Antonia Fokken
Antonia Fokken is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Yoga Therapist, and Yoga Teacher. Antonia was introduced to hatha yoga and meditation in college in 1994, while completing a BA in Psychology with an emphasis in Eastern Perspectives on Holistic Health at SFSU. There, she also studied and experimented with Biofeedback, imagery, meditation, and the spark was ignited with interest in how our thoughts and emotions influence our bodies, and how in turn, our bodies influence our thoughts and emotions. In 1998 she graduated with an MA in Art Therapy and Marriage and Family therapy from the College of Notre Dame. In graduate school, she studied the physiological effects of drawing mandalas on heart rate and blood pressure, as she continued to be fascinated with the mind body connection. This fascination and curiosity has continued ever since in many forms as she dove deeper into the teachings of yoga, became a licensed psychotherapist in 2001, a certified yoga teacher in 2005 (through Yogakula), and yoga therapist in 2008 (through Ananda Seva). Her other formal studies include; training in Bioenergetics (founded by Alexander Lowen), Restorative Teacher Training with Judith Lasater, Yoga Nidra (I-Rest) Training with Richard Miller, mentorship with yoga teacher Abby Tucker, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (body and mindfulness oriented psychotherapy) training in the treatment of Trauma. Her practice and teaching is also influenced by the teachings of Vipassana Meditation, Non-Violent Communication, Trauma-informed care and teaching, as well as the learning so much from her students and clients every day.
Antonia has been on the faculty of Sofia University (formerly the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology), the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) where she taught Trauma as well as other integrative psychotherapy courses. She was also on the faculty of the Niroga Institute Yoga Teacher and Therapy Training Programs and has spent a few years teaching yoga to incarcerated youth and people healing from illness and recovering from addiction. She has a firm belief that yoga is for all and strives to make her classes affirming and welcoming spaces for everyone.
Website: www.antoniafokkenmft.com
What style, tradition, and/or lineage or teachers who have influenced you ?
Initially I trained as a pilates instructor with Nora St. John’s at Turning Point studios (now Balanced Body). After teaching pilates at yogakula and taking anusara yoga classes I decided to study anusara yoga. My teachers were Noah Maze and Sianna Sherman. I continued in the 300 hours training with Noah Maze and am RYT E-500. I also engaged in a pilates’ mentorship program with Madeline Black and am a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher since 2012. More recently I have worked with RAD Roller out of Denver to learn about myofascial release and how that can augment a pilates/yoga practice.
What can I expect from your classes?
Expect to move and to find your way back to your body. Currently I am teaching Yoga w Core classes. The structure of the class is a yoga class coupled with breath work that invites the body to move in all its planes of motion. Woven into the hour are segments of core work built on the Pilates’ principles. My attempt is to provide a variety of levels of challenge by offering options throughout the practice.
What’s on your mind these days yoga-wise?
Staying strong and keeping things simple in these complicated times. Routines and consistency seem to be of service now.
What do you like to do outside of yoga?
I adore being out in nature. I love looking at night skies for inspiration: stars, moons, comets and have even had the great fortune to see the Northern Lights. Tilden park has been my refuge this spring/summer. In the winter I get to go to the mountains where I love to play in the snow.