Wellness & Sound Healing Tent

Presented by Meggan Emily and Mike McGuigan 

The Soul Sanctuary is a wellness tent where you can find balance, recharge, restore, and connect consciously with the festival community. Highly vibrational offerings that compliment festival culture will include yoga, sound healing, meditation, breathwork, dancing, community ritual, education workshops and more! Bring your own yoga mats, blankets and other needed props for comfort.  All are welcome!   (Schedule and full class descriptions below)

Location:  The Soul Sanctuary Wellness & Sound Healing Tent is situated within the Prairie which allows participants a quieter space for reflection and peace of mind during workshops without sound distractions from the festival bowl. There is amble space and flatter ground in the Prairie which also allows for an ideal foundation for yoga and other offerings. View Venue Map

Thursday, June 27 (3:00 – 4:00pm)

• Opening Ceremony & Community Blessing with the Soul Sanctuary Troupe

Friday, June 28 (9am – 4pm)

• 9:00AM – Morning Yoga & Sound Healing with Meggan and Mike
• 10:30AM – Venus Gong Meditation with Karen and John
• 12:00PM – Mantra, Drumming & Breathwork with Meggan & Friends 
• 1:30PM – Ecstatic Dance with Rebecca
• 3:00PM – Hoop Dance with Danielle

*Times subject to change

Saturday, June 29 (9am-2:30pm)

• 9:00AM – Morning Yoga & Sound Healing with Meggan and Mike
• 10:30AM – Purification through Breath & Attention – Meditation with Paul 
• 12:00PM – Chakra Flow with Clinical Emphasis – Yoga with Tairi
• 1:30PM Crystal Bowl Sound Healing & Group Energetic Healing with Soul Sanctuary Troupe Members

*Times subject to change

Pop-Up Sessions!

• Oracle Card Readings with Maja
• Astrology & Tarot Card Readings with Karen
• Reiki & Intuitive Healing with Stephanie & Paige

Contributing Musicians & Vocalists Include: 

John Rissman, Karen Tlusty-Rissman, Lara Brajkovic, Maja Videnovic, Rebecca Ficarella, Mike McGuigan & Meggan Emily

Thursday, June 27th 

3:00pm – 4:00pm: Soul Sanctuary Activation Opening Ceremony & Community Blessing 

Join the Soul Sanctuary Troupe in a ceremony that will mindfully open our circle for the festival weekend. Members of the troupe will dedicate, clear, bless and activate the space where we will gather throughout the weekend as a community. We will set a shared intention to cohabitate and co-create in a way that evokes the highest good of our collective.

Friday June 28th (9am-4pm)

9:00am – 10:00am: Morning Yoga & Sound Healing with Meggan Emily & Mike McGuigan 

Meggan & Mike return to Blue Ox, offering morning yoga, sound healing and meditation.  Students will move and breath through an all levels practice, designed to purify and awaken the body, mind and soul for a day of festival! This class is a Blue Ox tradition and will inspire students to connect to self and community through a healing practice. Please bring your own yoga mat and props. First yoga will be practiced followed by sound healing. (1 hour long class)

10:30am – 11:30am: Venus Gong Mediation with Karen & John

Join Karen & John for an hour of exquisite vibrations! Sounds of the Venus gong, Native American style flute, Tibetan bowls and other instruments create a heightened meditation space that supports us in directly connecting to our deepest source of wisdom. Current astrological influences will be discussed, helping us align with celestial energies that assist our evolutionary growth and empower our intentions. Please bring a yoga mat, blanket, pillow or anything else you may need to lie still on the floor, as lying down is the most effective position to work with the energy of the gong. Karen will also be offering pop-up Astrology & Tarot Readings throughout the fest.

Karen Tlusty-Rissman (Starsong) is a musician, astrologer and ceremonialist. Her practice is based on the belief that all life on this planet is One and brings this philosophy into all that she creates. She weaves the common threads from many Earth centered traditions to provide participants with a direct connection to their inner Source. She has played music for most of her life, playing Native American flute, concert flute, bass guitar, Tibetan singing bowls and the Venus gong. Karen is currently an astrology and tarot reader at the Quest Bookstore, part of the Theosophical Society. She has facilitated sacred circles for close to 40 years and has held the Community Drum Circle for more than 25 years. She has facilitated numerous ceremonies to honor life passages, seasonal transitions and for healing. Karen is available for private consultations, meditation classes, musical performances and lessons.

12:00pm – 1:00pm: Mantra, Drumming & Breathwork with Meggan Emily & Friends 

Mantra is a sacred gateway and meditation is a pathway to the Sacred Self. The BLOX community knows well that music heals and by joining our voices together in a circle, we unify and co-create experiences of expression and celebration! In this session, Meggan will offer a selection of traditional yogic, Sanskrit, Hindu and Buddhist chants, as well as some original work. You are invited to join in on singing or to simply meditate on the sounds. All are welcome. Arrive ready to site comfortably.

