
About
Guided
By Humanity
Be Here. Be You. Be In Community

Disability Awareness
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Exclusion can be seen in an inaccessible world that has three layers of barriers that are attitudinal (harmful stereotypes), environmental (physical structures), and institutional (laws and policies). Due to attitudinal discrimination issues, they face social challenges such as isolation of being ignored or excluded, and some people with disabilities have expressed feeling invisible.
Research has shown that trauma causes the body to produce adrenaline and cortisol, changing a person’s brain structure, and contributing to long-term physical and behavioral health problems.
Poverty compounds these traumas. One third of the disabled community lives in poverty. This isn’t a new problem either as the disabled have been in poverty throughout history.
These are the problems we want to address at Guided By Humanity. We believe in CONNECTION over PERFECTION. We’re here to welcome the members of our community as they are and support the individual needs so they can find the right supports for their needs.

What Is GBH?
Guided By Humanity is a 501(c)(3) organization. We are a community focused non-profit organization filling in the gap by offering inclusive, accessible, and equitable yoga and wellness services for everybody and everyability.
Mission
Providing inclusive and equitable health and wellness services for people living with disabilities, seen and unseen.
Vision
Our Values
Staff Bios
Mary Medellin Sims
Founder / Executive Director
She/Her
Mary Medellin Sims is deeply passionate and committed to health equity and social justice. She believes that ALL human beings deserve equal access to health. Mary has two decades of experience working with individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities in various capacities from direct care, administration, supervision, advocacy and natural support. With her passion and service in mind, Guided by Humanity was formed in 2017.
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Mary also serves on the Board of Directors for ‘The Wayfaring Band’, ‘Accessible Yoga’, and ‘Sana Yoga’. She is an experienced 500 HR Registered Yoga Teacher with a Bachelors of Art degree and additional certifications in Yoga Therapy for Grief, Adaptive Yoga, Accessible Yoga, Yoga for the Special Child, Trauma-Informed Yoga, Restorative and Yin Yoga. Mary is an experienced home healthcare provider and trained nurse assistant. Her compassion and competence allow her to meet individuals where they are while supporting their goals for growth and healing.
Certifications and Trainings for Mary:
- BA in Sociology from Midwestern State University
- Crisis Intervention
- Adaptive Yoga
- Yoga for Amputees,
- Accessible Yoga,
- Yin and Restorative Yoga,
- Yoga Therapy for Grief.
- All Abilities Yoga
- Avanza CNA Program
Contact: Mary@guidedbyhumanity.org
Rachel Kaplan
GBH Program Manager
She/Her
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- Adaptive Yoga
- Yoga for Amputees,
- Accessible Yoga
- Power Vinyasa Yoga
- End of Life and Bedside Yoga
- Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga
- Yin and Restorative Yoga
- Yoga Therapy for Grief
- All Abilities Yoga
- Birth Doula
- End of Life Doula
- Neurosequential Model of Reflection Supervision
- Avanza CNA program
Kathleen Martins
Community Outreach Coordinator
She/Her
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- Masters Degree in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling,
- Social Emotional yoga training with Breathe for Change
- Accessible Yoga Certified
- Yin and Restorative Trained
Board of Directors
Jennifer Martinez
Board President
She/Her
Jennifer is the Regional Director of Eligibility & Financial Determination at Innovage. Innovage is the largest provider of the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) based on participants served, InnovAge is dedicated to expanding this successful program to serve as many seniors as possible across the country.
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D. L. Pos Ryant
Treasurer
He/Him
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Mary Medellin Sims
Executive Director / Founder
She/Her
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Jeremiah Stanfield
Director
He/Him
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Enrique Elizondo
Director
He/Him
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Deidre Rodriguez
Board Secretary
She/Her
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Tyler Wesley
Director
He/Him
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More Staff
Mary Medellin Sims
She/Her
Rachel Kaplan
She/Her
Kathleen Martins
She/Her
Enrique Elizondo
He/Him
Pos Ryant
He/Him
Liza Morgan
She/Her
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April Maple
She/They
April invites everyone to find truth in feeling, and not become too involved with any stories attached. It is my mission to assist others in enabling the full release of human possibility. I help people remember their innate wisdom and knowledge already present in all of us.
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Nicole Ortiz
She/Her
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Giancarla Di Laura
She/Her
Amelia Jacobs
She/They
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Their experience consists of creating movement art and being a performance artist, often incorporating their somatic-based movement practice with their vocal/musical background. Moving forward, they are excited about constructing a practice that combines the mindfulness, spiritual aspects of Yoga with their creative, explorative practice of dance. At the core of Amelia’a mission is encouraging group and personal empowerment while inviting connection and community to flourish.
Jocelyn Roy
She/Her
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Bella Larsen
She/Her
Bella is a part of our Peer to Peer All Abilities Apprenticeship program. She is also currently a Fitness Captain with Special Olympics Colorado and works part time at The Roost Co-Op.. Bella believes All Abilities Yoga is important because it’s important to include others.
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“I’ve been in situations where I’ve felt left out because of my disability and Special Olympics and Guided By Humanity want everyone to be included,” said Bella. “All Abilities Yoga is important because you can move your body in a way that is comfortable to you and you can be with other people like you.” Favorite quote: “ Yes I can ! yes we will.”
Rossi Dimitrova
She/Her
Rossi found the joys of practicing Yoga when Yoga found her as a teenager back when she was only 17 years old in her home country of Bulgaria. Practicing on and off for years did not seem enough, and Rossi`s path took her to her first vinyasa yoga teacher training in 2014.
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Rossi continuously studies the roots and traditions of this practice as she truly believes in the benefits of this well rounded practice including all the eight limbs that Patanjali describes in the Yoga Sutras.
In Rossi`s class, you can expect to hold poses, work your physical alignment through alertness without tension, as well as create space for relaxation without dullness, laugh, create an intention, or learn a fun story from an old myth!
Brittany Murdock
She/Her
Shawn Davidson
She/Her
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Obediah Willis
He/Him