Our Instructors

Shankari Arcot - Nutrition

Shankari Arcot was born and raised in India. She has fond memories of her mother making all of their food from scratch and when Shankari moved to the states, she continued to have a deep love for her moms cooking and became passionate about learning how to make the dishes she grew up eating so she could share them with friends and family. Shankari’s proudest moment was winning the Iron Chef competition at the California State Fair. For the past fifteen years, Shankari has been teaching classes at Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, as well as giving guest lectures to the culinary students at The American River College, teaching global cooking to homeschooling families, private in person lessons and team building classes for corporations like HP, Health net, Global NTT, United Fire Group and more. You can learn more about her on her website sacramentospice.com

Alison Clement - Sound Bath

Alison Clement has offered sound baths and stress reduction sessions to cancer patients and their caregivers since 2018 with Images of Hope in El Dorado County. She is excited to now bring this to Wellness Within. The common threads throughout her work have been nature and wellness. She enjoyed a career as a librarian, most recently for 10 years as Community Health Librarian with Marshall Medical Center. She began learning Reiki in 2002, qualified at the Reiki Master level in 2004, and was certified in Sound Healing in 2016. She volunteered as a docent for American River Conservancy for 10 years and is currently a trail docent at the Maidu Museum and Historic Site in Roseville. She received a BA in Psychology at CSUS, and her Master’s degree in Library Science at UC Berkeley

John Brewer - Qigong

John has been studying and practicing qigong for ten years and teaching for the past five. He is a lifelong educator, versed in making learning effective and fun. He creates a safe, engaging environment through his practice of compassionate communication and empathy. John emphasizes safety and accessibility, teaching modifications based on what is workable for class participants. Almost everything he teaches can be done sitting as well as standing.

John is a lover of music and poetry. He enjoys spreading the Qi (“Chi”) through verse and he begins each class with a positive-themed song, which is used to begin movement and sharing. 

John has been trained in, and will draw from, two systems: Wisdom Healing Qigong with Master Mingtong Gu, and Integral Qigong with Roger Jahnke. Should you wish to explore these two very compatible paths you are invited to examine the following websites:  www.chicenter.com or www.instituteofintegralqigongandtaichi.org  He is honored to offer qigong instruction at Wellness Within and looks forward to serving those who are interested in giving qigong a try.

Leah Gieson - YogA

During her treatment for breast cancer, Leah was inspired by the book Radical Hope, by Kelly A. Turner, who writes about the ten key healing factors that are common to those who experience what doctors call a “radical remission” from severe cases of cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Most strikingly, seven of the ten healing factors are not physical; they are spiritual, emotional and social.

Leah turned to yoga during her healing journey, benefiting from yoga therapy classes and retreats.  After her cancer treatment concluded, Leah completed a 200-hour trauma-informed yoga teacher training and is inspired to share the practices of yoga to support others who are experiencing cancer.

Gina Grice - Certified Therapeutic Art & Wellness Coach

Education and Work: Gina Grice is a Registered Nurse, Certified Therapeutic Art & Wellness Coach and teaching artist at Baya Bird Studio. She received her degree in Nursing also taking classes towards a degree in Fine Art and Pre-Architecture.  She completed her certification in Professional Coaching for Life through UC Davis and is a member of the International Coaching Federation.  Most recently she completed her certification in Social Emotional Arts through the Healing Arts program at UCLA. Gina has been teaching art for 13 years at various schools, galleries and through Baya Bird Studio.  Art journaling plays a major role in her approach to therapeutic art, showing clients how to process emotions through creatively making journals and artwork using watercolor backgrounds, mark making techniques and mixed media collage.   Gina is an avid supporter of the arts in her local community. She has worked with the Art League of Lincoln as a teaching artist and with their Prop 28 program.  Volunteering with the Arts Council of Placer County and Blue Line Arts. Currently she teaches K-12 Art and Life Skills at Pine Hills Academy in Auburn and at Sun City Lincoln Hills. 

Artwork: In 2025 my show, “Unveiled: The Art of Healing”, was featured in the gallery at the Art League of Lincoln.  I create abstract watercolor and ink paintings that show my process of working through the pains of my past.  My artwork is a testament to the transforming action of using colors, mark-making and poetry to process my emotions.  It has played an important part of my healing journey in becoming who I am today.

