Inner Refuge is a team of producers, artists, and collaborators who each contribute their own unique disciplines and talents. We partner with leading artists and musicians to bring dreams and visions to life and bring fantasies to reality.
It brings joy to each member of our team to collaborate together, to create freely without boundaries, and ultimately contribute to a higher cause.
OUR TEAm
María Yatriki Xochiehekatl
Experiential producer and founder of SACBE, My, and Inner Refuge, specializing in uniting people and igniting change through ancestral knowledge and energy work. Guided by Shakti leadership principles, María envisions her work as part of a greater energetic shift on Earth, redirecting feminine energy for change and evolution.
Dani Lushki
Architect, Urban Planner, and lover of nature, order, and sacred geometry. A passionate traveler and dedicated mother of two. Philosopher, writer, and student/teacher of Mental Application, a method based on Eschatology Science. A passionate voice of truth, reason, responsibility, the good, love, and totality.
Raqueli Contreras Viteri
@bytheroseray
Creative Strategist, Writer, and Experiential Producer, Raqueli designs conscious experiences, leading initiatives for positive impact. Certified personal transformation coach, she weaves studies in mystical practices and philosophies through her spiritual mentorship program, The Rose Ray.
Roberto Alon
Producer of Scenic Arts, Actor, and Global Media Communications scholar from Mexico City. A passionate voice for LGBTTQQ I inclusion. Enrolled in various social projects. A lover of beauty, life, arts, music, and sports.
Love is all there is.
Matteo Casnici
Italian explorer based in Hong Kong, traversing between the Orient and the West. A production wizard sharing visions and passions, from technology to fashion, photography, and music, with the world.
FACILITATORS
KIAUIQUETZAL
At the age of fifteen, Kiauiquetzal started her initiation into the Mexican traditions with her spiritual grandmother who shared her knowledge of the Temazkali (traditional sweat lodge), Aztec dances, sacred medicine and codes, indigenous chants, New and Full Moon Women circles, among others.
As an architect, she learned to develop her own landscape concept that pursues biodiversity, sustainability, nutrition and culture.
She is of the Seed-sowing Women Movement (France), and continues her involvement in projects supporting the conservation and reproduction of GMO free seeds.
ROB WEBER
Raio (Rob Weber) is a producer, musician and DJ who’s been holding it down for the tribe in Bali for the last 11 years. An eco-community steward and founder of the BaliSpirit Festival, Raio has played a key role in the evolution of the conscious scene on the island.
He’s a resident DJ for the legendary ecstatic dances at the Yoga Barn in Ubud, where he also leads sacred cacao ceremonies, kirtans, and sound healing journeys, and produces music in a mystic jungle studio.
SOPHIE SÔFRĒĒ
Is an ecstatic dance DJ, Kundalini Yoga teacher and visual artist. Originally from Singapore, she followed synchronicity and her heart's calling to Bali, where she now resides and thrives alongside her beloved, Raio. Sophie's DJ sets are all profoundly uplifting journeys featuring ethnic melodies, tribal rhythms, lush downtempo grooves and a refreshing feminine vibe.
REGGIE RIVERBEA
Was born and raised in a temple home in the Netherlands where mantra and sacred song where an integral part of growing up. Having a great passion for dance and theater, Reggie has been performing and sharing from the young age of 4. She followed the calling of her Heart to travel the world, ending up in Kenia, Africa at age 17, where she fell in love with the simple and potent joy of singing together. Ever since, she has devoted her time to Song and Storytelling turning her into an active member of the co-creation of a new era rooted in love and equality. Voice activation workshops, weekly singing circles, private sessions and embodiment arts, are some of the practices that bring to Reggie the greatest joy.
RAFAEL CHAMAN
He has immersed himself in the learning and practice of Hatha Yoga through more than seven different yoga systems, including Kundalini, Ashtanga and Sivananda. Has also explored practices like Zhineng Qigong and Daoist Qigong, where he learned the language of Energy.
He travels the world following the call of the Way as a student, of the Path sometimes taking the role of the teacher sharing his heart in master classes, teacher trainings, gatherings immersions and retreats. Other times just praying and dancing with the spirits of Nature in ritual, ceremony and just flowing.
