Sonja Denelzen
Description
Founder, Chinese and Daoist medicine acupuncturist, Zen Shiatsu practitioner, Acutonics practitioner, sound journey facilitator, yoga instructor, meditation guide, forest bathing guide, Daoist stone medicine practitioner, qi gong practitioner, wellness and transformation mentor, and soul alchemist.
Sonja is a registered Chinese Medicine Acupuncturist with more than 3,000 hours of training, a transformational mentor, a licensed Zen Shiatsu practitioner, a 500-hour+ yoga and qi gong instructor, and a sound journey facilitator. Her work is rooted in the belief that human well-being is strengthened through a co-creative relationship with nature and a deeper sense of self-empowerment.
As the founder of Cedar Healing Arts, she has created a space designed to support, inspire, and guide people on their path toward well-being, while encouraging deeper connection with the higher self, with others, and with the natural world. Influenced by nature, Classical Chinese medicine, and Daoist medicine, her holistic approach honors the body, mind, and spirit as an interconnected whole. Sonja offers acupuncture, Acutonics, private yoga sessions, Zen Shiatsu treatments, cupping, moxa, tuina, dietary guidance, sound journeys, sound and stone medicine spirit healing ceremonies, forest bathing, meditation, and lifestyle and personal growth transformation mentoring.
Lineage
Sonja completed her 2,200-hour Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture diploma at Eight Branches in 2018 and received her full license from the CTCMPAO in April 2019. She is deeply drawn to the holistic perspective of Chinese medicine, and her treatments are centered on the individual as a whole person with a unique history and experience. Her work draws from years of study in TCM, including acupuncture, guasha, cupping, moxa, tuina, food as medicine, and herbs, along with yoga, meditation, macrobiotics, spirituality, self-inquiry, mindset practices, and Daoist studies to support each client’s personal wellness goals.
As a Zen Shiatsu practitioner, she uses extremely gentle touch to apply pressure along meridian pathways while remaining attentive to the body’s response. This approach invites profound relaxation and supports the body’s natural healing intelligence. Sonja completed her Zen Shiatsu training in 2010 under Adarsa Chakra and Era Birfer.
She views yoga as a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that can lead to greater awareness and consciousness. Breath, presence, and alignment are central to each session. With a compassionate and gentle presence, she brings the beauty and wisdom of yoga into her classes. In yin-focused practices, she offers clients space for deep relaxation and connection with their energetic, physical, and emotional bodies, often through the lens of the five-phase perspective of Chinese medicine.
Sonja completed her 500-hour teacher training with Downward Dog Yoga Studios in Toronto, including advanced training in Art of Mysore and Art of Vinyasa, as well as Ashtanga-based programs under Ron Reid. She studied Yin Yoga with Tracey Soghrati through a 50-hour yin yoga teacher training and with Sarah Powers. Her additional studies include prenatal yoga with Nicky Poole, pranayama with Suddhir Tiwari, mindful alignment with Annie Carpenter, and meditation in silent retreats, along with many other workshops with respected teachers.
Since 2019, Sonja has been studying qi gong, tai chi, and Daoist martial and healing arts with Lindsay Wei of Wudang White Horse from Wudang Five Immortals Temple, as well as Daoist stone medicine with Sarah Thomas, L.Ac.
Through her ongoing personal practice of yoga, qi gong, and meditation, Sonja has discovered grounding tools that enrich daily life far beyond the mat. She is devoted to creating opportunities and supportive environments for people seeking peace, well-being, vitality, and mobility.
For Sonja, a vital part of physical, mental, and spiritual health is reflected in the relationship we cultivate with the natural world. You will often find her in the forest, by a river, observing nature, foraging, or appreciating the vibrant life of plants and the elements, while offering prayers of reciprocity and gratitude.
Sonja also brings more than 20 years of experience as a fashion designer, and her current line, inspired by the wellness journey she continues to walk, can be found at www.zennomad.ca