Movers and shakers in the world of well-being you need to know
Writer Zoe: Loulse Cronk
Kris Carr
Few holistic health personalities are more inspirational than Kris Carr. Not only is she a wellness activist, bestselling author and award-winning filmmaker, but she has also lived with cancer for the last 10 years, turning something tragic into creative, relatable motivation for the masses. It’s this, she says, that has taught her so much about purpose, passion and wellness. Her thought-provoking documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer saw her explore experimental treatment, travelling the country to interview experts in alternative medicine. Her journey led to something of a wellness revolution, with her personal battles assisting others in using holistic methods to feel better and nourish their spirits. Carr’s down-to-earth approach to health and healing has made each of her five books and dynamic digital programmes (where she become your virtual mentor) an overwhelming success. Today, she is an astute media personality, and lectures at wellness centres, health corporations, hospitals and universities including Harvard.
Shiva Rea
Shiva Rea is best known as the yogi behind Prana Vinyasa Flow Yoga for her creative, dynamic and transformational approach. Two years spent in Africa and a 10-year immersion in ashtanga yoga with teachers from the Krishnamacharya lineage, are just a snapshot of her extraordinary background. Today, Prana Vinyasa Flow is popular worldwide for its seamless and energetic flow that melds vinyasa, Ayurveda and tantra. Despite having award-winning DVDs, boks and countless training sessions to her name, Rea still finds time to teach the practice she pioneered in yoga retreats and workshops. She founded the online Samudra Global School for Living Yoga so that people around the globe had access to live courses with individual guidance, and has more recently launched online community Yoga Alchemy, which she describes as being “dedicated to providing yoga practices, meditation, lifestyle, creative arts, teacher training and healing for all.” www.shivarea.com
Gabrielle Bernstein
Life coach Gabrielle Bernstein has made her mark over the last decade, brightening the world of transformational and holistic health for the next generation of spiritual seekers. A kundalini yoga instructor and meditation teacher trained in the Emotional Freedom Technique, she’s the bestselling author of Miracles Now and Spirit Junkie, and a regular guest on The Dr Oz Show. She’s been hailed as a ‘nextgeneration thought leader’ and ‘new role model’, and her workshops on life transformations are instant sell-outs, as she travels the world bringing inner peace and self-love through personal coaching and group sessions. Bernstein is also the founder of sisterhood social networking site HerFuture.com which aims to connect, inspire and empower women. Her wisdom can be sought in the digital arena too, via blogs, vlogs (video blogs) and online guided blogs) and online guided mediation. www.gabbyb.tv
Julie Montagu
Known to many as the Flexi Foodie, Julie Montagu is a bestselling author, holistic health counsellor and yoga instructor certified in plant-based nutrition. Born in Illinois, she’s also a future British aristocrat, and one of the most sought-after yoga instructors in London; offering classes at some of the city’s most beautiful studios. The past few years have seen Montagu leading wellness retreats, writing cookbooks, filming yoga DVDs, maintaining her blog, starting her own online brand for superfood energy snacks and organising healthy supper-club. Montagu’s main focus is “working on an online course about self-love, letting go and happiness”, as well as her own yoga and activewear line. Her mantra is “I needed a hero, so that’s what I became”, adding that, “As far as self-care, self-love and looking after yourself go, my mantra motivates me through all of life’s challenges.” www.juliemontagu.com
Sebastian Pole
Ayurvedic practitioner and herbalist Sebastian Pole is co-founder of Pukka Herbs, a unique range of organic herbal remedies and teas based on Ayurveda. Pole’s love affair with herbs began while travelling in India, when local herbs from an Indian healer restored him to health. Deeply moved by the encounter, he sought the healer’s knowledge and wisdom, and began studying Ayurvedic, Chinese and Western herbal medicine. Pole returned to Somerset in the UK to teach yoga, and opened his own Ayurveda practice. His frustration of reaching as many people as he wanted led to the inception of Pukka. Healing the whole person with nature is at the root of the company and the herbal practice he runs in Bath. Their certified organic products have received great acclaim for their honest, respectable ethic. www.pukkaherbs.com
Tara Stiles