ARIEL LEON
Humbleness is the light that guides the teacher.
Elemental guardian of Mother Earth.
Born in Nicaragua (Nicanahutl), land of indigenous poets.
In this dance of cosmic poetry we call Life, he is unconditionally committed to the respect of prayer from our being to the universe. Ariel is a globetrotter dedicated to the value of our indigenous traditions and our human tribe in one heart to the sacredness of life and our planet.
JO LITTLE
is passionate about the nervous systems of the bodymind. She systematically rebuilt and revived each system in her own body, following a devastating brain injury. Jo uses a wide range of tools from Cranial Sacral Unwinding, Human Tuning and facial manipulation to nutrition, Medical Qi Gong and Meditation to help people to regain the balance needed to live a full and creative life.
MIRIAM ADLER
Along her career as an international model, Miriam became aware of her dream of creating a community. Through her newly founded company Mirabea, Miriam hopes to connect people in a meaningful way and inspire them to live mindfully.
Miriam’s passion for holistic health has led her to attain her Kundalini Yoga Teacher certification at Hari Treehouse NYC. Miriam is also a certified health coach through the Integrative School of Nutrition.
She leads classes at Hari Treehouse NYC and hosts special retreat experiences and workshops with private clients around the world.
JOY WANG
Joy is an MIT-trained architect with a track record of having built the world’s most expensive homes, an artist in the arts of calligraphy, painting, and film, a certified AcroYoga teacher, Jivamukti teacher, Flyoga teacher, as well as a Journey Practitioner (trained in NLP and hands-on bodywork) and a self-taught kimono maker and designer. Draped in her kimono, Joy loves dancing, flying, juicing, and sunbathing.
VISUAL ARTISTS
Gaby lozada
Art director, born and raised in Mexico City. Her interests involve visual communication, graphic arts, design, and creative conceptualization. Furthermore, her curiosity for crafts has led her to experiment with jewelry design, one of her great passions.
Knowing different cultures, his approach to spirituality and expansion of consciousness is essential for her personal and professional process.
ANA RIFA
Ana Rifa is a Transmedia Artist, Designer and Culinary Alchemist.
Her work underscores the process of thinking through making and culminates at the intersection between media, body and mind. Ana garnishes inspiration from a wide spectrum of craft and experimental research.
She co-founded Fish Fry Co. with Paola Menchelli; an integral design studio in Mexico City (graphic/print, audio, industrial and web design) after completing her degree in Graphic Design from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. She relocated to the Golden State to earn an MFA in Media Design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Ana had an Art Center College scholarship (2008-2011), gained a position as a TA for Prof. Norman Klein and as a Research Assistant to Ingrid Hora and Daniel Salomon. She also led a series of events in Mexico City promoting emerging artists in the music and fine art field such as Jalowana and the early days of Mexican Curious. She ventured into the world of internet radio with the show “Wac Corporal” which aired for 2 years in radioglobal.org. She's a singer, songwriter and performer for the project Teknolele. She has exhibited artwork and painted murals throughout Mexico and in the USA, where she also provides private dining experiences.
She executes artwork for the record label Crosstown Rebels and is the art director of Day Zero Festival in Tulum. She art directed "The Odyssey" stage for Get Lost at Electric Daisy Carnival 2013. She's worked with Circus Records (Yousef), Coco Morier (INGRD, Sweden) JAN (One Armed Man, NY) and other artists, designers and clients such as USC, Pulse Australia, La Excéntrica, Villa Mercedes Petit Hotel, Chilakillers, SHIFT ministries etc.
HELIA JAMALI
Helia's work is a direct reflection of her imagination. She has the creative ability to form images by channeling the sensations of her mind and the input of her senses. Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, she was exposed to lush and intricate Persian art all her life, from the colorful carpet patterns, to the sacred geometric tile work of the mosques. While this upbringing inspired her with classic Persian art, it also taught her the challenges of being a female artist in Middle East.
