Nantucket Wellness Festival Returns In Late June With Expanded Lineup Of Wellness Leaders

The Nantucket Wellness Festival, a program of Happy Place Events, a nonprofit dedicated to accessible community wellness, has announced its full instructor lineup for the second annual gathering, taking place June 26–28, 2026.

The festival brings together local and global thought leaders, movement instructors, and wellness guides for a weekend of classes, workshops, and discussions designed to help attendees build their own blueprint for a happier, healthier life.

This year’s programming spans neuroscience, yoga, sound healing, somatic movement, Tai Chi, meditation, and integrative wellness — bridging ancient practices with modern science and offering something transformative for every attendee.

"The 2026 theme, Community, reflects a deeper understanding that wellbeing is not a solo pursuit — it is something we build, nurture, and sustain together," festival organizers stated in today's announcement.

Weekend Structure

The weekend is designed as a cohesive, progressive experience rather than a single-day event. Friday evening opens with a thoughtfully curated gathering introducing attendees to the weekend’s teachers and themes. Saturday expands into a full-day immersion at the Dreamland, with programming across the Main Theater, Studio Theater, and Harborview Room. Sunday extends the experience into the island itself with a free, community-centered day of outdoor wellness programming at Children's Beach — open to all at no charge.

2026 Featured Instructors

Dr. Ben Rein, Ph.D. is an award-winning neuroscientist, Clinical Assistant Professor at SUNY Buffalo, and Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford University, with over 1.2 million social media followers and 75 million video views making brain science accessible to the public. He is the author of Why Brains Need Friends (Penguin Random House, 2025). His research on the neuroscience of social connection provides a compelling scientific foundation for the festival’s community theme — and a powerful reminder of why belonging matters.

Punnu Wasu brings more than 45 years of spiritual practice to the festival, seamlessly blending ancient wisdom with contemporary teaching. A Kirtan Master Vocalist, multi- instrumentalist, songwriter, meditation and yoga teacher, and Reiki Grand Master, Wasu weaves Dharma teachings, music, and meditation into deeply moving communal experiences.

Dr. Shieva Gofrany is a board-certified OB-GYN who has been caring for women since 1999, blending decades of clinical expertise with a deeply human approach to medicine. Based in Stamford, Connecticut, she continues to deliver babies through her private practice— something increasingly rare in modern obstetrics—while also leading a separate telehealth practice dedicated to supporting women through midlife, menopause, and post-menopause.

Ian Lopatin is the founder of At One Yoga studios across the Greater Phoenix area and co- founder of Spiritual Gangster Clothing and Of Course Sanctuary. Following a successful entertainment law career in Los Angeles, Lopatin built a practice bridging traditional Eastern philosophy with modern life, making yoga more approachable to a new generation. He is the author of the newly released The Way of a Spiritual Gangster.

Jasmine Takanikos is the founder of FORM and BrandHuman, with more than two decades of work across branding, cultural strategy, teaching, and futures thinking. Through advisory and teaching, she is known for her rare ability to generate deep transformation across both business and personal landscapes, bringing clarity, elevation, and powerful momentum to the people, ideas, and organizations she touches

Jesse Cale is a multi-artist, music producer, and founder of hOm Sound and Meditation. The holder of two RIAA-certified gold records, Cale discovered sound baths as a vehicle for deep communal healing and has since built a widely attended practice layering live instrumentation, singing bowls, and guided meditation into transformative group experiences.

Elia Mrak is a trauma-informed educator, somatic movement specialist, and professional dancer who has taught, performed, and directed movement throughout Europe and the Americas since 2008. Certified in Qigong through Mantak Chia’s Universal Healing Tao program, Mrak fuses contemporary dance, somatic practice, and Chinese medicine into a healing movement experience unlike any other.

Ramsay Trussell is the founder of On The Mat Yoga in Concord, MA, with 25 years of practice and a 500-hour RYT certification. Trained by Natasha Rizopoulos and deeply influenced by both Ashtanga and Iyengar traditions, Trussell is known for her precise alignment cues, thoughtful sequencing, and the transformative quality of her teaching.

Brittany and Ryan Brown are the co-founders of Higher Order, an integrative social wellness sanctuary in West Palm Beach, Florida, blending clinical precision with community-driven programming. Rooted in the belief that wellness should extend beyond individual self-preservation, the Browns have built a movement that supports collective resilience — physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Ramel Rones is a Tai Chi, Qigong, and meditation master who has taught at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for nearly two decades, serving patients, families, and clinical staff. A gold medalist in both the U.S. and China, Rones consults on mind-body therapies at Harvard and Tufts Medical Schools and is co-author of the bestselling Sunrise Tai Chi series.

Jacqui Bonwell, E-RYT 500, has taught yoga and meditation for nearly two decades and has been a presenter at Kripalu since 2012. Founder of the Sacred Seeds Yoga School, Reiki Master, life coach, and co-author of Migrations: An Almanac for the Soul, Bonwell is widely known as the Spiritual Mother of New England and has trained hundreds of certified yoga teachers.

Tara Morris is the founder and lead teacher of The Love Offensive Hot Power Yoga. Known for a teaching style that is honest, demanding, and deeply personal, Morris connects physical practice with lasting transformation on and off the mat. She is the author of the newly released The Love Offensive.

Tickets for the 2026 Nantucket Wellness Festival are on sale now at www.nantucketwellnessfestival.org. For press inquiries, interviews, and partnership opportunities, contact Joann Burnham and Holly Ruth Finigan at hello@happyplaceevents.com.

The Nantucket Wellness Festival is committed to making transformational wellness accessible to all. A portion of festival proceeds supports free community programming on Nantucket throughout the year.