Meet The Team

Liberty Gonzalez M.A. (They/Them) is a genderqueer creative change maker who is committed to collective liberation. As a certified mindful facilitator, certified life coach, and master of liberatory community psychology, Liberty is currently pursuing a PhD with a focus in liberation for gender nonconforming parents. Their experience as a non-binary parent and training in empathic conflict facilitation uniquely positions them to host challenging and generative conversations that empower community connection & bring the unspoken to light.

Dakota is one of the co founders and dreamers of CONNECT Community Center for Wellbeing. The resident Myofascial specialist with over 9 years of experience. Dakota will be bringing education about the importance of fascial health to the public as well as technique classes for practitioners to further develop their skills. 

Andy Prescott, LMT, has been practicing massage, reiki, and sound healing 1 on 1 for over two years, and is excited to offer group sound baths and guided meditation classes. 

Mack Mercury (they/he) has been dancing since 1997, teaching dance since 2006, and performing tap dancing comedy drag since 2017. In January 2023, they left their corporate marketing career and founded creative & performing arts studio Direct Motion Creative Collective in pursuit of their mission to make the healing magic(k) of collaborative embodied creativity more accessible. To this same end, Mack is excited to offer Creative Movement classes to the CONNECT community! 

Hi I’m Sana! Holistic Health and Wellness Coach, Massage Therapist, and Reiki Practitioner. Through motherhood and online entrepreneurship I express my passion for wellness. Within my online platform I coach individuals looking to enhance their quality of life. I found my purpose and deepest passions for wellness while practicing massage therapy, it lead me to coaching and I couldn’t be more grateful to have that as a cornerstone in my career. Just like you and others I cross paths with, I too have and still experience the troubles of illness and life’s set backs. My story and my journey are why I am so passionate and dedicated to being a guide to others who find themselves ready to commit to enhancing their well being. Wherever your are in this moment is a great place to just, START!

Eileen is the Founder of Elemental Integrated Healing Arts Designs, a project devoted to offering transformative experiences centered on people of the global majority where they can envision, empower and excel in their dreams. Ms. Cheong is a 200 hour foundation trained yoga Instructor with focus in Hatha, Yin and Qigong, a nationally Registered Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor. Their specialties include: mindfulness techniques including guided visualizations and social dreaming.

Using Relational-Cultural and person centered approaches with a focus on transformative justice; youth empowerment, intergenerational programs, LGBTQ identity development, wellness for social justice and health care professionals and mental health awareness. Her artistic concentration is in printmaking, photojournalism, book arts, fiber sculpture and mixed-media painting.

By developing strategies to consistently regulate our nervous systems to be grounded, embodied, and accountable, we build our capacity to move through injustice towards liberation.

pax holds the belief that showing up for the Body, is a radical way to show up for the world. They believe the Body to be intelligent, communicative, and communal; that, when you start listening to the language of the Body you can engage with the turbulence of the world in a deeper, more meaningful capacity. They believe that our Bodies are deeply connected to the mycelial knowledge of the world as well as our community networks and belonging.

pax (they/them) is an a Queer breathwork practitioner, reiki practitioner, astrologer, somatic channel, multi-disciplinary artist, socialist, and philosopher. they have an invested interest in space holding for Trans/Queer/B.I.P.O.C./Abolitionists and marginalized individuals. 

Amy has over 20 years experience with performing traditional dance professionally, and teaching, while having studied under world renowned instructors and choreographers. They are a 200 HR YT graduate from Urban Breath of 2018. She has since taken additional Yin yoga training and is passionate about providing the community with very simple practices they can take home and continue to alleviate stress, tension, and burnout. They currently work for The Oxygen Project providing mindfulness practices based on yogic principles offered to middle school children to teach them how to navigate difficult emotions.

Sol Asar is from North Saint Louis and has offered his/their services to the St Louis Yoga Community for the last 10 years . He is 200 ryt cyt in Yoga and level 1 Kemetic Reiki practioner. He has taught at PuraVegan, West East Yoga, Washington University, Bella Body and ElevateWellStl. He has also lead courses in the Yoga Buzz teacher training.

I started training with Nancy Shanteau as a Skills for Change Coach, Mediator, Bodyworker, and Teacher and became very excited about all my new tools for understanding the power dynamics that underlie every single interaction we have in the world. I got better at lots of stuff and it started to become more clear what I wanted from my life.

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But I couldn’t figure out how to get there.

And then I started practicing softness.

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This took a ton of practice and discomfort and by no means did I reach any kind of perfection. And the discomfort never ended, I just learned how to soften around it.

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I want this softness for you. I want to be your guide to softness in your relationships, in your creative practice, in your organization, and in your muscles and perceptions.

I think softness is the way to collective liberation.

Does that sound like something you want?

Forest has a degree in cultural anthropology and comparative literature, and works as a cook in Saint Louis. Their work has been accepted for publication by Jelly Bucket, The Main Street Rag, 300 Days of Sun, Pier To, and Flat Ink Magazine.

Rachel is a massage therapist, movement guide, and somatic coach tending to self and communal connection through body based practices. Their offerings range from massage therapy and guided bodywork to multidisciplinary movement. As a human with a tender queer heart, they love to work with and support the LGBTQ+ community.

My background in the social sciences informs my interest in letterpress as an art practice and a communication tool that can build community and amplify ideas. I use both digital and handmade techniques in my work, and I believe the physicality of creating printed work with historical tools offers an opportunity to slow down and consider intention, and then to disseminate information and ideas through the making of multiples.

I work as a freelance graphic and web designer, and I also volunteer and teach at Central Print Studios (centralprint.org). I’m happy to bring this artistic practice to CONNECT and make art in an explicitly queer space, for our community. You can find more information about me and my art at maniculestudio.com.

Kiwi is a St. Louis transplant who loves the sun, intentional community and crafting.

Aria is a certified sound healer, tuning fork specialist, and gong practitioner. With a doctorate in sacred choral music, she uses her voice knowledge to facilitate sound healing sessions, teach trauma informed voice, and compose and lead kirtan sessions. She currently directs choirs at Gethsemane Lutheran Church, ELCA and offers sound healing sessions at various studios throughout the St. Louis area. Her one on one practice is trauma informed and she sees clients for a range of issues from physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual.