Faculty

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meet our expert faculty

John Bagnulo, PhD, teaches nutrition and fitness in Kripalu’s Healthy Living programs. He holds a doctorate in food and nutrition sciences from the University of Maine and a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina. John served as nutritionist at Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires and is currently on the faculty of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. A frequent lecturer on topics including weight loss, detoxification, and chronic disease treatment and prevention, John is also a passionate mountain climber who reached the top of Mt. Everest. www.johnbagnulo.com.
Susan B. Lord, MD, graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, completing her residency in family practice. From 1996 to 2007, Susan worked at the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, DC, where she developed and participated in professional training programs in mind-body medicine and nutrition. Since January 2008, she has been teaching and providing consultations at Kripalu Center. She also works with individuals and groups in her private practice in Great Barrington, MA, focusing on prevention and treatment through mindful living, lifestyle changes, and effective natural therapies.
Lisa B. Nelson, MD, is a longtime advocate for community wellness. She serves as medical director of the nonprofit Nutrition Center in Great Barrington and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and has led numerous public workshops that underscore the connection between food and health. She and her husband are practicing family physicians. Lisa Nelson received her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, and completed residency in family medicine at Boston Medical Center.
Mark Pettus, MD, is a board-certified internist and nephrologist who has been practicing for more than 25 years. He currently serves as Chief of Medicine at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, New York, and is the author of The Savvy Patient: The Ultimate Advocate For Quality Health Care and It’s All in Your Head: Change Your Mind, Change Your Health, and Change Your Life. Mark has been featured on numerous television and radio programs nationally, including Good Morning America, The 700 Club, NPR, and PBS.
Maria Sirois, PsyD, is an inspirational speaker, seminar leader, and author who has worked at the intersections of wellness, psychology, and spirituality for nearly 20 years. As a wellness guide, Maria has been invited to keynote throughout the country at conferences for wellness centers, hospitals, hospices, philanthropy, business, academic and corporate institutions, as well as for the general public. She has been called both a “true teacher” and “an orator of great power and beauty.” Her book, Every Day Counts: Lessons in Love, Faith, and Resilience from Children Facing Illness, was published in 2006.www.mariasirois.com.
Annie B. Kay, MS, RD, RYT, is an integrative dietitian, author, and certified professional-level Kripalu yoga teacher. She is a former director of the osteoporosis awareness program at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. For more than ten years, Annie has advocated science-based mind-body health in the national media, at conferences and workshops, and through her book, Every Bite Is Divine.
Kathie Madonna Swift, MS, RD, LDN, is a leading educator, innovator, and practitioner in the field of integrative nutrition. She is author of The Inside Tract: Your Good Gut Guide to Great Digestive Health, the chief nutrition advisor for myfoodmyhealth.com, as well as creator of www.myfoundationdiet.com.
Stefanie Sacks, MS, CNS, is a Culinary Nutritionist who works hands-on with individuals and groups in transition to a healthier way of eating as a food counselor, nutrition educator and chef instructor. She has her masters of science in nutrition from Columbia University and is a graduate of The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts. Stefanie is currently producing and hosting a public access show, Chew on This. Her book contributions include The Thriving Child by Erica Reid, Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr and Power Up by Dr. Woodson Merrell and Kathy Merrell. She has also offered her expertise to ABC News, The Huffington Post, Healthy Eats by The Food Network and more. www.stefaniesacks.com
Aruni Nan Futuronsky, Life Coach and Program Advisor for the Kripalu Healthy Living Programs, is a certified professional-level Kripalu Yoga teacher. She has been teaching in a variety of diverse venues for more than 35 years and has been on the Kripalu faculty for more than 20. Author of Recovering My Voice: A Memoir of Chaos, Spirituality, and Hope, and her latest book, Already Home: Stories of a Seeker. She has also developed the Kripalu coaching methodology, based in presence and right action.
Janna Delgado, RYT 500, is a senior faculty member at Kripalu Center. An Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist, Kripalu Yoga teacher, and AFAA-certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, Janna is Director of Yoga in the Schools for the Institute for Extraordinary Living (IEL). Formerly a Program Leader for the IEL’s Yoga for Weight Loss program, Janna is currently the Program Advisor for Kripalu’s Healthy Living Fitness and Yoga Retreat and leads workshops for Kripalu’s R&R retreat program. She is a regular contributor to Kripalu’s quarterly Healthy Living E-News and the in-house publication, Thrive.
Deb Morgan, Kripalu’s Executive Chef, is the culinary inspiration and leader behind the Kripalu Kitchen. Drawing on more than 25 years’ experience in the world of natural foods, including owning and running an organic restaurant and tea shop, Deb is an enthusiastic chef and popular program presenter. She is author of the Kripalu Seasonal Recipe Book series and writes monthly recipes for Kripalu Compass. Her approach to food and cooking is grounded in a deep belief that love is the main ingredient in a healthful diet.
Cristie Newhart is a certified professional level Kripalu Yoga teacher and a Senior Faculty member at Kripalu. She is the former Volunteer Program Manager and former Production Manager, and has taught at Kripalu for more than 10 years. Cristie is currently the Yoga Advisor for the Kripalu Healthy Living Programs and leads Kripalu Guest Yoga and R&R retreat workshops. Her passion is teaching beginning level students. A DVD for beginners is forthcoming.
Hilary Garivaltis, Dean of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda, has 12 years of experience in teaching Ayurvedic daily living tools and Ayurvedic therapy techniques. She received her training at the New England Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine with advanced training in India from the Rishikesh College of Ayurveda and the Jiva Institute. She continues to train with the world’s leading teachers in the United States and in India.
Lara Tupper, is the author of A Thousand and One Nights (Harcourt), a novel about finding ones path, which is currently being adapted into a screenplay. An instructor of writing at Rutgers University for nearly a decade, she now presents writing workshops for Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. Her work has appeared in Six-Word Memoirs (Harper Perennial) and many literary magazines. Lara is a proud member of the Authors Guild and a participant in the Berkshire Festival of Women Writers. www.laratupper.com
Jennifer Young is the Director and Senior Faculty member of Kripalu Healthy Living immersion programs. For 15 years she has taught expressive and creative writing at the university level, in health settings, and with artists and actors. As a journal facilitator, she specializes in using expressive writing for health and healing as well as unleashing more creativity and vitality in life.