Meet Our Speakers

Jason is a family man. He lives on the southern shore of Lake Michigan in the Miller Beach Community with his wife and two children. He has worked in the mental health field for over 20 years.
Jason has cared for, taught, shared with, and deeply listened to children, adolescents, couples, families, and individual adults and elderly during crisis, growth, and change. He has worked in community counseling centers, community corrections, county jails, nursing homes, and psychiatric hospitals, providing thoughtful and appropriate therapies for each population. In Private Practice for over 10 years, he also founded the Monday Meditation Group in West Lafayette, IN in addition to teaching mindfulness workshops in Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. Jason uses his training in Zen Buddhism, Hakomi Body Centered Psychotherapy, Tibetan Buddhism, Qigong, Yoga, and more to meet his clients and group sessions in the moment with creativity, humor, and practical everyday techniques for self care. Find more at: www.jasonkniola.com

Gina Slager is, first and foremost, the mother of two sons, Benjamin and Henry, and daughter Fiona. An expert on issues of self-esteem and authentic self, Gina is a certified yoga teacher, self-empowerment coach, singer and songwriter. She has worked with children, tweens, teens, women, men, prenatal and postnatal women for over 18 years. She is dedicated to serving humanity with unconditional love and kindness, creating safe places for people to express their true self with confidence and deep joy. Gina is a certified meditation teacher and trained for 9 months at the Temple of Kriya Yoga, in 1999, Gina has been teaching yoga since 2000 and completed her 200 hour Teaching Training Certification in May 2000 from the Temple of Kriya Yoga, In May, 2003, Gina completed her 200 hour Teacher Training Certification at Spirit Rising Kundalini Yoga. Gina is a certified Feminine Embodiment Coach and trained through the Awakening Women's Institute in 2015. She is a certified Reiki Practioner, and trained hypnotherapist 2013. She created a program for children ages 2-5 called Gina Marie's Singsong and Yoga for Children, and is the owner of TruSelf Empowerment, were she coaches Women and pre-teen and teen girls to live their highest potential. Find more at: www.ginaslager.com

Gina Slager is, first and foremost, the mother of two sons, Benjamin and Henry, and daughter Fiona. An expert on issues of self-esteem and authentic self, Gina is a certified yoga teacher, self-empowerment coach, singer and songwriter. She has worked with children, tweens, teens, women, men, prenatal and postnatal women for over 18 years. She is dedicated to serving humanity with unconditional love and kindness, creating safe places for people to express their true self with confidence and deep joy. Gina is a certified meditation teacher and trained for 9 months at the Temple of Kriya Yoga, in 1999, Gina has been teaching yoga since 2000 and completed her 200 hour Teaching Training Certification in May 2000 from the Temple of Kriya Yoga, In May, 2003, Gina completed her 200 hour Teacher Training Certification at Spirit Rising Kundalini Yoga. Gina is a certified Feminine Embodiment Coach and trained through the Awakening Women's Institute in 2015. She is a certified Reiki Practioner, and trained hypnotherapist 2013. She created a program for children ages 2-5 called Gina Marie's Singsong and Yoga for Children, and is the owner of TruSelf Empowerment, were she coaches Women and pre-teen and teen girls to live their highest potential. Find more at: http://www.ginaslager.com

Patti is a woman of many and varied talents who has spent over 30 years in the Performing Arts as an Award Winning Singer/Songwriter, Actress, Director and Vocal Coach. She studied Improvisational Singing with Bobby McFerrin and with Rhiannon in the Master Class ‘All The Way In’. Patti has a deep appreciation for the power of the human voice. She firmly believes “If you can speak, you can sing.” As a Vocal Mentor she delights in guiding her students to discovering and connecting with their natural voice. She has worked with individuals and groups of many ages and backgrounds helping them to learn the secrets of a commanding stage presence whether the audience is a theater full of strangers, a boardroom an audition or communicating clearly with loved ones.
In 2016 her song ‘Blessings’ won 1st Place in The Great American Song Contest. Her other recordings include the CDs: “Everything Changes - again”, “The Light in Your Eyes” and “A Dervish Heart”
Patti is also certified to teach Zentangle®, a meditative drawing method and she is a Certified Hypnotherapist focusing on Stress Reduction and Mindfulness through Guided Imagery Meditation and is an effective Creativity Coach, leading people out of the limiting belief of "I'm not creative!" and into self-expression and the vitality of play.
Find Patti’s music at www.jazzdakini.com and her Creativity Coaching at www.pattishaffner.com

