Monthly Newsletter

May, 2021


Come Grow With Us!


"Growth is the only evidence of life." - John Henry Newman

For most of the US, May signals nature's green light for planting and gardening. Especially after a cold, dreary winter, seeing the beautiful colors of a garden come to life really does lift the spirit!

Gardeners know success and growth comes through many careful steps. A healthy foundation must be established in the soil, followed by planting, weeding, watering, nourishing, nurturing...etc, etc.This same dedication to growth also happens here at Healer Within Foundation!

You may have noticed the "gardeners" of the Healer Within Foundation - our leadership, volunteers, trainers and practice leaders - have grown the reach and accessibility of self-care in amazing ways over the past few years. The consistent effort and dedication of these "caretakers" have helped HWF accomplish many new and exciting  things, as we've continued to reach more people, despite the challenges of the past 12+ months.

Let's continue to grow together! We'd like to invite you to help us:
plant more seeds of wellness wisdom through educational offerings,
weed out disease and stress,
nurture each other through shared practice,
nourish minds (and bodies) with greater knowledge of self-care practices!

There are many ways you, too can participate, such as the HWF Educational Summit, which will take place on May 29th. Registration is also now open for the new Empowered Relief™ Course which takes place for the first time on May 20th. Also, both new trainees and refresh students are welcome at our July online Tai Chi Easy™ Practice Leader training event (registration opens May 15th)! Details on all these events and more may be found in the newsletter below.

We welcome you to join us as we enter this season of growth and flourishing. Together, we'll see self-healing, body/mind/spirit practices blossom around the world!

Be well,
Your friends at the Healer Within Foundation


Apply By June 15th: HWF Practice Leader Fellowship Program

We are currently accepting applications for the NEW Healer Within Foundation Practice Leader Fellowship Program!

The Program seeks to identify and support remarkable individuals who cultivate practice groups with people and in communities which have been traditionally underserved, to increase the availability of self-healing for all people.

The HWF Practice Leader Fellowship Program will: Solicit applications from qualified individuals to lead Healer Within and/or Tai Chi Easy™ practice groups in locations which might otherwise not be able to support such groups due to lack of access; Identify and highlight extraordinary individuals who are reaching marginalized communities and support their efforts towards greater impact; Showcase creative approaches from diverse members of our global community; Inspire others to take innovative and creative approaches to implementing and disseminating Tai Chi Easy™ and other evidence-based wellness practices.

HWF will award two $1,000 fellowships in 2021. The funds are an incentive to practice group leaders for leading groups with populations who are in underserved communities and who might not otherwise have access to a practice group. 

We welcome applications from individuals who meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

  • Currently certified as Healer Within or Tai Chi Easy™ Practice Leaders,
  • Leading (or will lead) practice groups, predominantly from underserved communities,
  • Awardees must agree to all program requirements as follows:
    • Commit to a full year of leading practice 
    • Provide a brief, written progress update after six months
    • Participation in the Tai Chi Easy™ CPG Benefits Survey
    • Agree to share Fellow experience through HWF publications and events, such as the
      HWF Newsletter and Fifth Saturday program

If you meet the above criteria, we encourage you to complete and submit the Application Form. Applications will be accepted through June 15, 2021.

Questions? Contact [email protected].


Register NOW! HWF Educational Summit On Saturday, May 29th!

Join us on Saturday, May 20th for, Bridging Healing Methods: Science, Art & Practice, a full day of learning, sharing and FUN. We will explore healing concepts and practices designed to help you develop your self-care,  and your personal wellness program.

We are delighted to welcome our Keynote Presenters: Dr. Clive Callender, MD & Dr. Gayl Hubatch, OMD:

Dr. Clive O. Callender, MD, FACS is currently a Professor of Surgery, Howard University College of Medicine. In 1973, Dr. Callender returned to Howard University Hospital and helped develop the first minority directed dialysis and transplant center and histocompatibility and immunogenetic laboratory in this country.

In 1991, Dr. Callender conceptualized and founded the  National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP) for the purpose of increasing minority donation rates nationally. National MOTTEP is the first national organization to identify a two-fold solution to the donor shortage. The solution includes increasing the number of minority donors and decreasing the number of persons who need transplants through a health promotion campaign aimed to prevent the need for transplantation. His media appearances have included the Oprah Show, and the CBS Evening News and he has spoken to both professional and lay audiences at more than 1,000 meetings/forums on the subject of transplantation, authoring over 140 scientific publications on this subject.   


Dr. Gayl Hubatch, OMD is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and the author of: Fabric of the Soul: 8 Extraordinary Vessels

She is also a licensed acupuncturist and nationally board certified Diplomat of Acupuncture through NCCAOM® as well as being a certified yoga instructor and Qigong/Tai Chi Easy Senior Trainer. She specializes in acupuncture, herbology, Qigong/Tai Chi, HeartMath Training and meditation at her holistic studio; Blue Heron Center in Lakeway, TX.

