Hollyhock Presenters

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Our presenters are curated for their quality, depth, integrity, and alignment with our educational purpose. Since 1982, a distinguished faculty of authors, educators, activists, artists, performers, and practitioners have shared their work at our Cortes Island campus and in Vancouver.

People smiling at Activate 2023 Hollyhock Leadership Institute

Malina Dawn

malina dawn

Malina is a queer nehiyaw-ahpihtawikosisān iskwew (Cree Métis woman) who weaves together, the worlds of indigenous wisdom and yogic knowledge. Raised on the prairies and well travelled through her young adult years, she found her own healing path through Yoga and the Red Road.  Through reclaiming her culture and applying the principals taught in traditional ceremony and the science of yoga, she has experienced great healing and personal transformation. Through this indigenous world view and way of life, she has discovered how these two paths have parallel teachings, deep roots, sweet medicine and weave together beautifully.  She is now a drum carrier and learns the traditional teachings under the guidance of her elders.

She is a strong voice for decolonizing wellness by teaching how to use traditional, indigenous, and yogic ways of life appropriately and as medicine for healing physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  She uses her experience and knowledge of the medicine wheel to offer a unique understanding of the yoga path.

Today she creates healing spaces for in person and online yoga classes, retreats, ceremonies, workshops and trainings all over turtle island. She has spent the last 15 years working with indigenous, non indigenous and LGBTQ2S+ youth.  She continues to work with people of all ages and walks of life to guide them to the reclamation of their own culture, identity, body and healing through a trauma informed lens. She is passionate about sharing her culture, building bridges in community, emotional intelligence and honouring the interconnectedness in all of Creation.

She is currently living, learning, unlearning and loving life on the traditional unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. (Vancouver, BC)

Events with Malina Dawn

Pwātamowin "the act of dreaming": A Yogic retreat
June 30 - July 5, 2024

Pwātamowin is a Cree word meaning “the act of dreaming.” But this is not the kind of dreaming you do when you sleep, it is akin to catching visions. This planet needs more healed people and a big part of that process is us being able to catch a beautiful…