While in Iran she practiced painting, sculpting, calligraphy, and photography, and earned her degree in communicational arts from the Avini Art School in Tehran. After moving to Los Angeles she continued her studies at the Art Center College of Design, and the California State University Northridge. Her work was rewarded with several academic scholarships, and she was the Gold Award winner of the 2015 "Graphis Annual Poster Competition". After graduating she became the Art Director at Petrol Advertising, and worked with various organizations and clients such as ESPN, SONY, Activision, Xbox, and PlayStation. Today her main focus is creative direction and visual identity design. Her recent partnership with Sol Selectas Records has allowed her to create visual journeys, telling the mystical stories of the music through her art.
MORAL TURGEMAN
Moral Turgeman is an interdisciplinary artist whose creations come alive through user interaction. Her efforts in immersion draw the viewer into the totality of experience.
The multi-faceted artist creates larger than life installations that generally house various custom fabricated components. Her meticulous and interactive creations are driven by a distinct nature to assimilate. As a touring artist Moral explores different realms of creativity by engaging with new mediums throughout every step of her journey. Whether you play a role in a recurring concept or commission her for a customized site-specific installation, expect to be led on a multi-sensory journey set with purpose and intention.
NATALIA VILLANUEVA
Born in México City. Artist + Social Worker.
I graduated of the Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Socio-Cultural Studies and Anthropology.
I've taken part in organizations that look for sustainability, human rights, social equity and gender equality in several parts of México, Ghana, Kenya and India. Of equal way, I am creating projects that affect positively in social development from the point of view of arts and culture.
My artistic production is based on the transmission of these ideas in a conceptual way, working with different media, from photography, to art direction, to writing, to illustration etc.
At present I count with two individual exhibitions of my work in documentary photography of the ethnic group Huichol: Wirrárika: The one who lives in honor of its ancestors.
PAOLO MONTIEL
His initial interest in the abstract dynamics of light and music led him into studying Physics and Art History and composing music for contemporary dance and also performing as a musician in rock bands with original music until the day he discovered the first programmable digital color changing LED light systems. He then quit his current job as a musician and audio engineer and started a career as a lighting designer focusing on LED lighting control and show programming. Due to the fact that the technology was too new to be learned anywhere near, he had to self-taught himself into learning light programming. Twelve years later, he produced his first art installation in which the focus is on light programming. As of today, he mainly works in permanent installation projects for art and architectural lighting. He has worked for artists such as Kurt Hentschlager, Anti VJ and James Turrell. He currently lives and works in Mexuci City. (Mexico, 1977)
OLIVIA STEELE
RATIONAL & RADICAL, INTIMATE YET IRONIC.
Olivia Steele's works juxtapose some of today's most striking social ambiguities in the form they choose and the message they convey. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1985, Steele uses neon, video and listed building facades to create her double entendres – based on select references that jar the viewer beyond the everyday. On a symbolic level, the results she produces are both iconic and personal. The reactions her works provoke are equally ambivalent: humorous and irritating. One thing they do not do, however, is leave the viewer indifferent. True to her belief that "CONTRAST IS THE GREATEST TEACHER."
DANIEL COSMIC
Daniel was born and raised in Brisbane (Australia), but studied and graduated with BSc. Psychology (Oregon State University), and MA Documentary Film (UAL London UK). He has been living in Bali since 2015 with a focus on filmmaking as his direction.
SAIRA HUNJAN
Highly influenced by her Indian Heritage and frequent trips to the country, Saira Hunjan’s work often depicts images of nature, animals and goddess figures. Her medium of choice is ink, which she applied to both paper and skin; known internationally as ‘The girl with the golden needle’, Saira came to prominence in a career as a tattooist whilst studying fine art at Camberwell College of Arts. This experience helped her refine and transform her visual language for her creative practise, art work and collaborations.
The material chosen by Hunjan and the process in which she works, a deep transcendent connection achieved through mediation, allow her to translate her experiences into her own unique at work. Monochrome drawings allow the depiction of intricate details and are used to provoke a re-imagining of absent colours, consequently, each experience being personal and totally unique for her audience. In creating alternate ways of seeing, the work aims to blue the boundaries between ritual and reality, and the spiritual in a desire to bridge the gap between physical and metaphysical worlds.