Through teaching yoga and sharing music, I hope to inspire your creative expression of embodiment.  I am dedicated to offering authentic, student centered yoga that is both current and deeply rooted in its’ Indian origins. I lead students in their practice, by providing a safe, welcoming and challenging environment in which to breathe and move. I have been a  student of yoga for 25 years and a teacher for 12. As a musician, I was introduced to drum circles while following the Grateful Dead beginning at the age of 16. Now, over 30 years later, my love of all things music has evolved into playing hand drums, various percussion instruments, the ukulele, shruti box and beginning harmonium. In recent years, I have written several original songs in the genres of kirtan, devotional singing, traditional mantra, folk and acoustic originals. Music and movement are my medicine!. I am a Mother, a yogi, a vegan, a writer, an earth steward and a wanderlust.

1:00pm – 2:30pm: Ecstatic Dance with Rebecca 

Joy, connection, and freedom await you during the Ecstatic Dance with Rebecca. Release yourself to the rhythm of the music and move freely to the beats, allowing your mind and body to reach a meditative trance like state. This is a free form dance gathering so there are no moves to follow, just following what your heart and body feel and desire. Body movement in a safe community environment helps to move energetic blocks and allows for transition to a more euphoric state of being. Dance serves as a form of meditation which can help us to cope with stress and atain ecstatic serenity. Come join us and connect to your mind, body, spirit and emotions in this beautiful community dance.

Rebecca Ficarella has actively been serving her local community this past decade in all things fun! My resume includes teaching yoga to children and adults, leading community singing, dancing, and concert events, large community game & craft activities, and group volunteer events. I have a deep passion to share our passions and express our emotions through movement, art & music. May we each find that thread of inspiration together during our time at Blue Ox and share that ripple of joy outward to our communities. Blessed Be!

3:00pm – 4:00pm: Hoop Dance with Danielle

Never has there been an activity that brings together movement, expression, and mindfulness in such an uplifting way. In this session, you will engage in foundation hoop dance movements through a dance accessible to all learners. We will explore hooping’s bounds to a variety of musical rhythms, seeking balance, growth in skills and discovering our connection to the hoop. You will find not only confidence, but endless possibilities! Absolutely no experience necessary, and all hoops are provided (you are welcome to bring  your own).

Daniel Lee hails from Madison, Wisconsin and began hooping in 2004, and started teaching hoop dance in 2008. Since then, she has taught regularly in Madison as well as regionally and internationally. Her charism, positivity has been the keystone for today’s thriving Madison Hoop community. She is a founding member of the Madison Circus Space, a 24/7 circus arts facility and non-profit, where she serves on the board of directors. She is also the creator of the Cheeselandia Hoop Affair, a convention for people who love hooping that takes place at Madison Circus Space in February. Danielle is a professional hooper and certified instructor and live to teach classes, lead events, perform, and do everything possible to share the transformational joy of hooping.

Saturday, June 29th (9am-2:30pm)

9:00am – 10:00am: Morning Yoga & Sound Healing with Meggan Emily & Mike McGuigan 

Meggan & Mike return to Blue Ox, offering morning yoga, sound healing and meditation.  Students will move and breath through an all levels practice, designed to purify and awaken the body, mind and soul for a day of festival! This class is a Blue Ox tradition and will inspire students to connect to self and community through a healing practice. Please bring your own yoga mat and props. First yoga will be practiced followed by sound healing. (1 hour long class)

10:30am – 11:30am: Purification through Breath and Attention with Paul 

Sit with Paul and learn the art of adhering the attention and gathering pranic forces in the central channel through Spinal Breathing Pranayama to open practice.  Then practice will move on to Deep Meditation, which is the systematic repetition of mantra.  When mantra is adhered to it becomes a vessel over the thinking mind, which leads the practitioner deeper into the present moment.  Opportunity arises when we learn to dance on the knife’s edge between creation and dissolution.  Come see through direct experience why a twice daily meditation practice is the foundation for seeing with new eyes.  All who come will be taught.

Paul is an RYT 200 and the meditation teacher at Sense of Samadhi. Years of meditation, spiritual practice, and yoga have led Paul on the path to help others. This coupled with a personal battle with drug and alcohol addiction makes Paul both a learned and empathetic coach. Paul models his teaching style after peaceful and holistic modalities which generally includes breathwork and meditation.

12:00pm – 1:00pm: Chakra Flow with Clinical Emphasis – Yoga w/Tairi 

A yoga class that integrates traditional yogic practices with modern understandings of psychology/social work and physiology. The class begins with a brief introduction to the concept of chakras, explaining that they are energy centers within the body associated with different psychological and physical aspects. Each posture would be linked with a specific chakra, focusing on opening and activating that energy center. Elements of psychology will be incorporated, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques and cognitive-behavioral strategies, to enhance the therapeutic benefits of the practice.

Tairi Grace LCSW, 500 RYT is influenced by many styles and methodologies of yoga. She is a licensed clinical social worker and has been in private practice for over 14 years. She began studying yoga to find a non traditional approach to wellness that incorporated holistic healing. Her instruction style is theory based, which meets the individual client needs, and also blends hatha yoga with therapeutic applications such as ego psychology and intrapersonal neuroscience. Tairi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master of Social Work from Aurora University. She specializes in children and adolescents and her expertise lies in sexual abuse and trauma work. Tairi Grace is the owner of Sense of Samadhi Yoga Studio, in Yorkville, IL. She additionally owns and operates Grace Holistic Center for Education, a Prek -12 grade school.

