The Hopis are one of the most enigmatic and secretive Native American tribes living in Arizona. According to their origin story, when the Hopi people emerged in the Fourth World (our current world), they had to make four directional migrations before they all arrived at their common, permanent home. They had to go to the ends of the land  -west, south, east and north- to the farthest “páso” (where the land meets the sea) in each direction. Only when the Hopi clans had completed these four movements, rounds or steps of their migration could they come together again. Some clans started to the south, others to the north, retraced their route to run east and west, and then back again. These multiple migrations are represented by the spiral symbol that you can find today in many archeological sites throughout the Southwest. Everywhere in the Four Corners area of the United States, the Hopi clans carved on rocks spirals revealing what round of migration they were on. Ultimately, all the Hopi routes formed a great cross with a center. But the center was not apparent until the migrations ended, because the center was not where the four lines of the directions met, it was a place of empowerment that could only be felt upon their arrival. This center place is now the permanent home of the Hopis.  

I am sharing this story because it resonates deeply with me and mirrors my journey. As a child and teenager, I lived on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, where I felt grounded and centered. However, that changed, and I embarked on a journey of migrations. From Reunion Island to West Africa, Spain, France, Sri Lanka, the U.S., and from Denver to Sedona in Central Arizona, and finally to Tucson in South Arizona where I live now, my migrations and travels reflect my inner quest to find my center. For me, the journey of “reclaiming home” hasn't been a straight line —and it's still a work in progress. Throughout my life, I've followed that Hopi spiral of tours and detours, gathering the lost fragments of my soul along the way. I encountered obstacles and often stood on the edge. I fell down countless times, I got back on my feet countless times —beginning again and again.

I have extensively studied yoga, conscious movement practices, and shamanism, while traveling and exploring spiritual traditions in Africa, Asia, India, and the American Southwest.

I will always be grateful for my first experience with Jungian psychotherapy, as it was during those two years of healing that I decided to continue my journey through the body. I discovered yoga in 2006 and pursued extensive studies in Paris, India, and Southeast Asia, well before yoga became mainstream.

I began teaching in 2011 from my apartment in Paris and explored various lineages, particularly Ashtanga and Iyengar, without feeling the need to restrict myself to one tradition. The real fascination for me lies in practicing and exploring from different perspectives and vantage points. I have always tried to stay away from dogma. From 2013 to 2022, I taught across studios in Denver, Sedona, and Tucson. I had some meaningful experiences as a facilitator and educator, like leading a workshop at the Sedona Yoga Festival, co-teaching a yoga and movement retreat in Mexico for forty participants and creating a yoga Nidra teacher training. However, I realized that the commercial yoga scene wasn't for me, prompting a shift towards a more personal approach.

I now focus on small groups and individuals seeking emotional balance. My passion lies in transmitting, educating, and teaching to every body and every age, and providing students with the tools they need to explore, inquire, and discover by themselves. My practice and my teaching today emphasize emotional healing, self-inquiry, deep listening, and the connections between yoga, somatic, expressive and shamanic arts.

In early 2010, I went through a profound life crisis and realized that I was at the crossroads of my life. I felt called to take a trip to Arizona for a vision quest with a medicine man named Clay. This experience was transformative and changed my life forever. I spent three days and two nights in a medicine circle, immersing myself in the natural elements of the high desert. During this time, I confronted my demons—fear, terror, anger, and pain that I had buried deep within my soul for years—and negative narratives that had been holding me back. Through this journey, I learned the importance of being a compassionate presence for my emotions. Supported by the earth and the deep blue sky, I discovered how to move and breathe through my feelings without needing to get rid of them. I realized that burying those emotions only led to being owned by them. Embracing presence, compassion, and self-compassion allowed me to understand that not identifying with my thoughts was essential for finding peace and freedom. This transformative experience reshaped my understanding of myself and laid the groundwork for a new approach to life.  Six months later, I moved to the United States to study with Clay and walk the path of the Medicine of One, the body of work and teachings developed by Clay. Although I made many mistakes along the way, I have always been committed and I always found my way back to it. 

My healing path and the way I serve others can be described as both somatic and shamanic.

I find deep connection and insights with nature and especially the desert of Arizona, while also paying attention to the synchronicities that arise in life and in nature. I am drawn to explore the soul language –by bypassing the rational mind–, through expressive arts and the body. This process helps manifest and channel emotions, promoting a compassionate presence and connection. These elements have guided my journey and shaped my approach to healing and teaching. One particularly interesting aspect of Clay's work was the use of “primordial movements” — employing specific body shapes, voice, and sounds to free certain emotions. It wasn’t about catharsis but rather about hitting particular notes within the emotional body. My call has been to find my own path, drawing inspiration from Clay without attempting to replicate his methods. This led me to further study conscious movements, as well as shamanism. 

I practiced the Five Rhythms for a few years with Visudha de los Santos in New Mexico. During that time, I also pursued a three-year program in core shamanism with Renna Shesso in Denver, following the lineage of Sandra Ingerman. As I delved into both the Five Rhythms and shamanism, I became particularly fascinated by trance dance, the power of ceremonies in nature, and ritual theater. Gradually, I felt constrained by the scripted maps of the Five Rhythms and began moving away from them. This shift led me to teach and facilitate conscious movement classes. The dance floor became a lab for practicing conscious movement and emotional healing alongside others who were eager to explore with me. Randy Miller, certified teacher of “Soul Motion,” and later Vincent Martínez-Grieco  the founder of “Soul Motion", introduced me to a new conscious movement approach that resonated more deeply with my intentions. I learned invaluable practices such as witnessing, pausing, echoing, and partner work. My mentorship with Vincent has been instrumental in helping me embrace a more contemplative aspect of conscious movement, that emphasizes the process and experience—my process and experience—and allows me to become more attuned to the dances of the heart, intuition, and stillness.

After 12 years of nomadic life across the Southwest, I found my home near Tucson and decided to open a private practice serving my neighborhood and the local communities. I have named this private space "Ocotillo Moon" because the studio faces a gigantic Ocotillo and at night the moon is rising over the ocotillo and the Santa Rita mountains.

I am a life long learner. I am currently studying at the Tamalpa Institute (3 years professional program) to become a Registered Somatic Educator (RSME).

I hope to see you soon and practice with you at Ocotillo Moon.

Trust and Love,

Sonia