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"I have been so impressed with the quality of teaching and the material being taught. I have enjoyed our teachers—they all have brought so much to us, insight of what they know, passion for what they are doing and wisdom. Each one has been so approachable and has been great about sharing their journey so far and careful to explain that the journey of life and learning is ongoing—
we never fully know everything."—Dee T.
Namasté Institute's programs are taught by experienced faculty members who combine their philosophies of holistic health, personal growth, and compassionate service. Wise, humble, and dedicated, these remarkable teachers have been specifically selected for their knowledge, authenticity, and experience. In the classes and during training, the students will receive personalized and caring attention, fostering the development of unique styles of bodywork and teaching.
This page introduces you to our Core Faculty.
Throughout your training you will also be introduced to the expertise of a variety of other faculty in order to broaden your knowledge
base of self, others, and life. All of our faculty at Namasté Institute invite you to experience an education that will
help you transform your visions and dreams into a living reality!
To learn more about the Namasté pedagogy you can visit: the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society
John Dewey Progressive Education
Five Wisdoms Institute
Mindfulness in Education
Interdisciplinary Learning
Sheena Gillespie, B.A. Education & Human Development, L.M.T, R.Y.T.
Sheena is the founder of Namasté Institute and is dedicated to making Namasté Institute a place where students are supported in the process of learning, personal growth, and transformation. Over the past fifteen years, initially provoked by living with physical illness for many years in addition to a severe injury to her spine, Sheena has studied in a variety of areas such as human potential, body-oriented psychotherapy, alternative medicine, eastern bodywork, philosophy, metaphysics, shamanism, and advanced anatomy. This study has led to transformative healing for her, which has allowed her to acquire valuable knowledge and wisdom about the body on all levels - physical, psychological and spiritual. Sheena has been practicing bodywork for nearly a decade and Yoga for over a decade and continues to study Eastern and Western systems of Philosophy, Ethics, and Religion. She is fascinated with the wisdom contained within these systems and how they may be grounded into a universal philosophy for the sincere betterment of self and society. Sheena holds a B.A. degree in Education and Human Development and is currently pursuing a J.D. degree through New England Law where she is studying international law and human rights. Sheena is a certified mediator in the Transformative Mediation framework and is also a volunteer with Restorative Justice through The Restorative Justice Project of the Midcoast. Sheena continues to enjoy her commitment to teaching in a variety of courses and programs at Namasté Institute.
 Nicole Magnan Caruso, M.Ed., C.Y.T. Nicole is a certified yoga teacher—trained in Sivananda-style yoga through a Yoga Alliance endorsed course of study. She has been teaching a variety of populations in a multitude of settings for approximately eight years and is passionately committed to helping individuals develop a deeper understanding of and connection to themselves, others and the natural world. Her passion for the outdoors began at an early age—having grown up in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey surrounded by scrubby pines, wild blueberries and the windblown shores of the Atlantic Ocean. This passion has guided her professional path—first, as a fundraiser for eco-minded political candidates running for local, state and congressional offices and, later, as an outdoor educator and yoga teacher. She has led trail crew for the Student Conservation Association in Glacier National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, White Mountain National Forest and on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. Nicole holds a master’s degree with an emphasis in Outdoor Education, has served on faculty in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University and has co-authored a textbook for college level yoga courses. She currently serves as Associate Director of Campus Life and Director of Outdoor Campus Life at Colby College in Maine. Inspiration, empowerment and transformation have been at the heart of her life’s work whether on the mat or in the mountains. Nicole teaches at the Namasté Institute School of Yoga.
Dr. Kerri Vacher Dr. Kerri Vacher is board certified at the national level and licensed to practice Naturopathic Medicine in the state of Maine. She received her Doctorate of Natural Medicine from the Nation's leading Naturopathic Medical Institution- Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. She completed a residency in a multidisciplinary primary care facility working with Naturopaths, as well as, Doctors of Chiropractic medicine, Licensed Acupuncturists, Midwives, Massage Therapists and Herbalists. Most recently, she moved here from Seattle where she was practicing in another multidisciplinary clinic. Dr. Vacher has a passion for helping people in all phases of their life and health. She believes that health is a product of the environment that we live in- physical, emotional and spiritual and sees herself as a doctor and health coach committed to guiding others on their journey to optimal health.
