Co-creating a beautiful, playful moment with a remarkable group of people near Lake Louise, Montana. September 2021. (Photo credit: Heather Nodelman)
Clarity,
Compassion,
Playfulness
& Power
I am a multi-disciplinary artist, designer, teacher, speaker, author, facilitator, and meditator. I work with a diversity of individuals, groups, families and businesses to help you activate your genius. I offer pathways and practices to access your own clarity, insight, playfulness and power in your endeavors.
Working together, we learn to clear unhelpful patterns and transform them into insightful action to harmonize your layers of self with your hearts’ desire.
I build our work through movement-based processes, individual and collaborative drawing, meditation, home & garden harmonizing, body based Trauma-resolution & resilience, creativity & design.
Hi there, I’m Shannon!
In my well is 15 years in the Yoga tradition, 20 years in the Arts and professional Design, 10 years of philosophical study and meditation practice, and through personal and professional training in Somatic Experiencing®- a path to resilience through trauma resolution.
I am a silly and serious teacher. My work is rooted in knowing that each of us has both an intrinsic goodness and genius inside of our hearts. We wake our essential qualities up by creating inviting conditions for them to resonate in our community, homes, body, thoughts and spirit.
I know this is from my near decade of work creating potent containers and rituals to build relationship with goodness and genius - both in my life and in the life of my clients.
I have taught folx ages 2 months to 92, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Latinx, C-suite Executives and Architects, office teams, pregnant and new moms, dads, artists, creatives, athletes, working professionals, housewives, people who work with their hands, doctors, healers, social workers, teachers, attorneys, techies, persons with disabilities, and dying people.
What I love about teaching is the puzzle that each person or situation presents and learning how our pieces fit together with the most stability and ease.
Working with so many, I know each of us contains multitudes.
We all experience the world through these layers of self:
environment, work, family, community & justice, body, breath, vital energy, thoughts, emotions, imprints
How these layers function shapes our moment to moment experience of self. Each layer is a manifestation of who we are. Each layer is an entry point for self-discovery, healing and actualization. Yoga being able to work with all of these layers.
We work together to bring harmony to your layers of self.
Harmony for me begins with grounding ourselves in a positive self-image. From that root we expand into purposeful and accountable human beings. Here we can dwell in enjoyment of our authentic self as we flow with its dynamic challenges and opportunities. Through harmony we become sovereigns of our lives as we ride its challenges and opportunities.
This is ambitious and the process is not linear. Growth can sometimes be challenging. In my experience the most challenging moments are precursors to break throughs.
This process isn’t meant to happen alone. We work together. I see my role as holding a mirror to discern where there is room to grow and which purpose to grow towards. Based on the reflection, I share yogic tools designed to bring stability and ease along the journey. Then it’s up to you to practice and integrate them into your own.
To address all these layers
I offer
private yoga,
community facilitation & rituals, home design and creativity activation.
Working with me is working together to design how we interact based on your goals. Check out my offerings below, choose the layer that feels most resonant with where you are.
Thanks @nastasiadusapin for the pretty pictures
Testimonials
“We at EcoR1 are grateful for our yoga sessions with Shannon. Her sessions are a meditative break from a busy workday, giving us the ability to unwind and take care of ourselves both physically and mentally. Since March we have continued our sessions via videoconference, and we have been very happy with them. Thank you Shannon! ”
“Your First is Always Special. Shannon was our morning yoga guide on a company retreat. The other (younger) team members were stupefied that I had managed to live over 60 years, much of it in Southern California, without ever doing yoga. Shannon was super encouraging, and managed to tailor sessions that challenged the more experienced practitioners, but also allowed a novice to explore and enjoy the satisfaction of accomplishment.”
“Meeting Shannon is a perfect example of the universe sending me exactly what I needed. As soon as I walked into the yoga studio I was immediately struck by Shannon’s energy, her openness, her smile, her grace (and her adorable outfit!). After an hour of yoga with Shannon, and reconnecting myself to yoga, I had an epiphany. I realized a large part of the reason why I had taken such a long break from yoga wasn’t just because I had no time, but because I hadn’t felt fully aligned with a yoga teacher in a long time. Shannon had opened her door to me and I walked through. I knew I had found something special. Amidst my current crazy and busy schedule, I have managed to commit to yoga again! It is Shannon’s creative classes and dedication to learning more about yoga, herself and her connection to the world, that keeps me coming to class, and refreshed and reconnected to myself when I leave.”
“Shannon is a profoundly wise teacher. Taking what she has learned from many books, her own life, and great teachers, and applying it directly to her life on and off the mat. Shannon weaves it all into her teachings and shares with grace and clarity. Her integrity, strive for balance, and true compassion makes her a trust worthy teacher. Shannon’s Asana classes are the perfect *balance of challenging yourself and restorative*. She helps you to build strength by working up to challenging poses. Combined with supportive grounding poses and meditations to help release tension in the body. I always walk away from class having learned something for my mind, body, and spirit. Feeling supported, strong, and uplifted.
Participating in the share your heart project was truly a joyous experience. It ignited my physically body, allowed me to tap into my creative mind, and offered the time and space to self reflect on important relationships in my life. The combination truly links mind, body, and spirit, allowing for deep healing to take place and ultimately allowing one to return to their joy, by releasing what your heart has been holding and/or wants to share. It is a simple yet deeply powerful practice. In the past I have found it challenging to create the space to draw and make art; the share your heart project opened me up to dormant potential I didn’t know I had and made it easy to begin creating. I enjoyed sharing this practice in community, where deeper conversations could evolve from the beautiful prompts. ”
Who I’m not
I am not a licensed psychotherapist. Though at times I partner with mental health professionals, I work outside the mental health system. The healing I offer is body and nervous system based, and based in learning yogic lifestyle and creativity.
The services I provide are not mental health treatment, western psychology, psychotherapy, or psychiatry. I do not diagnose or provide psychological treatment. I am not a medical doctor. I can consult with yours if you have one, and if you need referrals, I can provide them.
I am a 500+ hour certified yoga & meditation teacher with a decade of daily spiritual study. I am a trained landscape designer, artist, writer, dancer, teacher, facilitator, mother and human being. I am training in Somatic Experiencing® which works at the level of the Autonomic Nervous System to heal trauma. These modalities are the lenses through which my offerings flow and the body is the primary space in which I work.
People say to me often enough that I am out of the box that I take their word for it. I see my work as giving others permission to break out of theirs.