Kristin Kozlowski MA, LMFT - Coping with A Cancer Diagnosis

Kristin Kozlowski is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice and is a 13 year cancer survivor/thriver. Diagnosed in 2009 with breast cancer, her passion has been in helping those diagnosed with cancer create and navigate their own healing journey. She believes even though we may experience the same or similar diagnosis as someone else, our journeys are unique. She finds joy in spending time with her family, friends and travelling.

Iram Khan - Yoga & irest®

Iram is an iRest® instructor and a registered yoga teacher.

Iram loves to teach iRest classes to people who are suffering from insomnia, anxiety and stress. Living a busy life herself, she once wondered how, in today’s hectic world, does one find and achieve deep relaxation when it is needed most? The answer came to her when she personally experienced and benefited from iRest/yoga Nidra. That led her to explore and study this meditative practice of conscious sleep. She has come to the conclusion that if we can unwind our mind, we can heal our body.

Iram loves to spend time with her family and friends. She loves animals, nature, camping and hiking. She listens to world music and likes to travel, explore and appreciate diverse cultures. Her favorite words are “breathe, relax, smile and enjoy….”

Annie Mascorro, RN, AMFT - Survivorship, Support Circles, Poetry, Forest Therapy

Annie Mascorro received her M.F.A. in poetry from The University of Montana, her B.S. in nursing from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, as well as her M.S. at Sacramento State University and is now an Associate Therapist. She has also studied poetry therapy through the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy and attended the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Poetry workshop. Her poems have been widely published. She worked as a psychiatric nurse for the 11 years, incorporating poetry into her work with patients and facilitating poetry workshops in hospitals and clinics. A former psych nurse turned therapist and certified Forest Therapy Guide, her background helps create a supportive, nurturing, and energetic atmosphere in the variety of classes that she offers at Wellness Within.

Julie Reed - Art

Julie Reed started The Curious Brush in 2016 to encourage students to explore art, experiment with different materials, and create in new ways. The experience matters as much as the masterpiece! She's an encourager of first attempts and second tries, and believes the very process of creating helps people relax, express emotion, solve problems, and feel brave and successful. She teaches at her art studio in Folsom and at local schools, and in 2022 she became a cancer survivor.

Elizabeth Silva - Zentangle

Elizabeth lives locally in Roseville, and she became a CZT(Certified Zentangle Teacher) in 2019.  Zentangle is a meditative form of art done one stroke at a time, and allows ANYONE to create art with confidence and calmness and requires very few tools, very little space, and an open mind. Zentangle has gotten her through some very tough times in the last several years just by being able to center herself and draw. According to Elizabeth, "anything is possible one stroke at a time, and every mistake is an opportunity."

Nandi Szabo, M.A. BCDMT - Expressive Therapy Group

Nandi Szabo, M.A., is a Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist (BCDMT) and a master's level clinician in Expressive Art Therapies. With over two decades of experience, Nandi has been facilitating groups with Sutter Health since 1997. Her expertise in expressive therapies makes her an invaluable guide for those looking to explore creative healing methods. Nandi is also the Co-Founder of Full Circle of Living and Dying and has taught a variety of classes at Sacramento City College, such as "The Psychology of Creativity." She practices the creative art of living, centering her approach on empathy, unconditional support, and fostering a deep connection between body, mind, and spirit.

Jan Webb - Meditation

Jan has worked the past 20 years in the health and wellness field. She holds a certification from U.C. Berkeley in the Power of Awareness taught by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, two leading authorities in the subject of meditation. She enjoys continuing her education in meditation and mindfulness and as a result she holds certifications from the National Institute of Whole Health (NIWH), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), and UCLA Mindfulness Education Mindful Awareness Research Center. Jan is certified as a Chair Yoga instructor, as well a Level 1 iRest teacher, certified by the Institute of Integrative Restoration in San Rafael. 

Jan has experienced the fear that a cancer diagnosis causes, not just with herself and her family, but also with her clientele. She has personally experienced the benefits of meditation and self-exploration. as well as teaching meditation and chair yoga in Roseville, CA. Jan believes the practice of meditation plays a crucial role in understanding ourselves, which enables us to live healthier and happier lives.