Dr. Vacher sees her profession as a calling and believes that she has always been and will always be a doctor (derived from the word docere- teacher). Dr. Vacher lost sight of her dream for a short time after the loss of her mother to cancer when she was in college. Hurting from the loss of her mother and disillusioned by the only system of medicine she was aware of at the time, she worried she could not help others so she dedicated her life to healing the planet which is her other passion. Dr. Vacher earned a bachelor and master of science degree in ecology and worked for a land trust preserving open space and converting empty city lots into community gardens in Providence RI before attending Bastyr University's Naturopathic Medical Program.
Growing up in Massachusetts, Dr. Vacher was not exposed to Naturopathic medicine until after she finished her masters degree in plant ecology. Dr. Vacher has found Naturopathic Medicine to be a perfect combination of her love of the planet and people because of the importance of a healthy environment in creating healthy people and families. Dr. Vacher teaches at the Namasté Institute School of Massage.
Erika Manning, B.F.A., L.M.T., R.Y.T. Because she has experienced several major health issues, Erika Manning firmly believes that anyone can practice yoga. She knows that a person doesn’t need to be flexible, fit, strong or young to achieve the benefits, and all that is necessary to practice is a strong commitment to growth. Erika teaches public and private yoga classes, as well as practices massage and polarity therapy. Erika also teaches expressive arts workshops throughout Maine. She holds degrees and certificates from the Art Institute of Boston MA, Polarity Realization Institute in Portland ME, and Namaste Institute in Rockland ME. Erika believes that teaching is to serve society and a student’s individual needs instead of promoting a particular system. While working to facilitate change, Erika creates a safe space and gently encourages and supports others so they may access their deepest potential. Erika teaches at the Namasté Institute School of Yoga and School of Massage.
Rachel Guthrie, M.Ed.
Rachel Guthrie is a Full time Professor at Southern Maine Community College, where along with yoga, she teaches classes in Communications and New Media. She has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years, and received her certification at Namasté Institute in Rockland, Maine, endorsed by the National Yoga Alliance. Her personal practices have included Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Iyengar and Kripalu yoga. Rachel’s strong bond with her sister, Courtenay Cato (a certified yoga instructor in British Columbia) inspired her to become more active in the healing power of yoga, and together with Courtenay, they developed a personal routine that allows for improved range of motion and significant contributions in the treatment of arthritis and osteoporosis. Rachel is most interested in a practice that nurtures compassion and promotes a lifelong path toward health and happiness. Rachel teaches at the Namasté Institute School of Yoga.
Holly Noonan Holly Noonan is a graduate from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. She is a certified Holistic Health Counselor. Holly draws on a background of successfully overcoming various life challenges. In her quest for personal growth, she worked her way around the world for 6 years, living in France, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China and Nepal. Her health challenges began while she was traveling in Asia with numerous gastrointestinal adventures. This led to years of repressed immune function and therefore a steep learning curve about healing with food. Holly believes that the clarity of mind that comes from eating well heals our relationships as well as our bodies, and helps us move forward in our lives to fulfill our potential. She enjoys exploring with people how they can discover and live according to their constitution and thereby feel more connected to natural cycles and to the people in their lives. Holly lives in Camden with her son and her really cool dog. She enjoys gardening, traveling, writing, parenting, hiking, reading and sometimes even cooking. Holly teaches at the Namasté Institute School of Massage.
Gretchen Heilman, MS, CHHC Gretchen Heilman is a Holistic Health Counselor, Clinical Herbalist and founder of Alive and Awake Healing Arts. She is a graduate of the Professional Training Program at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York where she studied with leaders in health and wellness such as Joshua Rosenthal, Annemarie Colbin, Sally Fallon, and Paul Pitchford. Gretchen also earned a Master’s of Science in Herbal Medicine from The Tai Sophia Institute for the Healing Arts in Laurel, Maryland, where she studied with leading herbalists such as Aviva Romm, Isla Burgess, Kevin Spelman, James Snow, and Jim Duke. Her practice is influenced by a love of nature, beauty, and respect for all living things and healing herself from sugar addiction, allergies, and a painful illness. A ”masterful coach” with an “infectious enthusiasm for life,” Gretchen works with individuals, couples, and organizations, both locally in person and nationally through tele-conference, sharing the practical wisdom of healing with food, herbs, and healthy lifestyle. She is a dynamic public speaker, educator, coach, and consultant with a commitment to making a difference. Gretchen teaches at the Namasté Institute School of Massage.