Capturing essence from her practice of energy medicine for over 25 years, Dr. Hubatch brings a wealth of knowledge to her courses.  She has taught at many colleges, universities and privately, since 1983, including Omega, Esalen and Kripalu.

For full schedule, more information or to register, click HERE.


Board Of Director News

Welcome our two new directors who were each elected to three-year terms at our April annual meeting:

Sharon Infante (pictured left) is a familiar name to many in the HWF community, as she has been a volunteer and supporter of our organization for several years.

Her professional credentials include a masters degree in Human Resources Management and proven success in the areas of administrative services, customer relations and job search strategy.
Sharon is as a Medical Qigong Practitioner, a Certified Advance Reiki Practitioner and has trained in Sacred Sound Healing. Welcome, Sharon!

Nenad (Ned) Reva (pictured left) was introduced to the Healer Within Foundation by our Co-Founder, Dr. Roger Jahnke, OMD.

In addition to being a practitioner of the martial arts for many years, Ned is a gifted strategist, currently serving as the Head of Programs for the United Nations Joint SDG Fund. He holds a BSC in Management, MA and PhD in Comparative politics, and Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation. Welcome, Ned!

With endless gratitude for her dedication to the Foundation, we announce that after over 7 years of HWF Board membership, most recently serving as HWF President, Josefina (Josie) Weaver (pictured right) has retired from the HWF Board, and has been elected to Board Member Emeritus status.

We are delighted to report Josie will continue to volunteer her time to the foundation, serving on work teams, as an educational content provider and a Tai Chi Easy™ Senior Trainer. Thank you, Josie. For your leadership, wisdom and tireless commitment to the HWF mission, a deep bow.

And so, it is with great pleasure we announce the new President of Healer Within Foundation, Kory Ward-Cook Ph.D., MT(ASCP), CAE (pictured left). Kory has been a member of the HWF Board for nearly two years, most recently serving as Vice President of Governance. In her prior professional career, Kory held the position of CEO for the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM®).

Kory has brought a wealth of insight and ideas to the Foundation in the time she has served. We are confident she will lead the Foundation well during her time as President and are so grateful for her commitment to the HWF vision!

Finally, much appreciation for the devoted volunteers who continue to serve on the Healer Within Foundation Board:

  • Kele Baker, Director
  • Benjamin Felcher Leavitt, Director
  • Diane Ramftl, Director
  • Erin Reas, Director
  • Theda Zawaiza, Vice President

If you are interested in learning more about Board membership or our other volunteer opportunities please contact HWF Executive Director, Christie Ward


ONLINE Tai Chi Easy™ Practice Leader Training

Registration for our next online training will open May 15th!

This highly anticipated training will take place via live online sessions being held from July 9 - July 18, 2021 and
will be conducted by IIQTC Certified Trainers Dr. Gayl Hubatch, OMD and Josie Weaver.

Click HERE for more information or to register and learn what Tai Chi Easy™ can do for you through our informational VIDEO.

21 Nursing Contact Hours Included! This continuing nursing education  activity is approved by the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA), an accredited approver of the  American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Program #1488.


Train Your Brain Away From Pain: HWF Empowered Relief™

Join instructor Josie Weaver on Thursday, May 20 at 4:00pm PT, for a powerful 2-hour interactive presentation focused on relief from chronic pain. Josie will feature Qigong breath and movement exercises rooted in the Empowered Relief pain skills course developed by Stanford University pain scientist, Dr. Beth Darnall.

If you are alive, you will at some point experience pain in your life. How you think and feel about pain will, in many ways, determine your pain experience. This presentation will explain why this is so and provide you tools to handle pain or support others in your life, who may be experiencing a prolonged or chronic pain experience.

Cost for this informative and empowering presentation is only $47. Space is limited, so please click HERE to register today!


Welcome New Practice Leaders!

We are pleased to welcome 18 new Tai Chi Easy Practice Leaders who recently completed Online training. Special thanks to the awesome training team of Michael Fortier, Kristen Musolino and Alan Zemel!


AWAKEN Your Healer Within

Due to positive feedback and a steady stream of orders, we're keeping the ordering window open a bit longer on this popular design. Click HERE or on the image below to order yours today!

Several colors and styles are available. Every order helps to support the HWF mission! Thank you!


HWF Website Login Instructions - Please Read!

We'd like to invite you to explore the Healer Within Foundation website! We continue to add new content, most recently launching the HWF Blog, which we hope you will read and add your comments, too. To login, you will first need to set up your password. Click here to update your Password. Once updated, you can login here, using your Username -  - and new Password.

While you are logged in, please complete your profile (it is searchable to help other HWF community members find you)! Logging in allows you to make a donation securely, see our community member-only content such as the files on the Organize an Event page and to sign up for events such as the Gathering in the Cloud meetings.