Mantra • Yoga with April, Edmonton, AB (2026)

01/04/2026

✨ Start 2026 with Intention ✨
$20 Off Enhance Sadhana Prescription until Jan 7 or while spots last.

At the start of any new cycle, I find myself reflecting on how I want to show up in the coming season, how I wish to nurture my relationships with myself, my family, the universe.
In my own journey, I’ve found that addressing areas I want to focus on, such as confidence, intuition, reducing anxiety, mindset shifts always begins with my sādhanā. It is my most direct and reliable pathway to sustainable, embodied transformation.

Sādhanā is not simply a general “yoga practice” or a feel-good experience. It is an intentional, energetically directed practice that works deeply with the mind and subtle body, creating real and lasting change.

There is a distinct difference between a great practice and an intelligently directed sādhanā. While a general practice can feel nourishing, it may keep us moving in familiar loops. A well-crafted sādhanā, however, becomes a clear and aligned inner pathway supporting genuine elevation.

For the past five years, I’ve offered customized sādhanās, and they remain my favorite offerings. Having experienced the power of personalized sādhanā for nearly 15 years myself, I approach these privates with care and continue to be inspired by the rich, meaningful shifts they create for others.

To celebrate this work and share the gift of sādhanā, I’m offering a $20 off the Enhance Sādhanā Prescription until January 7, 2026, or while spaces last.

What’s included:
• Reflection + Intake Form
• 15–20 min Online Connection Session
• Fully Prepared, Personalized Sādhanā
• 60-min Online Private Session
• 2 Email Follow-Ups for integration support

Limited spots available (I’m only one person 🤍).
Could one be for you?

✨ Link in bio to learn more & book ✨
(or visit: mantrastudio.ca/enhance-sadhana-private)

01/03/2026

A year of significant movement and change. But isn't that how it always goes??

This year, I taught more than I have in any year since having kids, which has been a whole evolution and re-strengthening in itself.

It's nice to feel 'out of the woods' so to speak, from the whirlwind of 'postpartum' that seems to take a good three years of recovery.

(Shouldn't it, though? It is, after all, a momentous time in life, a complete and utter transformation that seems impossible to process until you're looking back in the rearview mirror. The impatience of it all is something else… or rather my impatience of it all.

And truly, at the beginning of the year, I couldn't have imagined not only teaching all that I did, but what I did among 'regular life', yet Kali gifted me a capacity.

Which I did not realize till far later. I don't consider myself as in relationship with Kali, nor have I taken the time to cultivate such a relationship and if I'm being honest, I keep my fair distance... but there it was…mantra sadhana does many things.

And in truth, it must be from a past life because it certainly couldn't have been fully from this one????

Durga, who feels like a beloved, took that capacity and propelled me forward at a speed that was not of April proportions…

Every time a new idea arose, the words “If fear is the reason you don’t take steps forward, that’s not a reason at all.” poured in.

An unbinding of too many decades of inhibition… yet my huma-ness remains, and I still see the 'fear' …the ropes just aren't as tight.

…Mantra sadhana does many things.

I found renewed reverence for being taught from a teacher with a lineage that didn't fall in the throws of modern yoga, surface mindfulness, movement masked as yoga.

Each year, that lineage seems to subtly transform my view of the maps in the body that cannot be seen from the single plane we've been taught to trust so much.

We let go of our 'place at the lake'.

This place taught me about nature in ways I could not have learned otherwise. Wind directions, sunrises and sunsets, and the dimensional behaviour of elements. There were good lessons.

The letting go also pulled at threads of grief from decades gone by... the walls, the buildings, sheds, and spare rooms became a place of storage, a collection of times from family members long lost…

Itsy bitsy ballet shoes, newspaper clippings of accomplishments, faded ink of black and white, childhood stuffies, heirlooms and more quaintly buried in chests…… (still waiting for me to go through and somehow resurrect??) (29 years for resolution to become).

In the enjoyment of my maya took a trip to San Fran to see the best concert of all time 😆.

