Hi. I’m Heidi…
I’m passionate about cultivating spaces
where we feel safe enough
to fully engage, express and embody our gifts.
“I never thought of myself as a capital L leader.
I was just doing what I could to connect with others in meaningful ways and hopefully make the world a better place.”
HEIDI KALYANI
about me
Hi I’m Heidi. I am an artist, writer, designer, change-maker, group facilitator and embodied leadership trainer.
Although my work has taken on many faces over the years, creating spaces that feel safe enough to enable authentic, meaningful connection has always been at the heart of it.
A heartfelt vow
I was nine when I made a vow (witnessed by my favourite tree) to dedicate my life to preventing others from suffering the way I had.
From the beginning, my experience of the world was painful. I could feel it in my gut, my shoulders, my throat, my heart, and my nervous system. It was too fast, too loud, too harsh, too competitive, too unpredictable, and too overwhelming.
At first, I thought it was my fault, that I was somehow flawed for feeling this way.
The shushing and shaming I so often received when I spoke up confirmed my inner judgements. “You’re too sensitive.” “Stop exaggerating.” “It can’t be that bad.”
One summer, feeling especially isolated and alone, I took refuge on a wooden swing hanging from a large shady tree at the edge of the yard.
I paired the gentle swinging motion with little made-up songs, their lyrics and my long exhales spilling out the emotions I didn’t feel safe enough to share with others.
Each time I was on my swing, I noticed that I’d shift from feeling misunderstood, alone and powerless, to feeling more curious, connected and empowered. It was as if I had entered another world – the people and places were the same, but my perception of them had changed.
In this new world, I felt a steadiness, an expansiveness, and a deep okayness that filled me with a sense of hope and possibility, and made my life feel much less overwhelming.
At the time, I didn’t fully understand what had happened, but I liked the new window on the world I had intuitively uncovered, and wanted to know more about it.
So, as the first frosts were hugging the fields, I made a vow to discover what had happened, what it was called, how I could make it happen again, and how I could share it with others.
Transforming facilitation from the inside out
Now, decades later, I continue to honour that vow by creating (and training others how to create) trauma-sensitive, nervous-system-friendly spaces that support the transformative shift I first experienced on my childhood swing, from a protective state of surviving to a connective state of thriving.
My embodied leadership work (which includes my passion for grounded presence and transformative approaches to group facilitation) focuses on the dynamic interplay of the practices that have informed and enriched my journey. These include art, music, poetry, yoga, meditation, movement, connection to nature, reverence for the sacred, mindfulness, culture shift, community building and nervous system awareness.
Out of this fertile cauldron I have developed a model for embodied leadership that stands on three core pillars: awareness (to illuminate our group facilitation), architecture (to structure it) and inspired action (to animate it).
From leading retreats, workshops, and professional development sessions, to designing and delivering group facilitation training programs, to consulting on and revitalizing existing group offerings, I have worked with small businesses, non-profits, institutions and solopreneurs of many kinds. Past and current clients include heart-centred teachers, artists, coaches, therapists, caring professionals, community organizations, alternative wellness practitioners, yoga and meditation instructors, and conscientious change-makers.
Studies and inspiration
In addition to over 30 years of hands-on experience, the following retreats and trainings have shaped and informed both my personal practice of embodied leadership and what I share with others:
CERTIFICATES:
- The Polyvagal Certificate Course, Polyvagal Institute
- Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate, The Embody Lab
- Embodied Conflict Resolution, The Embody Lab
- Trauma-Informed Certificate for Coaches, The Centre for Healing
- Mindfulness Facilitator Certification, Mindfulness Without Boarders
- Level 1 Training, Integrative Restoration Institute (iRest)
OTHER:
- Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), Psychwire
- The Healing Trauma Program, Sounds True
- Yoga and Mental Health, Yoga Psychology Institute
- Mindful Life, Schumacher College
- Beyond Women’s Trauma, Embodiment Unlimited
- Non-Violent Communication, Dorje Denma Ling
- Turning Conflict Into Connection, Friends General Conference
- Circle of Trust, Centre for Courage and Renewal
In leadership, as in life,
I value…
courage
living by my values and taking inspired action even when things are hard
connection
interacting in nourishing, meaningful, reciprocal ways with self, others, world
compassion
acknowledging the pain in the world and advocating for change
reverence
meeting life, just as it is, with appreciation, awe, intention and tenderness
authenticity
embracing the vulnerability of being fully me and inviting others to the same
inner knowing
honouring the inherent wisdom of my body, heart and nervous system
Behind the scenes
When I’m not leading a retreat or facilitating a group, you will find me writing in a pool of sunshine (because I seem to be solar powered). And when I’m not writing, I’m likely practicing yoga, meditating, travelling, hiking, photographing, singing kirtan, reading, cooking, sipping steamy mugs of herbal tea, sharing time with friends, or experimenting with other practices that support my grounded presence.
I live and work in a small house in rural Nova Scotia, Canada, surrounded by plants, handmade textiles, art, musical instruments, piles of nearly illegible but very important(!) handwritten slips of paper, lots of sunlight and a generously loving partner.
I’d love to be your guide…
If you would like to become an inspiring, confident, grounded presence, while creating spaces that are safe enough for everyone to thrive, I would be honoured to be your guide!
Browse my current offerings,
or join my free monthly community call to begin!
I’d love to be your guide…
If you would like to become an inspiring, confident, grounded presence, while creating spaces that are safe enough for everyone to thrive, I would be honoured to be your guide!
Browse my current offerings,
or join my free monthly community call to begin!