About
The Healer • Ceremonialist • Musician • Yogi • Grief worker
behind wise ma wellness
Hi, I’m Shonali!
I love to help people get rooted in their bodies, centered in their hearts and focused in the mind. I can help you open to your life’s possibilities, your innate wholeness & rediscover reverence.
I’m a yoga therapist, music lover, ritualist, burgeoning death doula, playful gardener, green witch herbalist, partner, friend & mama.
Through breath, movement and ritual, together we navigate through the world, fast-paced & furious, to create true connection; true recognition of our bodies, minds & souls.
In 1995 I discovered the solace, strength & profound expansion possible through yoga & chanting.
I was 500 hour certified in NYC in 2002 (right after I lost my front teeth in a bicycle accident) with Yogiraj Alan Finger’s comprehensive ISHTA yoga teacher training program.
I was an herbal apprentice with herbalist Robin Rose Bennet in the Wise Woman Tradition & I sang with Circle of Soul, a group of earth-honoring soul-seekers actively exploring chants from a multitude of traditions.
After moving to Paris, France in 2004, I studied further in India & Europe focusing on therapeutics & women's health with the illustrious TKV Desikachar & taught yoga full time. As well, I studied briefly in Chartres, France where I walked the Chartres Labyrinth in sacred ceremony under the guidance of Lauren Artress & The Wisdom University.
I relocated to Atlanta, Georgia in 2010 & certified as a Yoga Therapist through the Pranakriya School in 2013. I’ve been a featured kirtan artist & presenter numerous times in the Chantlanta Sacred Music Festival & the Dirty South Yoga Festival.
I live with my husband, our 2 teens & our spunky pup, Ace Bandit, where I continue my life’s work. I teach yoga, soothe frayed nerves with songs & impart daily the importance of rest, respect & compassion. I’m a burgeoning death doula, I sing with the Threshold Choir, I guide sacred ceremonies of all kinds, honoring birthdays, weddings, career changes & more. I am proud to have released my debut album of sacred songs, Open To Receive, in February 2022.
One step at a time. One breath at a time. I walk the labyrinth of my life.
Listen, Receive, & Nourish From Within
The World is Chaotic.
Believing in Yourself, Following Your Truth,
Knowing How To Handle the Twists and Turns
I understand.
That’s why I help people like you Find your way along the labyrinth of life.
Toward Steadiness, Freedom, Resilience and Joy
statement of Gratitude
In perpetual gratitude to the many phenomenal teachers, guides & partners who have inspired me! Alan Finger, TKV Desikachar, Kaustaub Desikachar, Carrie Wykoff & Circle of Soul Sisters, Robin Rose Bennett, Rachel Zinman, Erich Schiffman, Tias Little, Sharon Salzberg, Krishna Das, Marlysa Sullivan, Jillian Pransky, Jocelyn Rose, Ian Boccio & the Chantlanta Crew, Ginny Blair Lougee, Rion Nakaya, Meryl Arnett & Narinder Bazen among so many others! To the studio owners & leaders who’ve believed in me: Beverly Murphy & Jean Koerner from Be Yoga in NYC, Michelle Jacobi from Centre de Yoga du Marais in Paris, Omni Kitts-Ferrara from Yoga Monclair in NJ. And in Atlanta, Marti & Marty Yuri from Vista Yoga, Debra Kelly from Decatur Yoga & Pilates, Deborah Anne Quibell from Sacred Thread Yoga, Holle Black from Centering Youth, Jessica Murphy from Dirty South Yoga Festival, Kristen Mercado from Solstice Yoga, and Mandy Roberts from Form Yoga. To my students around the world, my husband, my children, my parents, my sister, my extended family, my chosen family, friends & amazing community…
To the stars, seasons, urban landscapes, clouds, mountains, forests, sacred waters, to all that is…
I thank you for your presence in my life!
statement of values
I actively support the necessary hard work being done in every facet of our society to bring forth a world where the lives of Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) are no longer systematically targeted in order for White Supremacy to prevail. I declare support for the lives of Queer & Trans people, & all lives along the gender spectrum. Further, I open my arms to Disabled, Undocumenteds, Women & people of All Faiths who all deserve a rightful place, visibility & care from our society. I affirm my humanity, the diverse contributions, & the resilience for all who face violence & oppression.
Adapted from: https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/
Land Acknowledgement
I recognize my great privilege to inhabit this land, Atlanta, Georgia, originally inhabited by the Muscogee (Creek) people who lived, worked, produced knowledge on, and nurtured their families and communities here for generations. To acknowledge this nation, who were forcefully removed from this land in the early 1800s, is to attempt to understand who I am in the context of my past, present and future. This land acknowledgment is merely one step in an ongoing process.
Want to work with me?