The first time both of us have left the kids at the same time. And likely the last… YOU go, I go, but it seems impossible to go together 🙃

…Maya is good 😉

And then, probably the most surprising of all inner and outer journeys this year… Auset (Isis) called me to Egypt…

The only thing I can say is that Karma took me there.

A building of a relationship with Śakti and the Devī.

Auset showed me a warming and a protection, Het-Heru (Hathor) taught me the resonance of the mother, restored the healing of my childhood, and surely made me a better mother (even in my realness and rather ridiculous impatience).

I would love to write more about this, and maybe I will... but in truth, the processing is still unfolding. (and I'm always way over Instagrams character count 😒)

The last months of the year were intense, wild, and at times, a yogini quietly tip toeing around eggshells amidst painful emotions of gratitude and memories for the life that has been lived.

Is sentimental the format of aging…if it is, it's in the feeling of my being while I simultaneously watch as the witness of a rather intriguing and equally boring play.

Life is good.

Let's see what happens next year. 🪔🙏🏼

01/02/2026

My Updated Yoga Schedule for January ✨

Monday |
9:00–9:45am — Mantra Yoga
10:00–11:15am — Akhanda Flow

Tuesday |
6:00–7:00am — Warm Sunrise
9:30–10:45am — Yoga Flow
11:00am–12:00pm — Mom & Baby (Begins Jan 13)

Wednesday | Online with April
9:00–10:00am — Info coming soon
Message me if you’re interested

Thursday |
6:00–7:00am — Warm Sunrise (every second week)

Would love to practice with you 🤍

01/02/2026

Sometimes Karma Throws You a Bone…

As I reflected on this past year of yogic learning and teaching — and felt so much gratitude (see my last post!) — I also found myself thinking about how I ended up on this platform, with this handle, and the path that unfolded alongside me.

Life is wild, y’all…

Back in 2008, fresh out of university with a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication, I had already been teaching yoga for 4–5 years. I was brainstorming what to call my freelance design business. After some conversations with close design friends (who are now long gone), “Mantracreatives” became the top choice.

The rationale was that visual design was my “mantra,” and, as a bonus, it could also become a home for my multiple gigs.

Looking back, it’s funny because the whole motto reveals my naivety around the word and understanding of “mantra.” But that’s the gift of evolution. This naming would also foreshadow my future: gradually, I would choose to fade design into the background and step fully into the stewardship of yoga — not only through teaching, but somehow, by karmic inclination, I would also find a way to tap into the power of mantra in ways unfathomable.

Over time, Mantracreatives transformed into simply Mantra — and later Mantrastudio, because that was the URL available 😆. Fun fact: I’ve always had the .ca because the .com was scooped up by one of those companies that buys URLs and charges $$$ to release them. To this day, no one has the .com — it’s been parked longer than I’ve had the .ca. Strange, right?

At the time, my conscious mind had no idea the path that was unfolding. Looking back now, it all feels a little ironic — and a lot funny. Sometimes karma throws you a bone… and shows you where you are going before you even know.

01/02/2026

THANK YOU to all of YOU 🤍

To this yoga community, those who follow along here, join classes and workshops, to my teachers and guides.

Teaching yoga is never a solo path. It lives and breathes through community. It is nothing without those devoted to exploring the inner planes, leaning into dedication of Self, and staying curious about what true inner alignment means.

Because of you, I am here. And I am deeply grateful.

I feel called to share this quote, as it truly sums up my experience: “Teaching is a gift from your students. Sādhanā is the gift to your students.”

So many creative insights and philosophical understandings have unfolded within me through the act of teaching. The practicality of application opens doorways that cannot be found through theory or surface exploration alone. Rather the formulas find dimension in the guidance and guiding of the path, the walking together.

In this realization my reverence for each person who has graced my presence in class is immeasurable. Teaching has helped me cultivate a map of the mind, the subtle body, and even physical functionality. It has offered me an integrated system and continues to bring revelation upon revelation about myself, my mind, my energy, and even my movement patterns.

Each year, as my sādhanā deepens, it humbles my teachings. And yet it also surprises me and shocks me with wide eyes. I often find my self stepping back in awe at what unfolds in class: the dialogue, the creativity, the unexpected directions.

