Sita's Light: Bios
Miriam Zernis - Lead Vocals, Harmonium
Miriam Zernis has been practicing yoga since 1994 and is an internationally certified Sivananda Yoga Acharya (Master) having completed her advanced training in southern India. She continues to explore everything yoga has to offer and is currently studying Raja Yoga and Vedanta in an everlasting quest to be challenged both physically, mentally and most of all, spiritually. Miriam is a 6th generation Reiki Master Teacher of the Usui System of Natural Healing, as well as a Karuna Reiki® Master, and a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. In early 2006, after 21 years as a news writer and Senior Editor at ABC News, she resigned from her position to fully dedicate herself to yoga, Reiki and holistic health counseling. She teaches yoga as a tool for healing and as a pathway for Truth.
Inspired by the many years of devotional chanting that went along with the territory of spending time at Sivananda ashrams around the world, Miriam found a new way to express herself through kirtan (musical prayer). It is with great joy and humility that she now shares it publically.
Sita's Light was recorded on November 2nd, 2007 as a labor of love for her teachers, and specifically dedicated to Swami Vishnudevananda. During his lifetime, Swamiji worked tirelessly for the cause of peace in the world and the propagation of the yogic teachings. He also delighted in kirtan as did his guru, Swami Sivananda.
She also credits devotional music masters Deva Premal, Miten, Krishna Das, Bhagavan Das, Snatam, Wah! and others for their inspiration and opening her awareness to the Divinity of chant.
Ginny Mackles - Vocals & Harmonium
Ginny Mackles discovered the transformational power of mantras at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in the early 1980’s. Since then she has incorporated chanting into her daily personal practices of meditation, yoga and Reiki. The joy of sacred chanting continues to draw Ginny to participate in workshops and concerts with kirtan masters Deva Premal, Miten, Snatam and Krishna Das.
In addition to Kirtan practices, Ginny Mackles is a Board Certified Professional Counselor. Her broad background includes extensive work with intuitive counseling, energy work, regression therapy, the BodyTalk System, over 20 years of meditation practice as well as 15 years of corporate Human Resources management.
Teaching and practicing Reiki since the mid-1980’s, Ginny is a 4th generation Okuden practitioner of Jikiden Reiki having studied with Tadao Yamaguchi in Japan and a 5th generation Reiki Master Teacher in both Usui Shiki Ryoho lineage and Shinpiden certified in Usui Reiki Ryoho.
Ginny is one of the original members of Sita's Light going from backup vocals to vocals and harmonium.
For more information on Ginny’s work visit: www.GinnyMackles.com
Fumio Taniguchi - Tablas & Other Percussion
Buddhist, Yogi and Holistic Chef, Fumio is a graduate from the culinary institute of Tokyo, Japan. He has studied drumming in Japan and US for many years and plays tablas, djembe and multiple percussive instruments with several bands in NY and CT. In his words... "I have come to view my life as a journey. This does not mean I am particularly focused on a beginning or an end, rather, I am aware of the path beneath my feet, illuminated and it comes into focus. Now in my life I realize that this path has always been there, and some part of me has always followed it. We often think that the events that occur in life are isolated, each moment distinct, with no connection to the next; but I reject this way of thinking. My experiences are now what shape the road in front, but what allow me to recognize its curves and course. Every thing that has come before makes me thankful now to feel the ground beneath my feet and to feel the light that shines on me, as I move forward."
Suan Armstrong - Flutes & Backup Vocals
Suan Armstrong –– (B.M Hartt School of Music), is a certified Qi Gong/Sound/Color Practitioner and professional flutist. Since 1998, her passion has been sharing her transformational flute and vocal improvisations as a sound healer with voice, C flute, bass flute, Native American Cedar flutes, Bansuri flutes, Tibetan bowls and chimes tuned to the chakras. Suan’s work encompasses many venues in the US and Europe including: healing concerts, solstice/equinox celebrations, yoga classes, meditations, Kirtans, Dances of Universal Peace, and Labyrinth walks. Suan has appeared in concert with Grammy winning musicians David Darling and Glen Velez. She also performs regularly with the Kirtan band “Sita’s Light”, and sound healing duo Sonic Bliss. Suan offers classes, workshops, and private healing sessions at Bodhi Musica in New Hartford, CT, her retreat center devoted to awakening the soul’s potentials through sound, color, movement, and essences.