Hi, I’m vanda

Vanda Ciceryova holding her child in 2020

Holding my daughter in pandemic “bliss”, May 2020

I am a yogini, yoga & meditation teacher, somatic educator, EFT practitioner, nutritionist, a recovering serial entrepreneur and mother of two. I live in Carbondale, CO with my husband and kids.

Over a decade of experience in the health and wellness fields has led me to develop my own alchemy of Eastern and Western approaches. I integrate spiritual traditions of mindfulness, yoga therapy, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, with cutting-edge research in neuroscience, nutrition, nervous system regulation, somatic movement therapy, and depth psychology. And always a generous side dish of warm heart and common sense.

More about me:

☉ Libra ☾ Pisces ▵ Cancer 6/2 Splenic Projector ISFJ

Explore my thinking: Essays on Substack
Practice with me: Guided Meditations, Movement Practice
Read my resources: Parenting Blog, Book Recommendations

My story

I was born and raised in the farthest corner of Slovakia, a stone’s throw from the Hungarian and Ukrainian border. I moved to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, to live the dream, to prove to myself and to the world that I can do it. And I did. I lost and found myself along the way.

I spent more than a decade overextending myself - owned and operated a multi-location yoga studio in Los Angeles; co-founded, operated, and closed a craft brewery, gave birth at home twice, miscarried, dealt with gestational diabetes, depression, addiction, looming divorce and raising small children. I was thin, I was thick, went to yoga, the gym, was a couch potato. It took me a long time to understand what true self-care is.

Have I figured it all out? Lol, no... I've learned a lot from my ups and downs and I am here to help you navigate yours. 

Wherever you are on your self-care and self-actualization journey, I'm here to meet you and lovingly guide you.

Read More…

Gratitude to my teachers

My journey took a sharp left turn when Bethany Eanes taught me the Sivananda Classical Series in a dimly lit art gallery at the back of my yoga studio in Highland Park. Immense gratitude to her and to mentors and teachers who continue to inspire and guide me: Joseph LaPage, Kimberly Ann Johnson, Melissa Tiers, Swami Swarupananda, Chinamasta Styles, Eleanor Mann, Breck Costin, Terry Real, Kris Gonzales, Antonio Sausys, Durga Leela, Anna Rahe.

My background

  • Currently in 800hr training with Inner Peace Yoga Therapy, yoga applications for:

    • Yoga for Depression & Anxiety with Amy Weintraub (2021)

    • Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy with Chinamasta Stiles (2021)

    • Yoga for Chronic Pain with Neil Pearson (2021)

    • Yoga of Recovery with Durga Leela (2021)

    • The Chakras & Healing (2021)

    • Yoga for Grief with Antonio Sausys (2022)

    • Cancer Care (2023)

  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and IFS (Internal Family Systems) informed

    • EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) 2020

    • Returning to Wholeness - understanding and integrating trauma with Gabor Mate (2021)

    Relational Life Institute

    • Relational Life Therapy -level 1 with Terry Real (2022)

    • Relational Parenting with Terry Real (2022)

    Female Support

    • MotherCircle Facilitation with Kimberly Ann Johnson (2023)

    • Maidens & Menstruation Circle Facilitator Mentorship with Kris Gonzales @ Way of Yin (2023)

    Center For Integrative Hypnosis

    • Rapid Self Hypnosis (2023)

    • How to Change Any Memory (2023)

    • How to Change Any Habit (2023)

    • Addiction Protocol (2023)

    • Integrative Changework for Kids & Teens (2024)

  • Institute for Integrative Nutrition​ (2020)

    • RYT 200 Mukti Yoga School (2012)

    • Advanced Sequencing Techniques Safe Harbor Yoga School (2015)

    • Yamas & Niyamas with Deborah Adele (2017)

    • Yoga History with Doug Keller (2018)

    • ParaYoga Nidra with Rod Stryker (2018)

    • Breathwork with Scott Schwenk (2019)

    • RYT 300 Inner Peace Yoga (2021)

    • Principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine in yoga with Tiffany Cruikshank (2022)

    • San Diego College of Ayurveda (2015)

    • Mentorship with Myra Lewin of Hale Pule (2016)

    • Kerala Ayurveda Academy (2017)

    • Dr Claudia Welch (2018-now)

  • 21 Day Nervous System Tune-Up with Irene Lyon (2021)

    Fierce Intimacy with Terry Real (2022)

    Embodied Consent, Healthy Boundaries, and a Realworld Understanding of Your Nervous System with Kimberly Johnson

    • Activate Your Inner Jaguar (2021)

    • Feminine Sexuality and Spirituality (2022)

    • Women’s Health and the Nervous System (2023)

    • Somatic Definitions, Foundations and Sessions (2023)

Fun fact: I founded and ran a couple yoga studios in the past decade, as well as a craft brewery. I hold a Masters Degree in Economics, RYT 200 & 500 yoga certifications, and an array of ayurvedic trainings, I'm practicing EFT and graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Vanda Ciceryova Hodgins

My approach

I help you become your own healer by showing you how to (A) listen for and (B) properly support your physical and emotional needs.

Most of us have not been taught what self care means.
I believe that it is never too late to learn meaningful ways to care for our body, mind & spirit.

Your body and your nervous system is communicating to you. Learning its language is more simple than we think.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

(Chinese Proverb)

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. (Chinese Proverb)

MY WORK

Yoga Therapy | Nutrition | PARTS WORK | Feelings

Learn how to nourish your body, mind and spirit in the FOUR most critical aspects of self care:

  • How is your sleep? Do you sleep through the night or have trouble falling asleep? Do you rest easy or toss and turn all night?

    Do you take time out of your day to recharge or does your never-ending to-do list run the show?

  • We can eat all the kale in the word and it will not help our health if our bodies don’t digest and assimilate the nutrition we are inputting. Our body communicates through skin & nail texture, gas, and menses. Learning to read the signs of the body that will guide you to your optimal health is easier than you might think.

  • You don’t have to spend time at the gym to feel good in your body. Together we explore your rhythm and preferences and find a body movement modality that you enjoy and can sustainably commit to for years to come.
    We’ll learn about fascia, the connective tissue that covers all muscles and nerves in our body, and learn about movement that nourishes it, and by that extent you.

  • What nourishes you off the plate? What feeds your soul? Where do you find that flow state? How deep is your emotional life? Are you able to ride the waves of emotions? How fast do you recover when side-swept by feelings? Do you believe what your emotional state is telling you about reality? Can you use the power of emotions to feel more alive?