This wisdom, the formulas are certainly not from my limited awareness, there's no way. It can only arise from the Devī, consciousness itself, the Śakti of sādhanā, and from the unique formula created by those who join me on this path.

There is no other way to explain it.

So thank you — to all who have made this possible. To those who have laid down their mats, taken their seats on meditation cushions, chanted mantras, stood with me in moments of stillness, and stepped courageously into the unknown. To those who have willingly traversed the inner journey of yoga with me.

You have gifted me more than you could ever know 🤍

May 2026 bless us all with coherence, discovery, and wisdom.

12/20/2025

✨ Winter Solstice Serenade ✨
Live Online + Recorded Yoga Class

Join me to celebrate the pivotal moment of the Winter Solstice ❄️🌑

In this practice, we’ll land in the balanced wisdom of the mūlādhāra cakra, awakening your foundational energy and amplifying your ability to step into the light of yourself

Through grounded haṭha postures aligned with sacred sound vibration , we’ll work with the four petals of the mūlādhāra cakra—strengthening inner connection, nourishing the nervous system, expanding the mind, and creating readiness to move with integrity into the next seasonal cycle

When:Sunday, Dec 21 • 6–7:15pm MST �Where: Online via Zoom �Recording: 1 Year Access�
Energy Exchange: $25 CAD

To Register: Link In bio https://www.mantrastudio.ca/winter-solstice-serenade-2025

12/16/2025

✨ Online Aura & Immunity Drop-In Class ✨
Recording Available | December 17th

Join me online for a unique class to strengthen and expand your aura — the subtle field that surrounds us and supports vitality, immunity, human capacity, and resilience.

In this practice we’ll focus on the maṇipūra (navel) and anāhata (heart) cakras to clear the nāḍīs, support the nervous system, and bring brightness to your aura and presence.

You can expect a harmonizing blend of Haṭha and Kuṇḍalinī yoga.

Curious about the benefits of a healthy aura?

✨ Supports immune health
✨ Boosts energy and vitality
✨ Regulates and strengthens the nervous system
✨ Enhances mental clarity and focus
✨ Cultivates long-term well-being
✨ Deepens your connection to the cosmos

When: December 17th, 9–10am MST
Where: Zoom
Recording: 1-year access

Energy Exchange: $20

To Register: Link in Bio

https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/DYEKC636CNR6C

11/25/2025

One of the first times mantra truly surprised me—And I’m not talking about the “I feel so aligned,” or "I feel so connected” kind of experience (though those are all powerful alignments).

I’m talking about: “Oh, stop you in your tracks, alchemy.”

I’ll never forget the moment. I'd been practicing yoga for 11 years and teaching around 8 (2011-ish). I had just started working with very specific mantras under my teacher, not the casual, haphazard approach we often see in modern yoga (or the “pick one off the internet the night before class” type of thing).

And honestly? I’ve rarely encountered a truly qualified mantra teacher in modern yoga. (They exist, but it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. A conversation for another time.)

What occurred during that time in my sādhanā felt completely unexpected…But it became a huge learning moment for me in the power of mantra. It was pure alchemy—and it floored me!

The first time the Śakti/power of the mantra revealed itself, I was teaching a public yoga class, leading as I always did: alignment cues, themes, readings, a purposefully chosen playlist to guide us toward a dance with Sattva.

Then something happened. Out of nowhere, universal principles I'd never consciously learned entered my mind and poured through my voice. They weren’t of me, from me, or even through me in the way I had understood. It was Śakti—implanting understanding and projecting it through my voice.

From that point on, this continued every class.
An unexpected bonus? My writing transformed too. Prior to that moment, I was a terrible writer (ask my husband, who I always asked to edit my work 🤦🏼‍♀️) but suddenly it became clear, easy, and, honestly, surprising to me... I can't take any credit for anything useful spoken since that moment—because it’s never really been me. It’s always been Śakti.

I don’t often share these personal experiences, but sometimes as a yogi, it’s helpful to glimpse what becomes possible when your practice and techniques are purposeful.

