 Biographies of your Walking With Women Retreat Group Leaders
"The Women's Council"
 Director Orchard Hill Healing Center,Wellness Consultant, CMT, Laughter Yoga Leader
Ramana Lailah Heyman, a Wellness Consultant and Director of The Orchard Hill Healing Center, has dedicated her life to Holistic Healing and is truly a pioneer in her field. She has served the Shenandoah Valley for over 25 years, and was the former owner of Olde Towne Healing Arts Center, in Old Town Winchester. Now through her private practice, Ramana is a CranioSacral Practitioner and Certified Massage Therapist (CMT). Her work as a healer includes the integration of a 30 year study in Hatha Yoga, meditation, homeopathy, nutrition, Reiki and other holistic disciplines. In 2007, she attended the School of Laughter Yoga in New York City, NY, where she became a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader. She is now bringing her dynamic motivational speaking skills and awareness of the benefits of Laughter Yoga to the Shenandoah Valley area, including Corporate Laughter Yoga to area businesses. Ramana has brought the art and joy of Laughter Yoga to a great many businesses, organizations, and functions in the Winchester area, including The Young Breast Cancer Support Group, Winchester Boys and Girls Club, Christian Family Movement Retreat, The Laurel Center, The Unitarian Universalist Church, and Shenandoah University. Ramana says, "My studies and life experiences have contributed to my desire to assist others in the realization of their own strengths, beauty and limitless inner joy." She can be reached at hahahohoho8@gmail.com or 540-667-5100. Laura Sperling  CMP, Certified Music Practitioner Laura Sperling CMP (certified music practitioner) and flutist has a BA in Ethnomusicology and World Arts Culture from UCLA. Laura became certified as a therapeutic musician in the Music for Healing and Transitions program in February 2007. In her therapeutic music work, Laura performs a wide repertoire of chamber music, popular, jazz, world and folk music. Laura uses many flutes, including the Neriage porcelain flute that she creates with ceramic artist, Rick Stafford. As a musical performer, Laura has appeared all over the U.S., the Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Israel and at Rancho La Puerta in Baja, California. Laura has a CD, Water Music for solo flutes, which also features her Neriage porcelain flute. Laura gives private flute and recorder lessons in her home studio. She plays therapeutic music for patients at Washington Cancer Institute, the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University Hospital, the National Naval Medical Center and for patients with Community Hospice of Maryland and Virginia. She can be reached at prclnmusik@aol.com. You can order her wonderful music at www.laurasperling.com.  Certified Feng Shui Designer, Inner Compass Interiors Jessica White has spent her life interested in the design of the environment in and around us and the affect it has on people, plants and animals. White’s official studies began at Virginia Tech where she earned her bachelor’s degree from the School of Architecture in Interior Design. There she discovered that her interest in space was more than material. Feng Shui became the natural next step. This ancient study has been described as the intuitive, aesthetic adjustments of visible and invisible objects and the realigning of all dimension of the environment into a harmonious state. White earned her practitioner certification from the Western School of Feng Shui in San Diego, CA in 2005 and later from the New York School of Feng Shui in 2007. Both schools offered richness in perspective, culture and art. Since then White has operated Inner Compass Design, offering various interior design, feng shui and creative services as well as education. In the blending of beauty and the practical, working and inspired spaces can be created. “Let your Inner Compass be your guide.” She can be reached at icfengshui@gmail.com. Kim Johnston
 Nutrition Counselor
Kim has been investigating foods and nutrition since she was a young girl. This curiosity led her to study and receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition from Stephen F. Austin State University. Much of her focus while there was on research of the vegetarian and vegan diet. Kim served as the Student Dietetics Association President and planned several community health fairs. She also worked as a Banquet Manager, interned for 8 months in a hospital along-side a registered dietitian (RD), and worked as a Health Educator for the visually impaired planning healthy meals, teaching food preparation and table etiquette.
After receiving her 4-yr degree, Kim interned and later worked for one of Walt Disney World's resort kitchen's planning meals for special needs. She later worked as a Nutrition Educator and Counselor for the State of Florida's WIC (Women, Infant's & Children) program. Additionally, she has assisted sales and education on nutritional products using Chinese Herbs at conventions such as the Women's Home and Garden Show.
Living and working in Florida has opened her eyes to the beauty of cultural, religious, socio-economic, and nutritional diversity. Kim has followed several approaches to diet including vegetarian, omnivorous, candida free, natural foods, and even a "throw caution to the wind" diet (ie eating whatever & whenever, which really didn't work all that well by the way). It is through her experience and self study that she feels more connected with the Holistic, Eastern approach to medicine and overall health. She is a proponent of a Natural Foods Diet but is always learning and utilizing her knowledge to hone a healthy lifestyle and does the same for her clients.
Kim shares her knowledge by demonstrating, coaching and counseling those on an individual or group basis. She works mainly in preventative health but also sees clients regarding specific health concerns. Clients seek Kim's counseling for eating to gain, maintain or lose weight, to reduce pain or inflammation, to fuel and enhance sports, and for other specific issues such as curbing ADD and ADHD. She also teaches clients how to read labels, plan, shop and cook healthy meals. She has even been known to do personal grocery shopping and cooking as a personal chef for daily needs or special occasions.
Kim has recently relocated to the Winchester, Virginia area of the Shenandoah Valley. To contact her for further information and pricing, please call or email at 407-353-9074 or skimjohnston@gmail.com.
Angela Stevens  Certified Healing From The Core Teacher and Practitioner, COTA, CST Ashburn, Virginia Angela truly walks her talk as a Healing from the Core Certified Instructor as she guides others through this deeply transformative process. Drawing from her personal healing journey of recovery from PTSD, Angela has refined her experience to provide an expertise that touches everyone. Angela has a way of connecting with her students through real life experiences that both clarify concepts and enhance the student's own healing process. She brings laughter, movement and her experience as an OTA to create a rich and meaningful environment for the entire group. "Angela is an excellent teacher who shares her heart and soul so openly and generously. In doing so, she creates an environment that is nurturing and safe, where each of us feel comfortable to share our hearts as well. What a gift!" "Angela is very knowledgeable about the curriculum and she inspired me to continue the journey to find the true me." Angela believes in the power of the human spirit to create a world-wide connection of love and compassion. In her own words, "My goal as an Instructor is to share the profound and powerful course principles and techniques that support creating this healthy connection." When she is not teaching, Angela maintains a private practice integrating skills from her occupational therapy and sensory integration background, CranioSacral and SomatoEmotional Release therapy, Lymph Drainage and Reiki. Her practice includes all ages. Formerly a pediatric occupational therapist, she worked extensively with a wide range of pediatric diagnoses, primarily autism. Having raised four children of her own, she has developed a deep and compassionate understanding of the tenderness in a child's heart. She provides a strong, grounded, steady therapeutic presence that creates a safe environment for her students and clients to connect with their deepest healing potential. She can be reached at ashealinghands@hotmail.com or 703-723-4999 (day). Sarah Berger |