Stefanie (she/her/ella) began her yoga journey as a performing artist in the practice of Baptiste Power Yoga in 2004.  Stefanie travelled internationally as a performing artist and found yoga gave her a sense of groundedness and solace, no matter where her work and suitcases took her.  

While touring in her professional offering of performing arts, Stefanie felt a feeling of isolation and disconnect from the world around her and craved an opportunity to hold space for herself and others to make a lasting impact.  

Tragedy of losing a loved one suddenly hit her heart, and she decided to make a big change; from the stage, makeup and lights to the dark solace of the yoga room to process her grief, sense of disconnect and isolation.  

Initially Stef thought she would get her Teacher Training Certificate and move to NYC to pursue her ambitions in the arts, but love and yoga kept her in Texas.  It was there that she met her Bhakti Yoga Teacher Sean Johnson, of Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band who lead her back to her creative spirit...This time sharing her love of music and storytelling to help heal and renew through the sacred practices of Yoga Movements and Sounds.  

Stefanie feels so blessed to have yoga and the arts back in her life, and to be able to share love and wellness with all of her being with you in time and space no matter where this Journey takes us.  

Photography courtesy of Esther Huynh + Danielle Doby.

Bhakti is one of the yogic paths to spiritual freedom. 

Bhakti yoga is a path of devotion in which we use our whole heart to connect to Divine Source, or something bigger than ourselves (whatever that means for you). While it is natural for human emotion to flow freely, as it did in childhood, society has trained us to stifle these emotions. We have conditioned ourselves to such a degree that we can have a hard time connecting with ourselves and others. Bhakti yoga allows these emotions to breathe and flow freely, giving us the opportunity to live them through the safety of mantra meditation, or the repetition of sacred sanskrit sounds.  

Are there some mantras that you have that may need to be replaced with more uplifting mantras?

For thousand of years, yogis, mystics, and meditators have used mantra meditation for mental and spiritual transformation.  Some research supports that traditional Bhakti mantras had no connection to divine archetypes. Rather, the healing nature of the mantra sounds promoted a particular form of wellbeing.  For example, if one wanted to remove obstacles and find new beginnings in life, one would use Ganesh mantras. For more creativity and divine intuition, one would recite Saraswati mantras.  Much later, the stories and divine archetypes were created to help explain the meaning of the healing mantras.  

Join Stefanie in the Healing Sounds of Bhakti Yoga:

For more information on Bhakti yoga, check out these resources:

Russill Paul: How Does Chanting Improve our Health and Well-Being?

Spirit Voyage: Books, Music, Clothing, Various Information on many Styles of Yoga

Yoga Journal: More on Bhakti Yoga and How it can transform Suffering and Grief into Joy and Peace

Stefanie's collaborative spirit has connected her with many wonderful partners:

Lululemon Athletica

Stefanie is honored to be a Legacy lululemon ambassador.  Many collaborations with lululemon have resulted in complementary classes and workshops throughout the local community ranging from vinyasa yoga classes to bhakti yoga sessions to students of all different demographics, shapes, sizes and ages.  Stay tuned for an exciting yoga event with proceeds benefitting Stefanie's non-profit organization Hanuman Homies.

Stefanie also offers custom yoga classes for the following corporate sponsors:

Testimonials

Katrina Villavicencio

Artist, Designer, Tribal Arts Practitioner, & Founder of Trinacenci Creative Studio

Stefanie was one of the incredibly talented and inspiring facilitators at my 2023 Re:Power Women of Color Leadership Cohort. She facilitated meditations, yoga stretches, sound baths, and music to open and close each session. As the curriculum came with many difficult discussions and heavy topics—Stefanie brought a joy, empathy, and softness that was extremely needed.

Each of her sessions were very thoughtfully planned and aligned with the topic of the day. She not only brought centering practices into the otherwise very academic environment, she also brought nature and art into our virtual spaces by holding sessions through a trail or by a creek, and by playing instruments and singing. She was always finding new ways to bring peace and serenity into the 4-month program, and I always looked forward to what form of healing she would bring to the next session.

In addition to her creativity and sensitivity, Stefanie also brought business savvy and expertise in her field. She taught us how to maintain self-peace and self-worth in the pursuit of career success, and often shared additional resources if we wanted to dive deeper into the topic at hand. As an aspiring entrepreneur myself, I was always inspired by her lessons about how to be a woman of color business owner—how to show up for the world as your authentic self and build your business based on holistic practices that you value.

I’m thankful for the time to get to know Stefanie, and I look forward to what she will continue to build in the future. I highly recommend her for any endeavors working towards women empowerment and liberation.

Hanncel Sanchez

MiA - Mujeres in Action Founder & CEO of Vision En Poder

Having Stefanie as my coach has been one of the best gifts I've had in a while. Stefanie has a way to bring a fresh perspective to life, our relationships and our calling. Her anti-oppression approach is liberating and reaffirming, especially as a first-gen Latina in this season of my life, where I'm going through so many changes. She's been very supportive in my journey to reclaim my identity, helping me redefine how I want to relate to my work, my calling, my ministry, and my family. I've never had a session with Stefanie where I didn't feel seen, validated, challenged, determined and inspired. Our coaching sessions is a sacred space where I can be vulnerable and strong, while equipping myself to continue to break cycles of oppression in my life.

