Mantra • Yoga with April

Mantra • Yoga with April www.mantrastudio.ca For the last 20 years, April Cantafio, mother, lover and devotee, has steadily walked the path of a yogic lifestyle.

Through Dharma’s unfolding, she has become a steward of Yoga and aims to preserve Yoga's tradition and integrity. April’s dedication to these timeless teachings and consciousness enables her to weave what is needed through each class, inviting the practitioner to discover and enhance the balance and harmony within and without. Gifted at offering accessible classes, April opens one to awaken to the greater connection of wholeness in all. To learn more visit mantrastudio.ca

✨ Winter Solstice Serenade ✨ Live Online + Recorded Yoga Class Join me to celebrate the pivotal moment of the Winter Sol...
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

✨ Online Aura & Immunity Drop-In Class ✨ Recording Available | December 17thJoin me online for a unique class to strengt...
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/

Next weekend! Are you in?
11/22/2025

Next weekend! Are you in?

Aura + Immunity begins this week!All classes are live on Zoom and recorded with one-year access — so you can join from a...
11/03/2025

Aura + Immunity begins this week!

All classes are live on Zoom and recorded with one-year access — so you can join from anywhere, at your own pace.

Here’s who will benefit most:
- Anyone sensitive to the onset of colds, flu, or seasonal changes
- Those with a sensitive or easily drained constitution
- Yogis seeking to strengthen intuition
- People who want to expand their aura for protection from external stressors
- Those that want to strengthen inner empowerment
- Anyone wanting to stay centered amid life’s unpredictability
- Those wishing to access deeper inner and universal wisdom
- People with temperamental or highly reactive nervous systems
- Teachers seeking a stronger ability to access and convey conviction and truth in their teachings
- Those who joined Inner Strength Yoga: Nadis and the Nervous System and want to continue to build their inner body and receptivity

✨ We begin tomorrow — there’s still time to join!
Can't join live? Catch the recording!

You can learn more + register at the Link in Bio
https://www.mantrastudio.ca/aura-and-immunity-inner-strength

11/02/2025

Are you like me—someone with a sensitive constitution? 🙃 Without intentional care, my energy can dissipate, get scattered, or grow weak—compromising immune health, balance, and overall stability.

There were even periods I literally wanted to pull my hair out because no matter what I tried, I couldn’t seem to stay on top of my immune health.

Over time, I realized that true immunity isn’t just about food, herbs, or sleep (though those certainly matter!).It’s an art—and for me, it began with learning how to work with the aura, the energetic field that surrounds and sustains us.

Working from the inside out provides a longevity that external approaches alone can’t.

Learning to strengthen and expand my aura has made the biggest difference in my vitality. It helps not only with healing when we experience imbalance, colds, or flus, but also serves as the first line of defense in preventative care.

When I’m under stress, traveling, or life gets demanding, I pay extra attention to my aura—so I can move through challenges with minimal wear, or sometimes no wear at all 😉

An added bonus?A healthy aura enhances subtle awareness, keeps us grounded, counters the excess air and ether of modern life, increases intuition, and creates a powerful portal to hold space while teaching.

When the aura is strong, our system is protected yet open, sensitive yet stable.(And no, you can’t just feed yourself garbage and expect to stay tip-top—but energetic hygiene matters just as much as physical care.)

✨ This is the theme of my upcoming series:

Aura + Immunity
A 6-Week Live Online & Recorded Yoga Series

Together, we’ll explore yogic practices that enhance vitality, strengthen your field, and support your immune system from the inside out.

If you’re like me—with a sensitive constitution, or if you find your energy gets easily drained, or are simply curious about energetic hygiene and how it can empower and support you—this class series will be right up your alley 😉

We begin this week!

👉 Learn more + register through the link in bio
https://www.mantrastudio.ca/aura-and-immunity-inner-strength

A strong aura supports every part of your path — your health, your energy, and your presence.Scroll through to see how →
10/30/2025

A strong aura supports every part of your path — your health, your energy, and your presence.
Scroll through to see how →

10/27/2025

What does your aura have to do with immunity? 🌿

In traditional yoga, whole-body health and vitality are reflections of the strength and clarity of the aura — the energetic field that surrounds and sustains us.

When the aura is strong, it stabilizes the immune system, supports energy flow, and provides inner stamina and mental balance.When it’s weak, we feel drained, scattered, overly affected by the world around us, and symptoms of colds and flu can more easily manifest.

In my upcoming 6-week series, Aura + Immunity: Inner Strength Yoga, we’ll explore yogic practices designed to:
💫 Strengthen and balance your aura 💫 Support immune and nervous system health 💫 Build energy and stability through the season and so much more!

This will be a progressive series and combines Hatha, Kundalini, Acu Yoga and inspiration from April's original teachers and 25 years of personal sadhana.

When: Wednesdays 9–10am MST
Nov 5–Dec 10, 2025
Where: Live on Zoom or catch the recordings

Link in bio to register:
https://www.mantrastudio.ca/aura-and-immunity-inner-strength

Together, let's build ourselves up from the inside out!

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