Being The Voice of Change - A call to leaders aspiring at the forefront of global transformation

August 21-24th 2025 in the Catskill Mountains

AKERA Retreat Center

Woodbourne, NY

This retreat focuses on how we use our voice to make positive change in the world. You will be held in a compassionate self-reflective field to more deeply connect with your life’s purpose. Then together we will challenge ourselves by employing various techniques to access new ways of authentically expressing our life’s purpose. This has many dimensions – how do we use our voice to become magnetic and compelling? How do we use our voice to attract what we need to achieve our goals? And how do we use our voice to build confidence in the rightness of our existence and the rightness of our mission? ‘Being The Voice of Change’ explores esoteric (yet accessible) teachings and native wisdom traditions while harnessing our deepest creative resources as a pathway to a powerful life. For anyone who wants to uncover both blockages and hidden treasures, this is a retreat for you. 

Join Vocal Transformation coaches, Maryn Azoff, her partner, Patrick Surdam and Curandero and Educator Jeff Firewalker, PhD at AKERA Retreat Center in New York. It's situated on 123-acres of pristine Catskills nature, including serene forests, rolling meadows, babbling waters, horizon views with both sunrises and sunsets, and diverse wildlife.  We are so excited to hold our classes in AKERA's just built 3k FT CUSTOM WOODEN DOME, which is perched on a hilltop and who's terrace opens to the eastern horizon of the Catskills. Natural interior acoustics from the wood paneling and curvature offer an incredible resonance that will take our voices to a whole new level. 

During our time together we will focus on building confidence and breaking through limitations, both physical and emotional, that prevent us from realizing our life’s purpose.  Thru direct experience, you will learn tools and techniques to heal and uncover untapped inner resources and resolve.  We will learn the science and magic behind using our voices to heal our body, manifest our reality, and liberate our spirit. 

This retreat is best for those who are seeking insight and strategies for being an agent of positive change at this time of global turmoil and transformation.  

Jeff Firewalker Schmitt is an educator, folk healer, master ceremonialist, musician, and scientist.

Jeff is a teacher of the healing arts of South America and the Andes. He has given nearly 200 invited presentations (including a TEDx talk and keynote at the Global Philosophy Forum) over the past 35 years. His passionate focus is personal and planetary healing and one of his greatest joys is sharing knowledge and wisdom. He has taught transformative workshops in the US and Europe for the past 25 years. He leads the Eagle Condor Council, one of the premier organizations focused on Andean Nature Mysticism. 

 A former university professor and social entrepreneur, he has more than 100 publications and patents to his name. In 1998 he received his doctorate from Oxford University and The University of Bath in Molecular Biophysics.  During his career he helped create 5 companies and participated in one IPO. He spent the bulk of his science career helping people leverage their innovations into practical tools to help people lead healthier lives.

He has held full professorships at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Biochemistry, Physiology-Pharmacology, Integrative Medicine, and Translational Sciences. He founded and directed the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative at Wake Forest School of Medicine (now Wake Forest Innovations). Until recently, he was director of research for the Center for Integrative Medicine at Wake Forest.

As a sound artist, Jeff’s work has spanned music-for-modern-dance to funk and blues-driven social commentary. His key interest is using song and music as a vehicle for storytelling, enjoyment, and awakening.  Over the past three decades he has had the privilege of collaborations with Mitch Easter (REM’s producer),  Warren Haynes (The Allman Brothers Band, Government Mule), John Medeski (Medeski Martin & Wood), Vernon Reid (Living Color) and many others.