1:30pm – 2:30pm: Crystal Bowl Sound Meditation & Energetic Healing with Mike McGuigan & Friends

Join us in the Soul Sanctuary for a unique experience of Sound Vibration Immersion & Group Reiki Healing. In this session, Sound Healer, Mike McGuigan will use the powerful vibrations from Crystal Quartz Singing Bowls to help restore, refresh, and rejuvenate your body, mind, and soul. Soul Sanctuary troupe members will simultaneously offer reiki and hands on healing to participants, helping them to relax, purify, balance, and restore. Please bring mats, blankets, pillows, and other needed props for comfort.

Mike McGuigan brings over 20 years of experience as a multi-instrumentalist, playing music professionally both as a live performer and as a recording studio artist. Mike and music have been synonymous since a very young age. An outstanding Music Program at Batavia (IL) High School helped earn Mike a music scholarship to Western Illinois University. After college, Mike continued performing professionally in various Jazz Ensembles and Rock & Roll bands in suburban Chicago. In 2015, Mike completed training with the Vibrational Sound Association, and began his career as Sound Therapist and Sound Healer. Mike now owns a Holistic Health Company, Emphasizing on Sound Therapy, Crystal Singing Bowls, and Reiki.  Mike is a Reiki Professional, for both humans and animals, and has built and grown a successful practice as Reiki Professional for Vitality Animal Chiropractic Center in Aurora, IL

Oracle Card Readings with Maja Videnovik

*Friday & Saturday Pop-Up Sessions

Maja Videnovic  is an experienced Holistic practitioner on a constant continuum of learning and advancing her practice. Yoga has opened her heart & mind, stabilized her relationship with commitment to self actualization, and ignited her passion for celebrating presence. As she continues her lifelong journey of her human experience, she is excited to share what she learns with her students. Maja is a licensed massage therapist, CranioSacral/Somato Emotional Release Therapist & a Reiki Master. She incorporates breath work, meditation, patience & love into every exchange. Maja will offer pop-up Oracle Card readings throughout the weekend, where you will see her many gifts culminate into a powerful and wisdom filled experience.

Reiki & Intuitive Healing with Stephanie Martin

*Providing Healing During Various Sessions

Stephanie Martin is a Guardian of Souls. Stephanie is an accomplished and well-known Intuitive Healer & Educational Facilitator. She is an Usui Reiki Master Teacher, Karuna Reiki Master, Licensed Massage Therapist, Quantum Shiatsu Practitioner, Sound Healer, Certified Domestic & Sexual Violence Volunteer, and Holistic Birth Doula. Stephanie is currently also a graduate student, pursuing her Masters of Science in Clinical Nutrition, rounding out her functional medicine toolbox!

Stephanie owns Om Sweet Om Wellness and brings deep wisdom, compassion, specialized education, and over a decade worth of devoted experience to her work. Stephanie has been on a mission to help people learn about natural wellness practices and heal. She weaves the web of Community and Holistic Healing through facilitating individual healing sessions focused on root-based work, educational training, workshops, and group events. Her passion is her purpose, as she holds space for others to discover and step onto their own authentic heart-based paths!

Reiki & Intuitive Healing with Paige

*Providing Healing During Various Sessions

Paige Haviland, is a seasoned and experienced Energy Healer, Trauma & Grief Counselor, and Death Doula. Her transformative journey began over a decade ago after surviving a near-fatal illness and navigating the unexpected loss of multiple close family members. Paige, an Usui and Karuna Ki Reiki Master/Teacher, Emotional Freedom Tapping Specialist, and Therapeutic Healing Touch Specialist, found her calling through western medicine and holistic energy healings. She is currently working towards being master certified in Compassionate Inquiry with Dr. Gabor Mate. Certified as a Death Doula and End of Life educator, Paige offers compassionate support for those facing trauma, grief, and heavy emotions through holistic modalities.

Paige actively volunteers with Rainbow Hospice and holds certifications from the Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference and National Teaching Transitions. She is a Reiki Master/Teacher certified through Om Sweet Om and Aimee Pleger, EFT Tapping certified through EFT International, Therapeutic Touch certified through Therapeutic Touch International Association, and Certified in Peri and Post Natal Pregnancy Loss.​

Lara Brajkovic, Vocalist, Folk Dancer

*Offering Musical Accompaniment During Various Sessions

Lara Brajkovic is a vocalist with a background in Serbian folk dancing and singing. She is a member of the Chant Claire Choir of Milwaukee and was honored to perform Serbian folk music as part of a small ensemble for the Sister City Ceremony between Milwaukee and the city of Kragujevac, Serbia, earlier this year. Lara believes in the power of community singing and is thrilled to support the Soul Sanctuary troupe in song at her third Blue Ox Festival!