“The greatest privilege of a human life is to become a midwife to the awakening of the soul in another person.”

- PLATO

Our Background

We are educators and ceremonialists trained in soul-centric human development, Rites of Passage, wilderness education, and most importantly are deeply blessed to be guided by the wisdom of our elders who have walked before us in this work.

  • Johannah is a soulcentric educator, ceremonialist, teen mentor, and an artist of many trades. Trained as a Waldorf teacher, Johannah has been working with children of all ages for over 20 years and holds a particular passion for tweens/teens striving to meet their developmental needs for mentorship and initiation in a culture that has forgotten how to do so. An apprentice of visionaries: Sage Hamilton and Melissa Michaels of SOMA Source, Johannah has worked for many years as a Waldorf teacher under the guidance of her elder Sage, and as an embodied leader for international youth in movement based Rites of Passage with Golden Bridge & Golden Girls Global.

  • Sage has been devoted to cultivating a soulcentric community through education and the expressive arts for over four decades. A true elder and wise woman, her embrace and vision is wide. Sage is our deepest resource for the work we do with our children.

    A deeply seasoned educator from both the public school and Waldorf world, she now runs her own homeschool program inspired by Nature’s “Wheel of the Year” curriculum and the healing power of theater and the expressive arts. Sage has been facilitating women’s group, and previously girls groups for over 20 years to provide opportunities for women and girls to to know herself better thus cultivating skillful means at conflict resolution and right relationship with others and the world.

  • Meagan is an expressive arts educator, and performance artist. She has travelled the world pursuing her interests in music, movement, and service to community and the next generation of youth. Her studies and experience include Estill Voice Training™, Jazz, Western Classical, Pop, Spanish Flamenco, Arabic, and many other styles of ethnic music. Her other intensive studies have been in theater, playwriting, and various martial art forms. Meagan has studied Rites of Passage with Melissa Michaels and is certified through Soma Source®. She is also a professional performer and recording artist, and mama to baby Rigel.

  • Bettina Straub (she/her) is a creative and rooted rites of passage and nature guide with the School of Lost Borders and Naropa University. She is a trained mental health counselor, mindfulness Instructor and certified Wilderness First Responder.

    Originally from Germany, her deep connection to the ancestral land and initiatory practices was cultivated during her own Rite of passage into young adulthood. Many years later she calls Colorado home, weaving empowerment, gender expansiveness and creativity into her work with teens and young women, supporting them to navigate a modern landscape that can be confusing and disorienting.

  • A waldorf teacher, wilderness skills extraordinaire, mother to Sage and River, Liz is a deeply connected and loving educator.

  • Sara June has been teaching for 7 years in both indoor and outdoor settings. She is certified as an Assistant Teacher through the Colorado Office of Early Childhood and studied Early Childhood Development and Psychology at Fairfield University. Sara draws from her connection to nature to teach through reverence, resilience, and observation of being in the elements. Sara June is trained by the Forest School Institute and is a lead teacher at Folk Farm. Her focus is on seasonal earth stewardship and she seeks to uplift the instinctual wisdom of each individual child. Her teaching style is inspired by Waldorf education, Reggio Emilia approach, and child-led learning.

  • Raina was born in Boulder and has lived here her whole life. She went to Shining Mountain Waldorf School from kindergarten until 8th grade, and jumped around from Niwot High to Watershed School where she is a senior now.

    A Girls Group initiate of 6 years, Raina enjoys cooking, creating deep relationships, traveling, swimming in the ocean, and art. She is super excited to be assisting Johannah in the 4th grade Girls Group so she can continue to learn new leadership skills and grow as a woman.

  • Reiley is Wakeful Nature’s current intern. She is a somatic psychology student at Naropa University. Also an esthetician, yoga instructor, and eating disorder peer support group leader, Reiley is passionate about exploring how movement and embodiment rituals can provide fertile ground for healing and transformation. 

  • Chaaya joined the very first girls group in the 4th grade and recently closed that chapter after 8 years together. Currently, she is a senior at Boulder High and looking forward to taking a gap year to explore different parts of the world. She is deeply grateful to have the opportunity to get to know a new generation of girls group, and be apart of their coming of age stories.

Gratitude for Our Teachers:

We bow deeply with our hearts full of gratitude for the wisdom and sparks of inspiration that have deeply informed our work from our mentors, teachers, and wisdom holders:

Sage Hamilton - Gateway Apprenticeship

Stephen Jenkinson - The Orphan Wisdom School

Melissa Michaels - SOMA Source & Golden Bridge

Bill Plotkin - Animas Valley Institute

Jon Young - 8 Shields

School of Lost Borders

Joanna Macy

Rudolf Steiner