a safe, sacred, nonjudgmental, and multidimensional space to explore, allowing the deeply rooted inner self to be able to heal on all levels. Alex also empowers others to do the work of Healing Practitioners through the trainings she teaches. As a psychic-medium, Alex tunes into the everlasting guidance that surrounds us all and she uses her gifts as a Lightworker to help ease the pain and discomfort of others. In addition to her Collective Meditation and Healing Circle offerings at The Spiral Goddess Collective, a Center for Mind/Body Movement, as a Spiritual Ordained Minister, Alex also provides one on one spiritual advising appointments as well as individual healing and mediumship messages. Alex was born and raised in Bangor, Maine, where she currently resides with her two cats, Theo and Henry. She is an avid animal and nature lover and has a strong connection to Mother Earth. During her spare time she enjoys hiking and kayaking, meditation and yoga, writing, and exploring the endless possibilities of the cosmos. |
Suzanne Kelly,
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"I’ve been hooked on joy in movement for as long as I can remember, sharing it with others in various iterations (e.g., 'Sunrise with Soul,' 'Whatever Moves You,' 'Havin’ Some Fun with the Blues') for over 30 years. Naturally, a range of dance training, from Ballet to Jazz to Modern, was part of the early picture. But there’s nothing like turning on a great piece of music to boogie to in your kitchen or moving with other likeminded free spirits and being part of the energy that’s generated. Whether you find your own corner with your eyes closed or spin through a big, open space, it’s an experience that’s hard to beat. Well, in fact, it’s Joy in movement with a capital J!"
Suzanne's Joy in Movement class is a "pay what you can class" and all proceeds go to The Spiral Goddess Collective Care Fund. |
Karyssa Murchison,
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Karyssa is a multi-talented curator and artist who helps to birth big ideas and an empath with a big heart and a talent for critical-thinking. In her life, and at The Spiral Goddess Collective, Karyssa balances at least a million different challenges, brings people together, problem-solves, and keeps things running smoothly. She makes everything just a little bit better through her practical and creative eye.
After earning her Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a specialization in Educational Advocacy, Karyssa completed her Master's Degree in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University. She currently works for JMG as a High School Completion Specialist for Bangor High School. Prior to JMG, Karyssa worked for Youth MOVE Maine as a Youth Support Partner. Karyssa is a passionate advocate, particularly for marginalized youth. Karyssa has done a variety of administrative and management work for Eastern Maine Home Care, The Acadia Hospital, the Bureau of Federal Prisons, contracted through Volunteers of America, and ULTA. At UMA-Bangor she was a student intern and Emerging Leader for Women Invigorating Curriculum and Cultivating Diversity (WICCD) as well as a student representative on the Intercollegiate Council. She facilitated Safe Zone trainings and worked as a research assistant for Professor Hentges's book, Girls on Fire: Transformative Heroines in Young Adult Dystopian Literature. She was also involved in the creation of the UMA-Bangor Garden Club, was a Rising Scholar, JMG Lead Mentor and student intern, and the recipient of the Emerging Leader Presidential Scholarship and the Val Kitchen Valance Fitness Scholarship. During and after her time at UMA, she designed and developed posters, pamphlets, certificates, logos, and so much more, including the UMA-Bangor Garden sign and the Culture and Movement logo. She also digitized Sarah's sketches to create the SGC logo and stickers. Karyssa was born and raised in the Greater Bangor Area where she still resides with her family and their five fur-babies. During her spare time she loves to camp, travel, kayak, off-road, create, and care for her many plants. |
