Stefani was first introduced to somatic work in her youth as part of her theatre arts education. As a neurodivergent person, she was drawn to body-based expression and became passionate about exploring emotions through freeform movement and Vinyasa Flow Yoga. This curiosity led her to focus her B.A. (Cultural Studies) thesis on how redemptive themes in the Arts can invite self-reflection and healing of the shadow-self.  In her twenties, she had the opportunity to work with a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist who introduced her to somatic-informed yoga. This inspired her to pursue studies with Robin Rothenburg in the foundations of Viniyoga Therapy and with Jack Kornfield in the practice of Mindfulness Meditation. She became a Certified Yoga Therapist in 2009 (C-IAYT). These practices largely inform the embodied way that Stefani experiences and teaches yoga. Stefani went on to study Thai Yoga Massage in Thailand, the US, and Canada, and then pursued a Myofascial-Osteopathic-informed Massage Therapy designation in 2012 (RMT 2200 HRS), which contributes to the unique way in which Stefani integrates Somatic Bodywork practices into her work.

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Stefani’s vision for Somatic Yoga Therapy and Somatic Embodiment Yoga further developed as she immersed herself in the study of Adaptive and Restorative Yoga as well as Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice (ISTP™) at the Integrative Somatic Studies Institute in Vancouver, BC, where she is honored to be a faculty member. Stefani is a creative innovator who joyfully endeavors to share her therapy work in 1:1 and group settings, with collaborative work in clinics in AB, ON, and BC alongside her private practice and educational work through Mandorla Yoga Institute. She has a rich history of community building, having owned her first yoga studio in Sarnia, ON, and now proudly calls Calgary, AB, home with her family.

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A personal note from Stefani...

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I have always been a creative and sensitive soul who saw the world through a different lens. As a neurodivergent person, a lot of spaces weren't a fit for me, and this inspired me to find my own path and to create a community for people like me who were looking for a quiet space where they might belong. Creating something that I see is needed in the world is a passion for me, and over the years, I have brought into existence some beautiful things that have come to be known as Somatic Embodiment Yoga and Somatic Yoga Therapy. I am a storyteller, a changemaker, a writer, and a weaver of relationships. 

 

In my work, I draw from my lived experience as a neurodivergent individual with a history of trauma and my over 23 years of facilitating somatic yoga experiences. I have traveled as far as Thailand to find the modalities that made my heart sing and integrate Registered Massage Therapy (RMT 2200hrs), Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice (ISTP™), Thai Yoga Massage, Nervous System Regulation Techniques, Somatic Yoga Therapy, and Embodiment Yoga into my sessions. I hold a special place in my heart for neurodivergent individuals and endeavor to create a brave space for you, where you feel welcome and honored for your strengths.​ I am passionate about this community that I have created over the years, where we co-create together the reclamation of our bodies and connection with others. By leading with vulnerability and honesty from a place of fierce love, I help people return to a feeling of ease within their bodies. 

 

Called to the feminine side of yoga, my heart for facilitating ease and finding flow inspired my studies in mindfulness meditation, feminine yogic philosophy, Adaptive Yoga, Anusara, Vinyasa Flow (Viniyoga inspired), Yoga Therapy, and Thai Yoga Massage. After the birth of my daughter in 2016, it became very clear that what I was sharing was Embodiment . . . the pathway home, a practice of reclamation of your body, your voice, your story, and your path. I continue to follow this thread and continue to study Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice (ISTP™) with my mentor, Ratha Chek. I am honored as well to be on the faculty of the Integrative Somatic Studies Institute®, where I teach about the intersections between somatic therapy, yoga, bodywork, and trauma healing.

 

I would like to honor my mentors who have supported me over the years. The knowledge that I have did not appear from within a vacuum. Thank you to Ratha Chek for seeing me in my wholeness and celebrating my wildness. Thank you to Michiji (Michelle Cormack) for supporting me in finding my joy and beginning the process of tapping into my body; thank you to Karen Heaven for opening the doors of Tantra for me and helping me to discover playfulness and ease; thank you to Robin Rothenburg for introducing me to Viniyoga and the deeper wisdom of yoga philosophy, Thank you to Lucille Palancher and Remco for sharing your wisdom in the art of Thai Yoga Massage, and thank you to the many beautiful teachers who have inspired this path of embracing my body with kindness.