Meet Alexis Stefanacci
Alexis has been a consistent and reliable presence at the studio, helping us make connections in the community to keep us growing. She’s been teaching at HeartSpace since November of 2016.
Not only is she a dedicated yoga student/teacher, she is owner/operator at Old McDonald Roadhouse, selling handmade and sustainable home goods.
Keep scrolling to learn more about her and why she teaches yoga.
What kind of trainings/certificates do you have and when did you get them?
~ 200 hour through Styles Yoga in 2016
~ 100 hour mentorship through Terra Firma 2017
~ Foundations of Yin with Josh Summers 2017
~ Ayurveda 101 with Larissa Carlson and John Douillard 2017
~ Prenatal Yoga with School of Yoga and Ayurveda 2023
~ and I am currently taking myofascial release with Yoga Medicine as part of my 500 hour ytt
What’s your favorite style to practice for your personal practice?
My favorite personal practice is vinyasa. I move in ways that feel right in my body so the pace varies depending on the day. I really enjoy sequencing flows and playing with placing different poses together to create something that feels good in the moment and is beautiful.
Do you have a favorite pose/meditation/pranayam?
I love mudras, they help me focus my busy mind and can be done anywhere making them perfect for on-the-go yoga when I need to connect with certain energies.
Why did you decide to teach yoga?
I decided to teach after my husband and I first got married. Our house burned down a few days after we got married and we lost almost everything, except our pets and the clothes on our backs. I was lost at next steps and was practicing occasionally at the time. I signed up for a 200 hour with Styles yoga and embraced the healing that came from the practice. I wanted to share the teachings with others and my passion for fun and unexpected flows. I love to bring an aspect of storytelling that involves mythology behind some of the poses and other stories that relate to life.
First I took a vinyasa training and loved it but my active lifestyle and inability to sit still called me to pursue teaching yin yoga. Sitting still is harder than a nonstop flow class for someone like me. They are complete opposites but that is the beauty of being two parts of a whole practice.
What is your favorite thing to do (aside from yoga)?
Everything 🙂 I like to spend time with my family, sing, dance, and play with the animals (cats, dogs, chickens, and a bearded dragon), and garden (if the squirrels don’t get it first). We are creating a garden of herbs and medicinal plants and it’s been really fun to watch it take off.
Is there anything else you want to share about yourself?
I am in the midst of finishing my masters in Nursing and hope to teach the next generation of compassionate nurses. Practicing yoga has helped me get through nursing school and deal with difficult situations. It is also a great tool to share with patients when they are facing their own challenges.
