Meet the Featured Speakers of Sail to Serenity 2026

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Leonard Buschel

Leonard is a California Certified Substance Abuse Counselor and longtime recovery advocate. A Philadelphia native now based in Los Angeles, Leonard is the founder of Writers In Treatment, an organization dedicated to producing cultural events and publications that reduce the stigma of addiction and highlight solutions for those struggling.

He created and directed the REEL Recovery Film Festival & Symposium®, now in its 15th year and hosted in cities across the U.S., and for over a decade has served as editor and publisher of the Addiction/Recovery eBulletin®. Leonard also produced the Experience, Strength and Hope Awards®, honoring public figures such as Buzz Aldrin, Lou Gossett Jr., Joe Pantoliano, Mackenzie Phillips, and Jodie Sweetin for sharing their recovery journeys.

Leonard is also the author of High: Confessions of a Cannabis Addict — From Cannabis to Clarity, a memoir that candidly shares his own journey through addiction and recovery.

On the Sail to Serenity cruise, Leonard will share his insights and experience as both a counselor and cultural leader in the recovery community.

Sharon Smith

Sharon Smith is an intuitive energy healer, mind-body specialist, and international teacher who has been helping people worldwide find freedom from physical and emotional pain for over 20 years. She uses gentle, effective techniques such as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and her own guided mind-body work to uncover and release the emotional roots of illness and suffering.

Her philosophy is simple but powerful: pain is not punishment, but communication — and when we listen deeply, healing becomes possible on every level. Sharon’s clients have experienced remarkable transformations, from regaining mobility after chronic illness to finding lasting emotional freedom after years of struggle.

In addition to her private practice, Sharon is a sought-after speaker and creator of A Pain Plan, a YouTube channel with over half a million views that provides practical tools and inspiration for healing. Known for her warm, down-to-earth approach, she makes even the most complex mind-body principles accessible and life-changing.

On the Sail to Serenity cruise, Sharon will guide participants through a workshop designed to release the hidden emotional weight that can hold us back — opening the door to self-love, freedom, and a joyful, purposeful life.

Paritosh Nath

Paritosh Nath is a lifelong seeker, teacher, and guide who blends global leadership experience with deep spiritual study. Born in India, he spent over 30 years in senior management in international trade before dedicating his life fully to teaching Raja Yoga, mindfulness, and Eastern wisdom traditions.

For the past eight years, Paritosh has been based in Florida, where he teaches Raja Yoga, facilitates mindfulness and spirituality groups in addiction and mental health treatment centers, and serves as a guest lecturer at Palm Beach State College. His diverse training includes Psych-K, Pranic Healing, Reiki, Inner Engineering, and Life Coaching.

His studies span Zen, Advaita Vedanta, Sufism, Taoism, and Vajrayana Buddhism, enriched by practice with Jain and Buddhist monks. Drawing from Yoga and the Shambhala tradition of Dhyana, Paritosh offers timeless teachings with warmth, humor, and clarity—helping participants integrate spiritual insights into everyday life.

On the Sail to Serenity cruise, Paritosh will lead sessions in meditation, yoga, and mindfulness, inviting participants into presence, healing, and inner freedom.

Mike Fitzpatrick

Michael Fitzpatrick — author, historian, and founder of RecoverySpeakers.com, dedicated to preserving the legacy of AA’s founders and carrying their message of hope to future generations

Michael is coauthor with William G. Borchert of 1000 Years of Sobrietyand author of the first book under the Legacy 12 imprint, We Recovered Too. He is also co-author with Mel B. of Living the Twelve Traditions in Today's World. He is one of the leading historians and speakers in the field of alcoholism, specializing in the development of the Twelve Step movement.

Michael owns the largest audio archive related to the Twelve Step movement ever assembled and also more than three thousand original reel-to-reel recordings of the voices of the men and women who pioneered the Twelve Step movement.

Access and download recordings from his remarkable collection at www.RecoverySpeakers.com

Fitzpatrick lives in Chandler, Arizona.

Leigh Koechner

Leigh Koechner is a spiritual teacher, life coach, author, and thought leader. She vulnerably shares her mess and the magic that came from it to lessen the suffering of others. She moves her clients from their heads to the their hearts or from crazy to calm.

Leigh has her master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology 
Leigh Koechner is the Founder of the I Got You Foundation, Executive Producer of The Mindfulness Movement Film with Deepak Chopra, and currently writing her first book. She has five children, two dogs, one wasband, and resides in the City of Angeles.

Jennifer Giminez

Supermodel from TV's "Celebrity Rehab"

Tim Ryan

Author "From Dope to Hope" and seen in the A&E Documentary "Dope Man"

Rev. Stephen
Boyarsky

Stevie B. Boyarsky is a funny , entertaining internationally known faith-based recovery speaker. He brings motivational storytelling and spiritual insight to AA/12-step audiences, blending his professional training with his personal faith journey. He engages his audience both in person and online, and while he may use humor in his delivery, the most notable aspects of his work are his authenticity and spiritual focus.