Welcome to the Journey

Greetings and Namaste. I’m Sydney Solis.

Let me tell you a story. It’s a story of resilience, transformation and the power of connecting with our inner selves. It’s my story—but it could just as easily be yours.

The Beginning

I grew up among the corn fields east of Boulder, Colorado, surrounded by the magic of stories. My father, a Dutchman born in the jungles of Java, filled my childhood with tales of war, courage and Indonesian spice. My intrepid mother’s side, from the now Czech Republic, brought the language and melodies of Eartha Kitt, Marlene Dietrich and Francoise Hardy into our living room, where we danced and dreamed and heard her travel stories behind the Iron Curtain to visit relatives, work abroad and write.

But not all stories are joyful. My childhood was shaped by trauma—overshadowed by a household of depression, addiction, domestic violence, war trauma and loss. Yet even in the darkest chapters, I clung to two lights: stories and yoga. They became my companions, my teachers, my saviors.

The Turning Points

Life, as it does, kept testing me. The suicide of my first husband left me with two little ones to care for. Yet even then, stories and yoga whispered, keep going. From those whispers, I created The Mythic Yoga Studio and Storytime Yoga, sharing the healing power of storytelling and movement with children and adults alike.

Travel also became my balm. With my kids in tow, in 2010 we set out on a healing journey across the globe, which included The U.S.A., S. America and The Caribbean. Along the way, I wrote, home schooled my kids and discovered new ways to weave the threads of yoga, mythology and mindfulness into something transformative.

A Life Woven from Stories

Every chapter of my life has been a story, and every story has shaped me into the person I am today:

– A journalist and photographer, capturing the world’s beauty and pain. I have a degree in journalism and a minor in Spanish. I’m also conversational in French and Japanese!

– An award-winning poet, writer and artist, finding truth in metaphor and color, and expressing and transforming my grief through body, words and images. My poetry has been published in The Haibun Journal, Shambhala Sun, The Caribbean Writer and more. I’ve published numerous storytelling and yoga books, e-books, DVD and audios, and I’ve had one-woman art shows in Colorado and St. Croix, USVI.

– An English teacher and guide, sharing knowledge from classrooms in the USA to Japan and online. I use kamishibai, Japanese paper theatre, to teach ESL as well as Storytime Yoga for Peace, and have done peace work in Japan.

– A storytelling yoga teacher from Boulder, Colorado to the yoga studios of Kripalu and The Omega Institute.

– A traveler and nomad, wandering the earth and coming home to myself.

I’ve seen the power of stories to heal—to connect us to our past, illuminate our present, and guide us into our future. And I’ve witnessed how yoga and meditation give us the tools to navigate life’s storms with grace and resilience.

Your Story Awaits

Every person’s journey is unique, and every story deserves to be heard. As a Soul-Centered Wellness and Travel Coach, I’m here to help you uncover the deeper truths in your life. Together, we’ll use storytelling, yoga, the expressive arts and mindful exploration to transform your challenges into opportunities for growth and meaning.

Come Sit by the Fire

Let’s begin this new chapter together. I’ll bring the tools of depth and transpersonal psychology, world folklore and myth, the wisdom of yoga and a listening heart. You bring your truth, your questions and your willingness to explore.

Your story is still unfolding. Let’s write the next chapter together. Get to Know Thy Self and story, which includes the option to set out on a journey of travel and transformation.

Certifications

BA Journalism and Spanish, Metropolitan State College of Denver.

200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification + 300 hours continued education in yoga therapy. Member Yoga Alliance.

Reiki Master Level III – St. Croix, USVI.

120-hour certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages through International Open Academy.

Certificate in Soul-Centered Coaching Psychology from the Institute for Soul-Centered Psychology and Coaching, member of International Association of Coaches, Therapists and Mentors.

Member of The Travel Coach Network. Become a Travel Coach today!

Ordained Minister with Universal Life Church https://www.ulc.org/

Past Performances and Workshops https://www.storytimeyoga.com/about/past-performances-and-workshops/

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Follow me on Sydney in Osaka – Living the Mindful Life in Japan blog.

Read my Mythic Yoga: The Queen of Bohemia Lives in St. Croix blog.

Story Poetica: Poetry by Sydney Solis include publication in The Shambhala Times, The Caribbean Writer, Moko Magazine of Caribbean Arts and Culture, The Squawk Back, The Haibun Journal, and live poetry performances at the Dan Pels Poetry Show and Second Place Winner in the Mac DeLand Slam in Florida. She is also an award-winning haiku poet.

Mythic Yoga: Mental, physical and spiritual well-being with yoga and story. Creating personal mythology for healing trauma by re-enchanting the world we live in. What is your myth? If you do not know, find out with mythology and the story in the body. Get the E-book Mythic Yoga: Ancient Hindu Myth and Personal Story, first performed at the 2005 Boulder Public Library Winter Festival of Stories. Get the Mythic Yoga At Home Training, used in Sydney’s pioneering online courses since 2006, and start your Mythic Yoga Journey™ today!

Storytime Yoga®: Internationally acclaimed children’s yoga and oral storytelling program and media by Sydney teaching peace, health and literacy. Storytime Yoga® for Kids is the original children’s yoga and storytelling program.