Luminous Teachers & Team
LAI Faculty and Guest Teachers
Read about the background, experience, and perspectives of Luminous Awareness Institute faculty and teachers.
Anna-Lisa Adelberg | Lorraine DeLear
Kristen Greco | Ethan J. Henson |
Mark Palmer | Ilarion Merculieff
Michael J. Gelb
Anna-Lisa Adelberg
Founder & Lead Facilitator of the Luminous Awareness Institute
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Anna-Lisa Adelberg is an internationally renowned teacher, and healer. She is the founder of the Luminous Awareness Institute and has supported thousands of students and clients on the path of awakening.
She is a pioneer in integrating a contemporary nondual path with a healing path. At Luminous Awareness Institute she has developed and teaches a groundbreaking system, synthesized over 25 years that supports the realization of the essential being of who we already are, with practices and inner technologies from a wide variety of sources; Tibetan Buddhism, developmental psychology, neurophysiology, Chi Gong, and subtle energy.
She is dedicated to creating a world of wakefulness, attunement, care and liberation for all beings.
Anna-Lisa Adelberg is well known for her capacity to articulate and transmit about awareness, the mechanics of subtle phenomena and her uncanny ability, to as her students say, "know what's going on inside of me." She is sought after and has guided some of the world's most renowned leaders, healers, and spiritual teachers.
She was a personal student of Chi Qong Master Yoo and studied with Dzogchen Master Lama Tharchin Rinpoche and, as well other teachers in Meditative paths, Somatics, and Subtle Energy.
For the past 30 years Lorraine has cultivated embodiment of the soft underbelly, or felt sense. Her view has been informed through a diversity of mentorships and her direct experiences of the conjoined inner and outer worlds. This way of embodiment has allowed her to explore, discover and deepen into intimate relationship within the many territories in our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. Her experiences have given her the unique understandings necessary to bridge conflicting paradigms and to synthesize new ways of identifying unique abilities and ways of perceiving.
In her explorations, Lorraine is blessed to have worked and studied both formally and informally with gifted teachers, scientists, healers and sages. Some highlights include: 10 year shaman apprenticeship with ethnobotanicals, 4 year mentorship with research scientist Dr. George T.F. Yao in Eastern and Western bodywork modalities, Doctorate in Philosophy in Healing Science through the Victoria Merkle Center of Energy Medicine, and Initiation into Yemanja in the Yoruba tradition under the tutelage of Chief Iya Nalfa Efunyale (Mother Taylor).
Lorraine carries the wisdom that we as individuals are magnificent beyond what we know and understand ourselves to be; that as we claim and stand in our majesty, and acknowledge the divine mystery that holds us all, we co-create a better world for ourselves, each other and affect all life on our planet.
Kristen Greco
Adjunct Faculty, Neuro-physiology, Somatics and Trauma Specialist
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Kristen’s passion is supporting people with a history of trauma to unwind its effects and come into a present felt sense of embodiment, choice, and aliveness. She believes the more we come out of survival mode, intentionally connecting with our innate wisdom, the more we can choose to love and live with a personal and collective purpose.
Kristen’s role at LAI is integrating her innovative research in neuro-physiology, somatics, and trauma resolution into the curriculum. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner ® along with an Advanced Bodyworker & Advanced Luminous Practitioner. She has a background in OrthoBionomy ®, CranioSacral Therapy, and Neuromuscular Reprogramming. She is also an artist, activist, and mother.
As a bodyworker and somatic therapist for the past 17 years, Kristen has developed a unique hybrid of therapeutic work that integrates the energetic, physiological, and psycho-somatic layers of the individual. Her private practice is based in Oakland, CA. She teaches workshops nationally and internationally in somatics, trauma resolution, and contemporary dance.
Ethan J. Henson
Adjunct Faculty, CEO and Awakened Relationship Teacher for Holographic Flow
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At the early age of 20, Ethan J. Henson had a near death experience that shifted his consciousness and began a spiritual awakening. Along with new levels of awareness, the near death experience opened his ability to see the Human Energy Field. This capacity to both see and work with the Human Energy Field grew through intensive training and private mentorship with Reverend Lemuria Torling (a 3rd Generation Psychic Healer) for over 15 years.
For the past 18 years, Ethan has taught Advanced Psychic Development, Spiritual Healing, and the Infinite Way, a non-dual meditative and healing practice originally transmitted by Joel S. Goldsmith. Along with a 20 year meditation practice and many hours of observing the Human Energy Field between couples in Relationship, Ethan also trained in Advanced Taoist Sexual Nei Gong and Kundalini Yoga. The integration of all these approaches inspired the foundation of his work which brings the Masculine and Feminine into relational harmony. He teaches that Relationship is a path of Spiritual Awakening.
Ilarion (Larry) ‘Kuuyux’ Merculieff has decades of experience serving his people, the Unangan (Aleuts) of the Pribilof Islands and other indigenous peoples in a number of capacities—locally, statewide, nationally and internationally. For his entire career, Merculieff has been a passionate advocate for indigenous rights/wisdom, and harmonious relationship with the Earth Mother. His reach has been broad and varied.
Close to Merculieff’s heart are issues related to cultural and community wellness, traditional ways of living, Elder wisdom, climate change and the environment. Having had a traditional upbringing, Merculieff has been, and continues to be, a strong voice and activist calling for the meaningful application of traditional knowledge and wisdom obtained from Elders in Alaska and throughout the world in dealing with modern day challenges. He founded and currently heads the Global Center for Indigenous Leadership and Lifeways, and is a chief consultant and member in several other board councils. His present work revolves much around the council of Elders he co-founded, called the Wisdom Weavers of the World, (https://www.wisdomweavers.world/) to bring the messages of Elders from throughout the world to global attention.
With a solid background as a community, business and environmental leader, Ilarion’s later years reflect both this lifelong career path as well as the fulfilment of his cultural role as Kuuyux, or traditional messenger for the Unangan people.
Michael J. Gelb is a leading authority on the application of genius thinking to personal and organizational development as well as a gifted teacher of Tai Chi and Qigong and is the originator of the acclaimed Super Qi Summit at The Omega Institute.
Combining ancient wisdom with contemporary neuroscience, Michael brings together the best of East and West for the experience of more energy, joy and happiness in daily life. Drawing on more than 40 years study of the Alexander Technique, aikido, qigong, tai chi, and meditation, Michael teaches what he practices and practices what he teaches.
Mark Palmer is a thought leader, author, consultant, and entrepreneur specializing in leadership and organizational change management, strategic performance, and workforce solutions innovation. He's the co-founder of Hire Direction, a data-driven staffing solutions provider, and LaborGenome talent alignment mapping technology.
Mark is a Principal with Metcalf & Associates, Inc., focused on leadership development coaching, team building, and organizational effectiveness. He is also a founding member and facilitator for the Integral Institute, an international think-tank created to combine progressive organizational research with practical applications in both the public and private sectors.
Mark is the creator of the Position Success Indicator (PSI) and co-creator of DEV:Q applied talent performance metrics. He has over 20 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies in strategic alignment, team development, market research, and data analysis.
