Meet Courtney
Welcome. I’m glad you’re here.
I’m Courtney Thompson, founder of SOMAYARA Yoga Therapy & Integrative Wellness. I’m a CYA-E-RYT Gold registered yoga teacher and Somatic Yoga Therapist-in-training. This work grew from my own journey of learning to feel safer and more connected in my body.
My path to this work
For years, living with Complex PTSD, PMDD, and persistent pelvic pain made it difficult to feel at ease in my body. I knew the exhaustion of guarding and bracing, and the loneliness of feeling disconnected from myself.
Yoga offered moments of connection and ease. As my practice deepened, somatic work helped me notice what I was feeling and respond with more care. It was a gradual process of discovering what safety in my body could feel like.
That experience led me toward this work. I wanted to offer other women the thoughtful, compassionate support I had needed, while recognizing that each person’s story and needs are their own. My approach begins with listening, choice, and respect for your pace.
The meaning of SOMAYARA
For me, soma speaks to the body as we experience it from within. Yara carries a sense of companionship and capacity. Together, SOMAYARA reflects the possibility of befriending the body and finding your way back to yourself, one choice at a time.
Training and approach
In 2018 I completed an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) program at the Centre for Mindfulness Studies in Toronto. In September 2019, I began my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with My Vinyasa Practice, later completing it alongside a 75-hour Trauma-Informed Yoga certification. In April 2024, I completed Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice (ISTP) Level 1: Foundations of Trauma Recovery.
I began training with Stefani Wilton at Mandorla Yoga Institute in September 2024 and received my 675-hour Somatic Yoga Therapy diploma in August 2026. I’m now completing a 200-hour mentoring practicum toward the 875-hour Somatic Yoga Therapist designation (CYA-YT). These experiences inform a practice shaped by somatic awareness, restorative yoga, trauma-informed principles, and an integrative Ayurvedic perspective.
Trauma-informed
Invitations replace demands. Choice, pacing, and consent are woven throughout the practice.
Somatic and embodied
Attention is gently directed toward present-moment sensation, breath, movement, and internal cues.
Integrative
Yoga therapy is supported by restorative, contemplative, Ayurvedic, and fascia-informed perspectives.
Your experience matters.
You are welcome to begin with a conversation. Together, we can explore whether my current offerings feel like a supportive fit for you.