Karen Searls, NCBTMB
Karen Searls has been a bodywork/energywork practitioner since 1996. Her basic bodywork training was in shiatsu with Ohashi, a Japanese healer. She expanded her studies to include anatomy/physiology/pathology, neurosomatic bodywork and authentic communication. Ms. Searls began her study of Jin Shin Jyutsu in 2001, became a certified practitioner in 2003 and a certified teacher of Jin Shin Jyutsu self-help in 2006. She is nationally certified through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. For her self-help classes, she is an approved provider of nursing CE credits through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Concurrently with Jin Shin Jyutsu, Ms. Searls began her study of the teachings of Eckhart Tolle and other contemporary spiritual teachers. Practicing presence is an integral part of her work and her life. Karen teaches at the Namasté Institute School of Massage.
Penelope Ray, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.
Penelope received her Masters in Social Work from Smith College in 1974 and gained valuable experience at Massachusetts General Hospital and Childrens Hospital Medical Center in Boston. For the past 22 years she has maintained a successful private psychotherapy practice in midcoast Maine. She completed her post-graduate work in Family & Systems Therapy at the Center for Awareness of Pattern, and also has training in hypnosis and EMDR. Fascinated by the mind-body connection, she is a trained bodyworker, having studied over the past 15 years with Rosalyn Bruyere, Mia Beale, and John Harvey Gray. Her own spirituality is a key force in her life. Penelope understands that "you cannot be a guide for someone on a path which is new territory for yourself. My greatest teachers have been my own life experiences, and my intention is to pass on my personal mastery in an effort to help and guide others." Penelope teaches at the Namasté Institute School of Massage.
Lori Rizzuto, B.A., L.M.T
The seen and unseen worlds of nature, prayer, and healing touch have always been an element of Lori's transformations and healings within her body and life. Along with holding a Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Studies in dance and the creative process, Lori has had an established Massage and Shiatsu Therapy Practice for 17 years in which she translates the source of expressive energy from dance—which is "Spirit through Body"—into her healing sessions. Lori has also been certified in Herbal Medicine for over 20 years and has studied a variety of techniques such as Myofascial Release, Zero-Balancing, Strain-Counterstrain, Thai-Massage Therapy, Pregnancy Massage, Doula Massage, Ayurvedic massage, Yoga, Shamanic Healing, and Ecstatic dance, and is currently a student of Chinese Herbal Medicine. Her philosophy is that "healing facilitation and self care go hand in hand and I am dedicated in teaching and educating my clients and students about their particular needs in order to help them understand the body/mind/spirit connection more deeply." Lori teaches at the Namasté Institute School of Shiatsu.
Dee Webster, RS Hom
Dee Webster, CHC has been a homeopathic practitioner for 16 years and was trained in Classical Homeopathy. Homeopathy brings about a deep healing by stimulating the vital force.and our own innate healing. Dee is also a trained Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner and has found this modality to be very complimentary with homeopathy. Jin Shin Jyutsu is an ancient form of healing that harmonizes the body to open blocked flows. When these distinct pathways or flows of energy become blocked, the results can affect our mind, body and spirit. Jin Shin Jyutsu restores balance and releases the causes of both acute and chronic conditions. " We are so fortunate to have all of these healing modalities available to us these days. This provides us all with the opportunity to heal ourselves and in doing so, touch into our deeper essence. To watch this unfolding in someone is always a profound experience ". Dee lives with her husband and has her practice in Camden, Maine along the peaceful Megunticook River. Dee teaches at the Namasté Institute School of Massage.
 Patti Buchanan, L.M.T., R.P.P., R.C.S.T., N.C.T.M.B.
Patti Buchanan is a Registered Craniosacral Therapist, Registered Polarity Practitioner, Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Reiki Master. She has over 1700 hours of training with 15 years experience as a whole body practitioner. Extensive travel to Mexico and Guatemala has greatly influenced her work bringing Mayan shamanistic disciplines into each session. Patti is an active educator, has led and assisted training programs, seminars and public presentations.
Her skills are combined to provide a unique and varied program for each person. This comprehensive approach also draws on principles of meditation, metaphysics and uses the elements of sound and color to balance the body. Optimal health and personal empowerment for each individual is the ultimate goal of the work. She believes health is an ever evolving state of being that everyone can actively participate in. As a facilitator, her role is to assist in connecting an individual to their own health. Patti teaches the introductory course to Craniosacral Therapy. Patti teaches at the Namasté Institute School of Massage.
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