Nicole Rutsch

Background:

Nicole works with individuals who want to take their lives in a new direction, alleviate anxiety and become clear with what they want from life. She grew up in a farm town in Germany called Stadecken, where she loved to spend time in nature, and developed a deep connection to Mother Earth. From this developed a passion for healthy, natural food, which led her to found a successful catering business in NYC. Initially, the majority of clients came from the fashion industry, including Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang and Michael Kors. Shortly after, Nicole expanded into the wellness world, partnering with clients like Alo Yoga, Athleta, and Bandier. Nicole saw a deep need to help people understand the healing powers of natural food and herbs, which led her to herbalism and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

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Tiffany Leonardo

Background:

Community is in Tiffany's blood and is what sparked her wellness journey! From NYC to the South Bay of LA, there’s a trail of inspired, empowered, and energized individuals she's been blessed to touch.

She spreads mindfulness like confetti through Yin Yoga and Crystal Sound Healing!

As a former Educator in Healthcare, she closely understands the challenges of remaining present in a demanding environment; she shares the teachings that have guided her journey including Yin's slow, intentional movement; Oracle Cards that have strengthened her intuitive connection and Sound Healing Meditation which has made stress release accessible. She enjoys guiding students on their own journey, by connecting them with their intuition using oracle cards. Her journey started with a Yoga community and has expanded into the podcasting world, where she hosts the “Be You Too Full” podcast. 

Regardless of the environment, her dream life is to support others in exploring their fullest selves through a relationship with their mind, body and soul.

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Seth Monk

Background:

Seth Monk is a meditation teacher, retreat leader, energy healer, and transformational guide now transplanted to Los Angeles. Seth is a former Buddhist monk of 8 years who spent his time living in a monastery and practicing with various teachers including Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm, and His Holiness XIV Dalai Lama. During his time as a monk, Seth practiced with teachers from various traditions, went on multiple retreats, and worked at his center’s Chinese Medicine clinic where he received his understanding of the mind/body connection. The monastery also had weekly weekend retreats where Seth was able to deepen his understanding of the art of transformational processing. After he left the monastery, Seth spent two years traveling through India meeting various spiritual teachers, spending time at sacred sites, and also undertook a solo-retreat in a holy cave in the Himalayan mountains. 

After disrobing and returning to his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, Seth began working in schools to bring mindfulness, meditation, and social emotional learning to students and teachers during the height of the opioid crisis. He then transitioned into leading professional development seminars and weekend retreats for school faculties to help transform the educational paradigm from within. Seth was then asked to be a part of the Wellness Team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a meditation coach at Blue Cross Blue Shield’s corporate office. He also began leading Siddha Energy Healing events connected to a lineage he was initiated into during his time in India.

After leaving Boston, Seth spent time living in northern California, Tulum, and Las Vegas, before settling in Los Angeles where he currently leads weekly meditations at various centers, holds monthly Men’s Circles, and facilitates Group Siddha Healing events.

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Rua Williamson

Background:

Rua Williamson is an actor and breathwork facilitator living between Washington, DC and Los Angeles, California.

His passion for storytelling landed him numerous TV/Film roles, and an MFA from The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, after which he wanted to find a way to share the lessons he learned from these acting experiences with people who are in transitional periods of their lives.

He accomplished this by combining his training as an actor with his training in meditation to create unique meditation experiences for people to find themselves at home in their own bodies, minds, and ultimately the world.

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Shonté Johnson

Background:

Shonté Johnson, MSW is a graduate of the 200-hour Unplug Meditation Teacher Training.

Her background is in social welfare and public policy. She served alongside elected officials such as Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti. Shonté is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley where she disseminated and published scholarly research on homelessness in America. She earned her Master of Social Welfare with a concentration in Social and Economic Justice from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

After relocating to Los Angeles, Shonté experienced difficulties with transitioning, adjusting to culture shock, and family separation. In search of solace, she sought out coping mechanisms using yoga, meditation, breathwork, and sound and crystal therapy. Shonté eventually found herself immersed in studying various alternative-healing modalities earning several certifications including Reiki Master/Teacher and 200-hour Mindful Hatha Yoga Teacher. She studied with a diverse group of teachers including renowned and globally recognized medicine men and women (shamans), spiritual leaders, and spiritual mentors. Extensive personal study and life experiences led Shonté to exit her career in social services and enter into the wellness industry.

In 2019 she founded Beauty Divine Artistry, a 5-star reviewed Alternative and Holistic health practice based in Los Angeles. Shonté serves under the pseudonym Beauty Divine as an Energy Medicine Practitioner offering Reiki, Sound and Crystal therapy, and Emotional Freedom Technique known as EFT or meridian tapping. The focus of her offerings is rooted in ancient and indigenous wisdom and come from revelations of her own experiences. She is passionate about holistic health and personal growth that is rooted in spirituality. Shonté draws on her passion to guide meditation journeys that take participants on a self-journey to holistic health, enlightenment, growth, and self-inquiry. She has served a diverse clientele of film producers and

writers, artists, clinical therapists, entertainers, and teachers.

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Justin Michael Williams

Background:

Justin Michael Williams is an author, transformational speaker, and top-20 recording artist who has become a pioneering voice for diversity and inclusion in wellness.

From growing up with gunshot holes outside of his bedroom window to sharing the stage with Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra, Justin knows well the pain of adversity and the power of healing to overcome. He has since been featured by The Wall Street Journal, Grammy.com, Billboard.com, The Root, The Advocate, Yoga Journal, and SXSW®. With his groundbreaking book Stay Woke, and over a decade of teaching experience, Justin's message of hope and empowerment has spread to more than 40 countries around the globe, particularly through his national "Stay Woke, Give Back" tour bringing mindfulness to youth in underserved communities.

Justin is dedicated to using his voice to serve; to being a beacon of hope for those who are lost, and to making sure all people, of all backgrounds, have access to the information they need to change their lives.

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Hala Khouri

Background:

Hala Khouri, M.A., SEP, E-RYT, is a sought-after speaker trainer on the subject of trauma, yoga and social justice. She has been teaching yoga and movement for over 25 years and has been doing clinical work and trainings for 15 years. Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, she has dedicated her life to the study of trauma, justice and building resilience. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and an M.A. in Community Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. 

Hala is trained in Somatic Experiencing, a body-based psychotherapy that helps resolve trauma and its symptoms. Hala is a co-founder of Off the Mat, Into the World, a training organization that bridges yoga and activism within a social justice framework. She leads Collective Resilience trauma informed yoga trainings nationally.

Hala also trains direct service providers and educators to be trauma informed and culturally responsive.

She leads a monthly, online membership program called Radical Wellbeing. She is the author of Peace from Anxiety: Get Grounded, Build Resilience and Stay Connected Amidst the Chaos (Shambhala). She lives in Venice, CA with her husband and two sons where she also teaches public yoga classes weekly.

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Erik Haug

Background:

Erik Haug is a 3rd generation strategist and competitive athlete from California who has been practicing visualization since age 12. He has facilitated visioning sessions with hundreds of leaders and entrepreneurs from around the world. In addition to offering regular classes at the Unplug Meditation studio in Los Angeles, Erik also works with students locally at UCLA and USC. Tune in with Erik for special guided visualization and visioning meditations that will cultivate deep insights, clarity and inspiration.

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Unplug Meditation

12401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 101 Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 826-8899

info@unplug.com