Pathways to Empowerment Speaker's Forum

March 25th, 2017 

10am to 2pm CST

Location: The Memorial Opera House - Valparaiso, Indiana

Five Speakers will present information on programs and classes and offer take home, useable knowledge on the use of Meditation as Therapeutic Intervention, Life Coaching Empowerment Programs, Qi Gong for Health and Vocal Empowerment

a short Gong Immersion Group Experience will close the event and leave the participants feeling relaxed and ready to go into the rest of their day refreshed!

$25 event fee - Group fee $20 for a group of 5 or more
Tickets available at: https://tickets.mohlive.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=245

David Cowan, RN - Compassionate, Humorous and Innovative in the field of Body Work, Qi Gong and Relaxation
David is a Registered Nurse, Certified Neuromuscular Therapist, Certified Lymphedema Therapist, National Board Certified in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, Certified Holistic Nurse (#698). David is also a Lomi Lomi Massage Practitioner and has been a Certified Chi-Lel Qigong Instructor since 1998. David is a popular Guest Lecturer & Presenter on such topics as Stress-Reduction, Alternative Healing, Mindfulness Meditation, Traditional Bodywork, Complimentary Medicine & Self-Healing. You can learn more about Pahka Dave at his website: www.qiforlife.org or
you may email him directly at zencow1@comcast.net (Your questions, comments and feedback are always welcomed!) —Please follow Pahka Dave’s blog on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com//zencow1

Bonnie has been in the health care field since 1980 working as an RN with a Master of Nursing Degree since 1988. She worked in multiple health care settings as a professor, clinician and wound care specialist but she always believed in preventative/alternative practice and the treatment of the whole person – body, mind and soul.
Bonnie took her first massage class as a young nursing student and fell in love with it! Massage work is a relaxing, spiritual experience for her as well as the client. The transfer of energy is beneficial to both the giver and the receiver. She continues to grow in her knowledge of how the body interacts with the emotional and spiritual side of ourselves. Deep tissue, Reflexology, Trigger Point, Energy fields, Trager, hot stones, aromatherapy, and music have been practiced and incorporated in creating this relaxing and healing experience.
In 1990, she was introduced to the ‘Heal Your Life’ philosophies of Louise Hay and practiced these principles to create a life of happiness, peace, joy, love and prosperity. Loving yourself is the key to healing your life. It is the foundation for positive change. When you truly love and accept yourself, your life can blossom. Her goal is to share these principles with others, becoming a Certified Heal Your Life Teacher and Workshop Leader in 2014 and traveling to Ireland in 2015 to complete her training as a Heal Your Life Coach. Leading workshops and working with individuals through coaching has been a life changing experience for Bonnie and the people who find her. Her life experiences have convinced her of the interaction between our physical, emotional and spiritual self in creating a life that we have chosen to live. Bonnie works with you to help identify the thoughts and beliefs that have created your current life and then guides you in techniques to create the life you want.
As an added aspect to holistic healing, Bonnie has continued to share Nikken products since 1995. These products have created many positive changes in her life. Nikken offers products that focus on healthy body and mind. They have created products to aid sleep and relaxation, improve the quality of air and water, and help recovery from exertion. With diverse offerings from magnetic therapy to nutritional supplements and skin care, Nikken offers you quality tools in the quest to be physically and emotionally happy and healthy.
In addition to practicing holistic health care, Bonnie is a mother of 2 wonderful, adult sons who are her pride and joy! Being a mom has been her greatest challenge and her biggest reward, and what she has enjoyed the most!
On Wings of an Eagle offers a unique blend of services that can help you on your physical, emotional and spiritual journey. Experience Bonnie’s compassionate, intelligent, intuitive, and loving nature as she helps you feel better about life and yourself! Find more at: www.bonniethanos.com