Mandorla Yoga Institute

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Calgary, AB
Mandorla Yoga Institute

Embodied healing in sacred space for you to breathe, rest, release emotions and re-write your story.

Join Our Next Hybrid Training:
>>>Calgary, AB, March 31 to April 4, 2025
OR
>>>Online, April 21 to 25, 2025 Mandorla Yoga Institute is the heart expression of Stefani Wilton, Somatic Therapist and creator of Embodiment Yoga Therapy. Offering 1:1 Mind-Body Therapy sessions in Calgary, AB, Canada, Stefani is passionate about supporting women in experiencing their own embodied healing through somatic breathwork, emotional release, embodiment practices, gentle restorative yoga, and Thai massage. In practice since 2001, Stefani is a mentor and educator, providing training and mentoring in Embodiment Yoga Therapy and Somatic Thai Yoga Massage.

04/02/2025

Today we explored the 5 development movements of yield, push, reach, grasp, and pull. According to Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, these are the essential developments that occur in embryo that impact our physical and emotional health later in life. For many of the women I work with, these actions are challenging because they lead us to confront the protective mechanisms we have established.

Yield is challenging because so many of us keep busy as a reflection of our trauma response. Slowing down feels unsafe.

Push is challenging because for many of us, we have lost our sense of self and establishing boundaries feels uncomfortable.

Reach is challenging because it brings up the fear of rejection and grasp/pull is challenging if we struggle with doing things for ourselves.

We explored all of this through the lens of krama, asking ourselves the question, 'what is available to me right now?' and paying attention to our body NOs and I DON'T KNOWs.

Something interesting that came up in discussion is that not all Somatic work is the same and this is ok. There is a time and place for the steadying work that helps us find stability and flexibility and there is a time for the deep dive work that is intense. I am all for the deep work and suggest that you spend time immersed in the stabilizing practices first so that you have a safety net that can support you in navigating the BIG feelings later on.

03/08/2025

Our March Somatic Embodiment Yoga Teacher Training in Calgary, AB is now full. Thank you to everyone who showed interest!

We are now accepting applications for the next session which begins on May 5th. Students may attend the 5-day immersion ONLINE or may join us in Calgary, AB at the Mandorla studio.

We will offer two scholarships for the May training. If your heart is telling you that this is the time to join us, we will do our best to support you.

Wit love,

Stefani

03/06/2025

To my sister's who are hurting,

May you know hope...

May you have glimmers of sunshine and whispers of beauty that awaken the parts of you that have gone into frozen spaces...

May you have people who will come alongside you and lift you up and march alongside you as you bravely enter those personal battles that opress you...

May you know that your limitations do not define you, that it is often the spaces in which we swim that disable us...

May you know deep within your bones that you are not broken beyond repair...

Those cruel words that rip through your mind can be disrupted.

Those spaces that feel lost can be reclaimed.

Spring can come again and until you see those whispers of change, those signs of new life...

I will hold that elusive hope for you until you are able to see it and feel it for yourself...

Because healing isn't about experiencing only good vibes and having a regulated nervous system doesn't mean you are calm all the time. It is messy. It is imperfect. It is about becoming flexible, resilient, and deeply gracious with yourself. It is a gentle reclaiming of your wholeness and a restoration of your sense of trust in your body. It is allowing yourself to complete all of your impulses that were interrupted.

If no one has said this to you today,

I LOVE YOU...

Stefani

02/23/2025

“There’s a reason I keep coming back to Mandorla for somatic yoga training. Stefani’s teachings are a salve that the world needs, providing a transformative and empowering learning environment for those wanting to become somatic yoga therapists. This program creates high quality teachers. 10/10 recommend. I will forever be a student at Mandorla.”

Thank you Emma for these beautiful words....

02/19/2025

✓ As an Accredited Canadian Education provider, our training programs in Somatic Embodiment Yoga and Somatic Yoga Therapy are eligible for the
CANADA JOB GRANT which covers up to 80% of your tuition.

✓ Our programs are RRSP, and RESP eligible, which means that you may use these funds to pay for your tuition.

✓ We provide our Canadian students with a tax reimbursement form.

✓ We are PRO- DIVERSITY, EQUITY, and INCLUSION and provide both payment plans and scholarships for our programs.

Ask us how we can support you in accessing Grants, RRSP, and RESP funds for your tuition for training in Somatic Embodiment Yoga and Somatic Yoga Therapy.

Our next training in Somatic Embodiment Yoga begins on March 31st in Calgary, AB in Kensington. There is still time to apply!

