Meet your guides…
Our team
FOUNDER, INTEGRATIVE LIFE COACH, AWARD WINNING AUTHOR
Colleen Avis
Colleen Avis, certified Chopra Life Coach and Ayurveda and Mindfulness Mentor, has spent the last decade guiding clients to create spaces they love to live in - mind, body, and home. She embraces the whole person and believes all our spaces are beautifully intertwined.
Colleen thrives on building connections and communities where everyone is invited to be 100% themselves, develop relationships, and share experiences and stories.
Having experienced her own traumas and childhood abandonment, Colleen spent decades searching for spaces where she felt accepted and could be her true self. Vulnerability and choosing deep connections unlocked those spaces for her; it wasn’t easy!
Now, she passionately focuses on offering sacred spaces where women can step into their true selves, be vulnerable, be supported, and, as a result, build confidence and soar.
Her approach is holistic, unique, non-judgmental and offers an informed perspective. Colleen knows her most powerful tools are the ones she has integrated into her life over the last decade by transforming through her own experiences and openly bringing her life lessons, struggles, and transformative tools to her clients. She is an open book.
She believes everyone is unique, can be empowered through their stories and experiences, and deserves to live joyfully. Colleen knows community is a powerful, divine, and sacred place to begin that journey.
In addition to her Chopra Life Coaching, Ayurveda, and Meditation certifications, Colleen is a Yoga Medicine yoga teacher, integrative NLP practitioner, interior designer, and studying to complete her SOMA Breathe holistic health coach certification.
Colleen is a twice-published award-winning and #1 best-selling author. Her books, volumes 1 & 2, Sacred Spaces, Subtle Shifts for Mind, Body, and Home Transformation, are powerful collaborations of authors’ stories. They are sacred spaces where women collaborate, work together, and cheer for each other – in return, authors achieve personal and collective goals (fill your inner goddess) while gifting the reader (fill their inner goddess) with vulnerable and empowering stories. Awe, connection and community!
She lives with her husband, son, and dog Chester, in McLean, VA.
FOUNDER, EXPERIENCE GUIDE, BROKER/REALTOR
Heidi Jones
Heidi is a leading holistic real estate broker, venture capitalist, community advocate, mother, and lifelong learner. My diverse business experiences and passion for community and service align seamlessly with the essence of The Kula Well.
In my role as a Virginia, DC and MD Real Estate Broker, I've learned the profound impact of community, listening and the importance of creating a nurturing environment. ModernJones, the luxury real estate brokerage I founded, is a testament to the belief that a home is not just a physical space but a space that nurtures the soul. This philosophy extends seamlessly into The Kula Well Retreat, where we embrace the concept of building nourishment and well-being for ourselves and our community.
My journey, spanning 22 years in the real estate industry, has been defined by a commitment to fostering a nurturing work environment for agents and prioritizing clients' needs. Under the guiding principle of "Experience Beyond Expectation," Our retreat is more than a reset; it's a transformational journey that goes beyond the individual to create a collective evolution.
As a leading real estate broker, venture capitalist and community advocate, I bring a wealth of experience in guiding individuals through significant life decisions—a skill set that allows me to support you as you journey through personal transformations, fill your well and serve others.
In my commitment to supporting various local and national organizations, I have volunteered with the Georgetown Scholarship Program, acted as an angel investor with Pipeline Angels, and contributed to the success of the Women Making History Awards Gala. Now, my focus shifts to impactful projects, fundraising for women in third-world countries through Yoga Medicine's Seva Foundation and Her Future Coalition.
As we embark on this retreat together, I am thrilled to weave my passion for well-being, community, and service into an unforgettable experience for you. Let's embrace the transformative power of this journey, celebrating the resilience of the human spirit and the profound connections we'll forge along the way. Namaste.
FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HER FUTURE COALITION
Sarah Symons
Sarah Symons is the Founder and Executive Director of Her Future Coalition, an international non-profit and social enterprise fighting human trafficking and other severe gender violence with shelter, education and employment. Over the past 17 years, Her Future Coalition has helped over 6000 women and children in India, Nepal, Cambodia and Thailand to get out of slavery and exploitation, and to build safe, independent and successful lives.
Prior to starting this work, Sarah worked as a composer of TV music, and as a recording artist. She is passionate about using the arts for healing, collaboration, and creating prosperity for the world’s most vulnerable women.
Symons’ books - This is No Ordinary Joy and Standing in Way (co-written with a survivor from Her Future’s program) are available on Amazon.com. Her TED-X talk, ‘Living Heroically’ shares insights learned from survivors on recovering from trauma and living an epic life.
DEVELOPMENT & OPERATIONS, HER FUTURE COALITION
Amanda Cunningham
Before moving back to the States in 2011, Amanda B. Cunningham spent 7 years circumnavigating the globe - calling Tortola, Buenos Aires, San Remo and Tahiti home. Since then, she's combined her background and passions to create career-fulfilling experiences, from owning yoga studios and building websites, to politics and development.
Amanda is the COO of Her Future Coalition, a Sisters on the Planet® Ambassador with OxFam America, and a 500 E-RYT yoga instructor and executive team member with Yoga Medicine® and Yoga Medicine® Seva Foundation.
Amanda writes honest words about relationships, motherhood and lifestyle, and she encourages personal growth and global change through yoga, travel and advocacy work. Amanda is passionate about holding space for women to connect and feel empowered, which is why fighting gender inequalities and curating immersion trips to India is one of her most rewarding experiences.
Amanda lives in the Carolina's with her 5-year old son and 12-year old rescue. Her writing has been featured in Redbook, Healthline, Bustle, Natalist, The Native, SWAAY, FITSNews; her yoga trainings are available online at Yoga International and Udemy.