Kira Seiffert

Founder - Wild Mountain Connection

I came to yoga through curiosity and a deep love of movement—drawn to the same embodied freedom I feel while running, skiing, backpacking, and wandering in the wild. Nature has always been my greatest teacher, and yoga became a way to deepen that connection while reshaping how I experience my body, my life, and the world.

I’ve been a healer for over 20 years, practicing bodywork and energy work and listening deeply—to clients, students, myself, and the natural world. Trained in Baptiste Power Vinyasa at Shakti Vinyasa Yoga and shaped by teachers throughout the PNW and beyond, I’m also a mom to two young adult boys— my constant compass, always pointing me back to true north and reminding me not to take myself too seriously. My work is about creating space for healing and freedom, trusting the wisdom we already carry, and inviting curiosity, laughter, and a little playful magic into the journey.

Hannah Dutton

Farm to Table Adventure Chef - Wilde Roots Provisions

Hi, I'm Hannah. I'm a mom, adventurer, and a chef. I like to think of myself as an adventure chef. I moved here a few years ago from Hawai'i where I spent nearly ten years exploring the islands, kite surfing, teaching yoga, and of course, cooking. In 2016, I started a farm to table meal delivery and event catering business on Oahu. While my business is changed and I am found a new name, the heart of why I started is the same. I am a nurturer, and I come by it honestly after generations of women in my family.

I want food to be an experience. I choose nourishing, flavorful ingredients that comfort and make you feel like you are home. I always strive to inspire others to eat sustainably, creatively, to know any ingredient can be delicious and sustain you on any adventure. Food can hold so much love, which is one reason I find it so very special.

Gracia Tharp, MS, AEMP

Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbal Medicine - Thrive / Coalesce

With over 11 years of experience in Eastern medicine, Gracia Tharp brings a unique and integrative approach to healthcare, blending ancient wisdom with modern, evidence-based practices. Her philosophy centers on delivering highly personalized care tailored to each individual’s needs, helping patients achieve optimal and lasting outcomes. Gracia brings a compassionate, knowledgeable approach to care. Her goal is to help patients feel empowered, balanced, and fully supported in their health journey.

Gracia is the owner and operator of Thrive Integrative Health in Issaquah, WA, and Coalesce Acupuncture & Eastern Medicine in Snoqualmie Valley, where she has created welcoming spaces for holistic, patient-centered care.

She treats a wide range of concerns, including pain, injury, stress, anxiety, sleep, digestion, and hormonal balance. She also has a special interest in reproductive and maternal health, supporting patients through fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum.

Outside of her clinical work, Gracia enjoys attending retreats and the outdoors. She loves yoga, backpacking, skiing, snowboarding, and sailing, and cherishes time with her family—especially exploring the Cascades and the South Shore of Lake Superior.

Matt Palubinskas

Much of Matty’s life has been spent either in the mountains or in the classroom. He plays and learns on the glaciers and ridges of the peaks of the northwest as well as the classrooms of Seattle.  On most weekdays you’ll find Matty in the lab teaching physics, but during the weekends and in the summer,

Matty is an avid alpinist and mountaineering instructor with over two decades of leading technical climbs in high alpine environments.  Whether high altitude trekking in Nepal and Patagonia or climbing local iconic peaks like Forbidden Peak or Mount Rainier to lesser-known gems like Mount Triumph in the North Cascades, Matty appreciates a good adventure.

As an EMT-B and with 6 seasons of ski patrol and an additional 12 years of mountain rescue work with King County SAR under his belt, Matty has put a myriad of wilderness medicine skills to good use in the field.  A passion of his is using those experiences and sharing that which he’s learned by teaching Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder courses for CPR Seattle.  Balancing precious time between family, the climbing community, and search & rescue can be challenging, however Matty embraces it all with enthusiasm and gratitude, and still finds time to both learn and share with others.

Read more about Matty on the WMC Team Member Spotlight!

Daniela Marie

Daniela is a mother, singer/songwriter, athlete, and lover of all things wellness. She practices vascular ultrasound at Overlake Medical Center and has experience as a massage therapist, group fitness trainer and teacher.

Daniela’s lifelong passion for movement, music, creativity, travel, good food and positive human connection have led her towards wellness events and retreats. Her adventurous energy brings people together in the spirit of having fun, dancing and trying new things. Sharing laughter together deepens both a sense of community and of self love.

At WMC Retreats, she captures beauty in the moment through candid photography. When Daniela accompanies savasana with her musical artistry & beautiful voice, she facilitates stillness, provides reflection, and often brings tears of both joy & healing.

* The Wild Mountain Connection team is celebrating that our musician will be having a birthday over the retreat weekend! Our gift to you for Daniela’s birthday… use code SOULSONG when applying your retreat payment, and receive $20 off registration!

Melinda & Cruz Flores

Cruz & Meli give behind the scenes support to the WMC Team.

Melinda assists Kira with planning, admin work, and logistics so they can get back out on trails more quickly. During retreats, she helps with set-up, take-down & transport, as well as organization & flow between activities. Meli can usually be found on a PNW trail with her dog Twiggy, or at a yoga class. She loves plants, dogs, family & community.

Cruz supports WMC through promotion and brand outreach. Cruz is most at home in the backcountry — skiing, biking, or hiking whenever possible. In his spare time, when he’s not in the woods or working as a Service Specialist at Transition Bikes, he’s attending classes at WWU.