02/16/2025

Somatic Embodiment Yoga is a deeply nourishing practice for the nervous system and the mind. Connecting students to their own self-inquiry and freeform movements allows for new narratives to emerge that deeply impact one’s life by allowing for authentic wisdom, embodied connection, and transformation.

Download your free guide to the 200-hour Somatic Embodiment Yoga Teacher Training using the link in bio and learn about this beautiful offering that supports Nervous System Regulation and Embodied Connection.

Join us in person the week of March 31 - April 4 at in Calgary, AB. (A 💯 online alternative is available for students unable to attend the in-person immersion on the week of April 21st.

This international hybrid training allows you to immerse yourself in self-healing and then supports in deepening your personal practice and tending to self healing through continued online learning in Embodied Practice, Embodied Anatomy, Somatic Sequencing, and Embodied Teaching.

02/15/2025

Join us online for a Somatic Embodiment Yoga Practice to Regulate the Nervous System with Somatic Embodiment Yoga creator Stefani Wilton.

What is Somatic Embodiment Yoga?

Somatic Embodiment Yoga weaves the arts of Ayurveda, Somatic Movement, Yoga Therapy, Heart Wisdom, and Feminine Yoga Philosophy with the practices of Adaptive Viniyoga, Restorative Yoga, Breathwork, and Meditation. This beginner-level offering leads you on an embodied journey of self-healing and wisdom through inspiring body-based experiences. A deep dive into Earth Element tools for grounding, listening to the body, learning the language of your body, and working with the nervous system to restore regulation is an experience that encourages community, connection, and co-regulation.

How is Somatic Embodiment Yoga different?

All somatic practices invite an exploration of the body. While many somatic practices tend to focus on emotional release (and there is a space and time for this!), these practices are focused on supporting you in cultivating tools that help you navigate all of the expressions of your nervous system.

We think of it like this - somatic work is like diving into your own personal well of emotions. In this work, we share with you how to build the ladder that allows you to go down into that well of emotions and, more importantly, to give you tools for knowing how to come out of that emotional well when it begins to feel too intense.

What can I expect in a Somatic Embodiment Yoga practice?

In a SEY session, you can expect:

Tools for regulating your nervous system
Embodied movement
Inviting relief and spaciousness in your breathing
Releasing tension that you are holding in your body
Connecting through sharing time with Stefani and other participants.

Somatic Embodiment Yoga is a neurodivergent affirming practice. It allows you to experience connection with others while reducing factors that are overloading for your nervous system.

Sign up here:
https://www.mandorlayoga.com/community-classes

02/10/2025

In the 200-hour Somatic Embodiment Yoga Teacher Training through Mandorla Yoga Institute, you
deepen your connection to your body and learn its language along with tools for responding to the subtle cues of your nervous system and emotions...

Join us for the 5-day immersion in Calgary, AB
this March 31, 2025 held and complete your studies online via our international hybrid program.

Can't attend the in-person immersion? Join us online April 21-25 for the 💯 online program.

Your program includes:

> Somatic Embodiment Immersion
> Embodied Practice
> Embodied Anatomy - the energetics of alignment
> Somatic Yoga Sequencing
> Embodied Teaching
> Experience Somatic Embodiment Yoga Classes for Nervous System Regulation

Our programs are open to those who are interested in personal development or professional growth. No prior experience is required. We use an application process to ensure that there is a reasonable expectation of safety and mutual respect within each cohort.

Mandorla Yoga Institute is a government accredited school in Canada. Applicants may use RRSP or RESP funds toward their tuition and tax receipts are provided for tax reimbursement at year end.

Schedule a time to speak with us using the link in bio or download a copy of the free Somatic Embodiment Yoga Teacher Training Guide.

02/07/2025

“Stefani Wilton is a pioneer in the field of restorative yoga and somatic body work. Her expertise in connecting the body and mind to heal the (S)self is essential for every body. Whether you are new to restorative yoga and somatic healing or well versed in it, Stefani’s work will guide and inspire. Stefani’s teachings have helped me find self-discovery and self-healing while assisting others to do the same both in the therapy office and on the yoga mat.”

Be the Change Counseling

02/06/2025

Inspired by the concept of the Mandorla, the almond-shaped space that occurs between two circles when they overlap, Mandorla Yoga Insitute is dedicated to exploring the opposites that exist within each of us. By allowing ourselves to fully embody not just those parts of ourselves that we feel are acceptable but those parts that we often hide from others, we are invited into a deep and profound experience of WHOLENESS and SELF-ACCEPTANCE.

The Mandorla Yoga Institute is an accredited Canadian school that has been dedicated to supporting embodied healing since 2007. We welcome students who are interested in attending our programs for personal healing and for professional growth.

