ORIGINAL MEDICINE

Melissa Michaels, Ed.D., Soul midwife, educator, and artist, Melissa is the Founder/Director of Golden Bridge and Golden Girls Global — two not-for-profit initiatives dedicated to improving and empowering the lives of diverse people through body-centered initiatory experiences, mentoring, and community action. Her body of work includes the book, Youth on Fire: Birthing a Generation of Embodied Global Leaders; online moving journeys, including Thresholds; as well as her video narratives of resilient people and communities mobilizing around the world. Melissa’s award-winning film, Twisted Gift shares her dancing journey through late-stage ovarian cancer into health.

For the past 35 years, Melissa has been creating movement-based, cross-cultural educational opportunities to unleash the potential that is available at major life transitions. Her work somatically supports people as they navigate through the narrow passageways of these challenging times. This body of work grew from her decades of guiding diverse young people from self to soul to service through dance-based rites of passage experiences. More than 60 of these young people are now certified SomaSource leaders — activists, artists, healers, and educators — creating new ways to work within some of the most marginalized communities around the world.

Melissa is devoted to our collective sustainability through the liberation of the creative spirit.

Arlyn Deva Alderdice
Arlyn is a life coach, dance facilitator, musician, teacher, backpacking trip leader, gardener, and mother.

Arlyn is on the path to graduate from Martha Beck’s Wayfinder Life Coach training in 2023. She is a new addition to the SomaSource Leadership group but her work is rooted in 20 + years of dancing in and out of the circle with Melissa Michaels, including being on the art team for the first Surfing the Creative at the Starhouse as well as being on the musical team for the recent Shakti Sisterhood gatherings.

Arlyn is also a graduate of Matrix Leadership Institute’s Facilitator Training and earned her B.A. in Expressive Arts through Prescott College (with an emphasis on leadership and healing). She completed a 9-day School for The Work of Byron Katie and loves the way that properly used thought-work can support somatic work. She has studied herbalism with Alicia Michaelson and drumming with David Alderdice. She gardens, ferments, and makes medicine with the seasons. She loves to backpack and help others explore the wilderness. She plays cajon with an all-female quartet, Mama Lingua, and leads regular dance practices in Western Colorado.

arlynalderdice.com and embodyingrhythm.com