MORE ABOUT THE BOARD
Brooke Cannoot
President and Treasurer
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Brooke is a licensed Occupational Therapist by profession with a Master’s degree from Western Michigan University and a Bachelor’s from Purdue University. She has studied yoga, ayurveda, meditation, and Eastern mysticism for over 20 years. She received her Yoga Teacher certification in 2008 from renowned yogini and yantrika, Sarah Tomlinson. Her passion in these arts guided her to open Dhanwantari Center for Yoga and Well-Being in South Bend, Indiana in 2007. It was at Dhanwantari that she met her teacher Philip Lipetz, PhD. This connection to Philip not only deepened her understanding of Eastern mysticism and healing techniques, it also introduced her to Shirdi Sai Baba and to Sri Kaleshwar as part of the Dattatreya lineage. She also reconnected to Mother Mary in a new, remarkable way.
Through the teachings of this lineage, Brooke learned the importance of service to humanity above all and to serve others as they are reflections of the Divine. At Dhanwantari, Brooke, as well as her fellow Madhukara board members, created The Seva Project to serve meals to the homeless in South Bend. Madhukara is a continuation of that deep sense of service that began as The Seva Project with the mission to serve individuals by being agents of the divine to provide miracles both great and small within our communities.
Brooke now resides in Canal Winchester, OH, with her husband of over 20 years and their three beautiful children. She is the creator of Inner Silence, an occupational therapy practice that utilizes her knowledge of Eastern healing modalities with the modern understanding of neuroscience. Visit www.innersilencetherapy.com for more info
Melissa Bozzuto
Vice President
In the early 2000s, Melissa embarked on a journey of self-discovery which led to a very rewarding and beautiful spiritual awakening. She has since studied different modalities of the healing arts and sharpened her intuitive skills and awareness. Melissa has spent the last 30+ years working as a paralegal, which has given her many opportunities to help others. Through the years Melissa has served on various community service committees providing support to projects feeding the poor, assisting elderly patients in a local nursing home, championing diversity, equity and inclusion through her employers and various projects volunteering with the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
Melissa practices energy healing, yoga, and meditation. She spends time in spiritual study working on heart opening as an essential aspect of true spirituality. She is a forever student of the Blessed Mother, Jesus, Shirdi Sai Baba, and Sri Swami Kaleshwar amongst others.
Heather Dimon
Secretary
Heather has had an interest in yoga and Eastern spirituality throughout her life. She really fell in love with yoga and began her spiritual practice in earnest twelve years ago when she discovered Dhanwantari Center for Yoga & Well-Being in South Bend, IN. She completed Yoga Teacher Training with Sarah Tomlinson in the summer of 2011, taught Vinyasa yoga and meditation at Dhan and was active with the Seva Project. It was also during this time that Heather was introduced to the teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba and Sri Kaleshwar through Philip Lipetz. She believes that we are at our best when we can share our gifts and passion in service to others. One of her favorite pastimes is cooking, and she loves to be able to share that in service to others by helping with our monthly meal donation.
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Heather has also applied these principles to her professional life, where she has served as a client relationship professional in the technical industry for over 20 years. She currently resides in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, dog and cat.
Elyse Muratore, M.D.
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Elyse is currently a full-time family physician practicing at a community health center in Carson City, NV. She is also a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend. She feels a strong connection to Mother Mary, a connection she shares with her grandmothers. She traces her roots with Madhukara back to her undergraduate days at the University of Notre Dame, where she began practicing yoga and awakening to her spiritual practice at Dhanwantari Center for Yoga and Well-Being. She trained as a yoga teacher under Brooke Cannoot and her lineage of teachers, where she also was introduced to the teachings of Philip Lipitz and Sri Kaleshwar. Her experiences with spiritual practice and community service at Dhan and the Seva Project eventually led her to pursue a career in medicine, as she felt called to serve individuals and communities directly in her work. She is inspired by leaders such as Mother Theresa and Father Greg Boyle, and strives to see God in each and every individual she encounters.
Jenna Durban
Jenna is the owner/creator of Sacred Embodiment, a donation centered yoga & healing space. She graduated from Otterbein University with a Bachelor's in English. She has studied spirituality, the subconscious mind & emotional clearing for the past 15 years. She received her 200 RYT from the highly respected Laurel Hodory in 2012 and has taught over 1500 hours in different yoga studios around Columbus. In 2020, she further her knowledge by completing her 300 RYT with Karen Cutrona Turner creator of UBU Yoga & Fitness. Her passion for teaching helped launch her own private Sacred Embodiment Yoga Training. She mentors yoga teachers in maintaining their own connection to help serve & center their students. She now runs group energy clearings, women's circles, private Reiki, as well as one-on-one spiritual coaching.
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When Jenna met Brooke through a mutual friend she felt a piece of the puzzle snap into place. She always had a deep connection to Mother Mary through the powerful ancestral line of Italian women in her family. Her curriculum was taught/reflected by her own mother Marita (Mary Rita). She remembers arranging small trinkets of Our Mother in her grandmother's dresser as a young girl which helped lay the foundation for her deep knowing & devotion to Our Lady. Through Brooke and the lineage of Shirdi Sai Baba, Sri Kaleshwar & Yeshua she finally found peace and understanding of all the ways her heart OPENS. The teachings of the lineage anchored her dharma into: service, unconditional love & acceptance. She continues to heal herself and others heal with these pillars. She enjoys hiking, reading & traveling with her soul mate Kyle and two beautiful children Gus & Via.
Heather Akins
Heather is a highly motivated and compassionate individual who has dedicated her life to serving others. As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Heather discovered her true calling as a healer and has been committed to this purpose ever since. Her passion for serving others has driven her spiritual and professional growth, and has led her to join the Madhukara organization.
Heather's spiritual journey has been a search for purpose, healing, and a desire to serve women. It has led her to specialize in Women's Health, which she considers her true calling. As a Women's Health Physical Therapist and owner of Rooted in Wellness Pelvic Health, Heather hopes to fulfill her purpose by utilizing her skills and expertise to help women live healthier, happier lives.
Beyond her professional work, Heather is a devoted wife, mother of two daughters and two furry sons. She enjoys staying active and healthy through exercise, yoga, and her Peloton bike. In her free time, she also enjoys reading, always having at least one good book at her fingertips or on her AirPods.