Tara Stiles is a classically trained dancer and founder of Strala Yoga: ‘the movement system that ignites freedom’. After launching in New York, her spin on the ancient practice catapulted her into the yogasphere; gaining a celebrity clientele and popularity across the US, Asia and Europe. The Strala movement, she says, “serves people by helping them find ease, dissolve stress and build radiant well-being.” So keen is Stiles to help more people discover the benefits of yoga through Strala, that her daily roster now includes her blog, YouTube videos, podcasts, collaboration with Reebok on yoga and lifestyle wear, social media posts, lectures, and several top-selling books on yoga, food and healthy living. If that wasn’t enough, she’s released yoga DVDs with the likes of Deepak Chopra (who also hired her as his personal instructor), and has become the yogi of the W Hotel group. www.tarastiles.com
Erika Weber
Erika Weber is a holistic therapist recognised for her intuition, compassionate spirit and dedication to improving clients’ health. Now a licensed acupuncturist in New York City, Weber is a former dancer who spent many years finding relief in acupuncture for dance injuries. Her impressive educational accolades have earned her global respect having received expert training from master practitioners in Japanese Kiiko Matsumoto Style acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine and East Asian medical philosophy. A regular on television screens discussing the benefits of acupuncture and holistic remedies, her own practice, 16th Street Acupuncture is a sanctuary of wellness in the bustle of New York, where she offers treatments like cupping. Her mission? To help people on their journey to personal enlightenment and power, bringing their lives into balance. www.erikaweber.com
Sarah Wilson
Australia-born Sarah Wilson had a 20-year career as a journalist, editor and TV host, before becoming a health coach and founder of online wellness programme I Quit Sugar. More than 800,000 people worldwide have used her eight-week programme to lead a healthier life, and she’s renowned for her sweet yet sugar-free recipes which led to the release of five cookbooks and a string of bestselling e-books. Wilson also writes regular blogs on philosophy, minimalism, toxin-free living and anti-consumerism, and presents to international corporations on wellness and social movements. An autoimmune disease led Wilson to discover the impact that quitting sugar could have on health, and with the news on the damaging effects of sugar rife in the global media, her message came at the right time. She encourages people to take charge of their health by cleaning up their diet, and giving them the tools to achieve it. www.sarahwilson.com
Gahl Sasson
Spiritual teacher and astrologist Gahl Sasson is in constant demand. His captivating manner and encyclopedic knowledge on mythology are second to none, gaining a loyal global following and an array of radio and television appearances. He has travelled extensively and continues to impart wisdom, health and happiness through spiritual consultations and teachings on Kabbalah and mythology at universities and spiritual centres around the world. His books have helped to spread the word, the first being A Wish Can Change Your Life which was endorsed by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The journey of transformation, alchemy of relationships, increasing psychic powers and your astrological DNA are among the topics in of Sasson’s workshops in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and London. Those who can’t be there in person can receive his insights on his website, including radio interviews, articles and videos. www.cosmicnavigator.com
Ella Woodward
For British blogger turned Internet sensation and cookbook author Ella Woodward, her journey has been one of personal healing and culinary exploration. In 2011, she was diagnosed with a rare illness called Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS), causing chronic pain and fatigue. When her symptoms failed to respond to conventional medicine, Woodward took her health into her own hands by giving her eating habits an overhaul. Overnight, she cut out meat, gluten, dairy, sugar and processed foods, and started a blog to document her newfound, hassle-free approach to healthy living. The results were remarkable, as was the global following that quickly turned Deliciously Ella into a mustread. Fast-forward to today, and she has released two cookbooks and opened her first café, The Mae Deli in London. Still blogging and posting regularly about her plant-based foodie exploits and favourite workouts yoga and reformer Pilates, Woodward continues to inspire others to discover a healthier, happier lifestyle. Combine this with her mouth-watering recipes and relatable, girl-next-door nature, it’s no surprise Woodward has become a household name. www.deliciouslyella.com