Lina Ortega

Organizer/Co-Executive Director of Este Poder

Although I met Stephanie as a healing justice coach in a nonprofit organizational space, her teachings have stayed with me throughout my everyday life. Initially, I was skeptical and resistant to her methods, but through this process, I was able to realize where my hesitations were coming from and how they were manifesting in my work and the environment I was creating within our organization. I was overworking and placing too much pressure on myself as I stepped into what was once a new role for me. Because of Stephanie's genuine support, care, and investment, spaces were created for us to step back and reflect on where healing justice practices were lacking within ourselves and our organization, and understand why this was happening. It was an opportunity to really lean into the discomfort of facing some hard truths we had embodied, stemming from the deeply oppressive systems that have existed throughout history. I did not want to continue the oppressive cycles of capitalism and racism that I had internalized, which were showing up in my life as overworking to achieve an unattainable sense of productivity satisfaction. I wanted to approach organizing in a more sustainable way that centers on my well-being and the well-being of my community. The breathing practices, morning yoga, healing justice coaching sessions, and intentional check-ins have had a lasting impact on my approach to healing justice in my organizing and my role as Co-Executive Director..

Stefanie has been blessed to experience many outstanding yoga teachers and students along her journey.

Yoga has changed her life in so many ways, ways she would have never imagined when she went to her first yoga practice.  Now, it is her honor to be a part of your yoga journey and life story. Please enjoy a sampling of testimonials from Stefanie's diverse students below.

Tamara Yates

“Stefanie is an amazing yoga instructor. She knows how to structure the class to fit the needs of everyone present. Plus, her warm and engaging nature made me feel right at home almost immediately. I would highly recommend her to anyone interested in starting or continuing a yoga practice. "

Melissa Welch-Lamoreaux

"Stefanie is a dynamic and compassionate teacher, touching all whom she connects with, providing high level instruction and down-to-earth guidance for personal and spiritual growth. She believes all children should have equal access to yoga. During her tenure at Two Rivers Yoga, she doubled the size of the kids program and brought yoga instruction to the school districts. I was proud and humbled to work beside her."

Stephanie Zapata

“Stefanie has been instrumental in helping me recapture my passion for yoga. Our paths crossed in late 2015 during a time when my yoga practice had reached a plateau and I was in the midst of a job change, a relocation, and failed relationship. As I began to attend Stefanie’s classes, it was evident she was not a typical yoga instructor.  I noticed there was something unique and beautiful occurring during every class. I began to feel strong again, not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. The feelings of calm, peace, and balance slowly began to return to my daily life. I attribute this to Stefanie’s ability to create a safe, nurturing, and loving environment where each person is honored and respected. What I appreciate about Stefanie’s teaching style is it is genuine and heartfelt. It is obvious through her actions that she wants the best for each person. Her loving spirit can be felt throughout class from beginning to end. Her love can also be heard as she culminates each class with unique music and beautiful vocals."

Melissa Grogan

"I cannot recommend this woman enough! She is simply love, joy, happiness and wisdom. Her classes are a haven leading to self knowledge and acceptance. They are challenging physically yet comforting spiritually, emotionally and mentally. I treasure every yoga class I ever took with her. She is caring, tapped into the universe, knowledgeable, and always present with the students. I am so happy for anyone who chooses to work with her. You will be blessed!"

JULIE SCHUESSLER, B.S. HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACE, AEA

“Stefanie is an amazing teacher who touches each and every student with her knowledge, expertise and amazing positive, caring energy. She connects appropriately with her students and brings an energy of peace and happiness to those who are fortunate enough to practice under her tutelage."

Sarah

"I just moved here a few months ago, but I come to Stefanie's classes as much as I can. Stefanie has this angelic voice and presence about her. I always leave feeling her classes two inches taller, with my heart wide open. Thank you Stefanie!"

Dorsey Standish

"Yoga with Stefanie has changed my life. Through private lessons and group classes, Stefanie helped me see yoga as more than just a physical practice. Her beautiful bhakti singing and vibrant spirit inspired me to embrace the spiritual aspects of yoga. A longtime atheist and skeptic, I can now say that I am open to all forms of divinity."

Bethany Davis, MSN RN

"Stefanie taught a variety of yoga classes and I had the pleasure of sampling most of them. Her hot yoga (with a sprinkling of "Baptiste") was my favorite! She has the perfect blend of patience and push to engage and challenge every student from beginner to advanced. Stefanie radiates positive energy and truly lives the practice of yoga. Her combination of knowledge and loving personality make her a valuable asset to any team."

Anthony Guibert

I've been coming to yoga for about two months now, steadily. What I like about coming to Stefanie's class is that you always know it's a Stefanie class...she gives it her own feel. She has always made me feel comfortable being a guy in yoga. I really enjoy coming to her class.

Now it's your turn!

Please share your feedback and testimonials using the form below. How can Stef continue to share her love of yoga with you?