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Instructor Bios
Janel Blackburn
ACBE Doula and Childbirth Educator
Janel is the mother of four magnificent children. She is a doula as well as a childbirth educator. Janel is passionate about empowering families to have beautiful births. Her personal birth experiences include a home birth, a water birth, a birth in a Chilean hospital with a traditional doctor and birth with a certified nurse midwife in a hospital. She has experience teaching high school biology as well as teaching internationally. Gardening, baking, reading, rock-climbing and exploring every inch of the Arkansas Valley are a few things that she enjoys doing with her family. Janel’s favorite movie is Much Ado About Nothing, her favorite book is Les Miserable, her favorite food is anything Indian.
Denise Ackert
Massage Therapist, Yoga Instructor and Doula
Denise has worked in the wellness field for over 20 years as a licensed massage therapist, a wellness consultant, a yoga teacher, and a doula.She began practicing massage therapy in 1986, after training at the Brenneke School of Massage in Seattle, WA. She is nationally certified in massage through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork; insured through the Associated Massage and Bodywork Professionals; and licensed in Colorado and Washington.
She began teaching yoga in 2000 and co-founded the Salida Yoga Center (SYC) in 2004 before passing it on to the current owner. She now teaches yoga classes and workshops at SYC. Denise is a DONA-trained birth doula, working with pregnant women and couples during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. She has attended more than 80 births over the past 10 years.
Heather Pollock-Green
Certified Professional Midwife
Heather is an apprentice-trained CPM in practice since 2004 and primarily serves women choosing home birth. Heather's believes her current midwifery practice was greatly influenced by her experiences as a mother, a childbirth educator, doula, student midwife and apprentice. Heather's BS in Anthropology contributes to her understanding of the rituals of childbirth within the setting of the American culture. Heather participates in ongoing education - Waterbirth, EMT, Birth Emergency Skills Training, etc. She is a founder of Mountain Discovery Charter School in Bryson City, NC and was integral in all parts of the start-up of that school. She holds her job as a mother closest to her heart, and believes her best work remains there with her three "fabulous healthy brilliant kiddos." For Heather and her family, "the foundation of love, trust and connection laid down during all those years of breastfeeding did not wane - gratefully - it only expanded and became more compelling and whole." At the heart of Heather's midwifery practice is this idea, "As I Mother so shall I Midwife."
Himani Ellis
Certified Herbalist and Founder, North Carolina School of Natural Healing
Himani is an herbal practitioner and holistic consultant. She practices the ancient art of Traditional Herbalism through wildcrafting, medicine-making and growing herbs for her family and community. Himani has over 25 years experience offering heart-centered, joyful education in working with the power of nature as support for whole body health and healing.
Living in Salida, CO, Himani serves the greater Chaffee County region and wherever the plants are calling her.