Mandorla Yoga Institute provides government-accredited training in:
Somatic Embodiment Yoga
Somatic Yoga Therapy
and Integrative Thai Yoga Massage.
As an accredited school, we provide tuition tax receipts for our programs, and students may apply RRSP and RESP funds toward their tuition. Our programs are also eligible for educational grants in ON, BC, and AB.

02/05/2025

Embodied community asks you to explore how your body responds when you are in the presence of others. It invites you to unpack programming that has taught us to emphasize and centre others while discounting our own wisdom. In this space we are given the opportunity to ask questions around how we want to be treated by others, what the actions are that meet our needs, and how we might repattern our ability to be EMBODIED while in the presence of others while also recognizing and honoring the messages our body shares of YES and NO.

Embodied spaces invite you to attune with your own felt sense and awaken you to self inquiry and expression. Embodied leaders ask questions and support you in arriving at your own wisdom. Embodied language invites you while honoring your choice.

02/04/2025

“My journey learning Somatic Yoga Therapy with Stefani started as a self-exploration of boundaries, limits, and finding space internally where I can feel and embody safety, comfort, and self-compassion. Stefani was not only a teacher, a guide, or a mentor, she became one with us. She feels your experiences and guides you through them with the gentlest and softest approach...I embarked on this journey feeling a little scared with not knowing what to expect and I am grateful for all that this experience has taught me about the somatic experiencing of trauma and how our bodies can tell stories we have forgotten. I am grateful for the growth I have experienced and my ability to bring this experience to my own space and the individuals I work with. I am grateful for how I have learned to listen to behaviors and what the body speaks, it is no longer agitation that I see but rather a story being told through the unspoken thoughts we leave behind. We often have a choice in what comes out of our mouths but this training has taught me to listen to both as the unspoken truth through bodily sensations is as valid and powerful, if not at times more, than what we chose to let out. One of my biggest teachings I would say is that this training is not your typical training to learn a new approach, it’s becoming part of a community, a family, of people learning how to be vulnerable, people learning how to support, and people learning how to just be. I am grateful for every bit of this journey and would embark on it again and again in a heartbeat.”

Thank you for these beautiful words,

Address

Calgary, AB

Telephone

+15875002848

Website

http://www.mandorlayoga.com/

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Our Story

Our vision is to see you deeply connected with your life purpose and leading a meaningful life. These programs are designed to challenge you just enough while supporting you wholeheartedly.

We look forward to holding space for you.

What is Embodiment Yoga?

The Mandorla approach to yoga is based on the principle of embodiment. With a focus on moving inward, we support our student in re-inhabiting their body, feeling their emotions fully and enjoying their life. It is about re-awakening our innate ability to listen to our bodies needs and tapping into the emotional patterning that is locked in our tissues. In so doing, there is hope that we can develop an emotional understanding, a vocabulary that allows us to distinguish the difference between who we are versus the emotions that move through us..

We are passionate about sharing the fusion of Thai Yoga Massage and Yoga with our students. The profound element of healing touch that we teach in our programs is a healing experience in and of itself that prepares you to become a profound teacher and healer. Our two main offerings, Embodiment Yoga Teacher Training and Thai Yoga Therapy Training are designed to support you first and foremost in your own healing journey. We do this by ensuring that we create an atmosphere that it is safe and non-intimidating. We keep our class sizes small and we make sure that we, your teachers, are accessible and approachable.

Injury in yoga practice occurs when we try to achieve or force a posture. Healing in yoga practice occurs when we take the time to select the needed postures and adapt them to our needs and abilities. In therapeutic yoga we merge the feminine arts of listening, creativity and intuition with the much needed masculine energy of functional anatomy and orthopedic exercise principles. Our courses are developed with this intention so that our graduates are both confident and compassionate. We believe that a therapeutic yoga session should feel safe and trans-formative; like you have spent time with an inspiring friend who is cheering you on. Mandorla Yoga Institute Courses incorporate the following modalities into our teachings: Ayurvedic Elements for assessment and healing Thai Yoga Massage and Restorative Adaptations Yin and Dynamic Yin approaches to asana Restorative & Adaptive Yoga and how to modify postures relating to mis-alignment or injury Therapeutic Vinyasa Flow Yoga and Intelligent Sequencing Functional Anatomy and Orthopedic exercise strategies Empowering hands on assisting techniques and Therapeutic Sequencing Therapeutic yoga for emotional health including pranayama, meditation, mudra and mantra Energetic Anatomy and Chakra Therapy, Meridian Yoga and Ayurvedic Marma Therapy Meditation and Philosophy and the Art of holding a profound space for our students