If this sparks something in you — that quiet curiosity about what’s really possible through mantra — then maybe it’s time to experience it for yourself.

The Yoga of Embodied Sound Immersion | Nov 28-30 | | Link in bio
( 🤗 pics from my trip to india last year!)

11/24/2025

A translation of a Sanskrit word offers a doorway to its deeper resonance—but this doorway can become a limitation if we don’t move beyond the English meaning and return to the original vibration to fully experience its embodiment.

So what exactly is carried in the vibratory resonance of Namaste?

Namaste is formed from two Sanskrit words:
- Namah (नमः) – respectful salutations, bow, reverence, obeisance
- Te (ते) – to you
(When combined, Namah + Te → Namaste through Sanskrit sandhi rules, which smooth the sound.)

Yet Namaste is not just a polite greeting, though we are certainly welcome to use it that way. It is a gesture of inner recognition, reverence, and honouring.

The sacred sounds that form Namaste inherently carry these qualities—even if we don’t consciously know the meaning, they are expressed in the vibration itself.

These vibrations are aligned with Bhakti (devotion) and naturally promote ojas, vitality, and love. This flow of devotion and ojas permeates the body, breath, and mind, offering tangible benefits, including:

✨ The quieting of unnecessary thoughts
✨ Enhancement of inner peace
✨ Nourishment for the nervous system and mental state
✨ Support for longevity and overall health

These vibrations act as a wonderful counterbalance to the overstimulation of the outer world, especially in our current technological age that pulls us away from center.

Even a single Sanskrit word—recited, or simply heard—when approached with awareness, can be therapeutic, bringing balance, clarity, and a direct experience of devotion in everyday life.
Maybe we could all use a little more Namaste? 🙏

Join me for the Yoga of Embodied Sound: An immersion into Sanskrit and Mantra and awaken to the vibration of your own inner devotion.

Nov 28-30 | | Link in bio

https://www.pranayogastudio.ca/events/event/yoga-of-embodied-sound-2/
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11/24/2025

🕉️ 108 Oṁs — Yes or No?

People are often surprised when I share that I don’t recommend chanting 108 Oṁs—and in fact, I rarely invite modern yogis to chant 108 repetitions of most mantras right out of the gate.

It’s not that 108 is wrong (it’s an important and auspicious
number in the yogic tradition), but there are many factors that influence how someone may work with a mantra.

Let’s take Oṁ as an example… important considerations include:
- What is this person’s position in society?
- Do they have an existing mantra practice (sattvic, rajasic, tamasic)?
- Where are they in their yogic journey?
- Do they experience symptoms like depression, anxiety, overwhelm, heaviness, or lethargy?
- What are their goals and aspirations?
- What is their unique constitution? (Vata, Pitta, Kapha tendencies?)

These questions help reveal whether a particular practice will be balancing or imbalancing, and whether it will truly support their goals. An imbalancing approach may actually move us further from them.

This is what I call responsible sound—an area that receives almost no attention in modern yoga.

Too often, we hear statements like, “This mantra is the most important!” "This mantra will definitely help you with x' and we rush into practice without context—assuming that because it’s a spiritual tool, it can only do good.

But the truth is, without foundation, discernment, and guidance, even sacred sound can create imbalance or slow our progress—in health, spirituality, and harmony. Just because a mantra does "this" or "that" doesn’t mean it’s the right prescription for you or the most effective.

This is one of the many aspects we explore deeply in The Yoga of Embodied Sound: An immersion in Sanskrit and Mantra

When: November 28-30, 2025
Where:

It's designed for both practitioners and yoga teachers (because let's be honest, this info is not in our trainings).

There are 6 spaces available. And it's the last time I'm teaching it for at last 2 years.

To learn more + register: Link in bio
https://www.pranayogastudio.ca/events/event/yoga-of-embodied-sound-2/

Mantra • Yoga with April

01/04/2026

01/03/2026

01/02/2026

01/02/2026

01/02/2026

12/20/2025

12/16/2025

11/25/2025

11/24/2025

11/24/2025

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