Andrea DelZotto

At the heart of Permission to Be is a belief that we don’t have to rush our way through the experiences that change us. We need space to feel, to breathe, to listen inward, and to be supported as we find our way through them.

My work brings together years of study and practice in yoga, somatics, nervous-system regulation, polyvagal theory, recovery, trauma-informed care, and contemplative approaches to life’s transitions which have deepened my understanding of how our bodies respond to stress, trauma, loss, and change. 

Supplementation of my foundational Kripalu yoga training with certification in both Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY), and Somatic Therapeutic Yoga, allows me to bring an approach that honors both the wisdom of the body and the complexity of the human experience.

The environment in which I offer this approach is deeply informed by my education with TCTSY, developed by Dave Emerson and Jenn Turner in collaboration with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, which delivers spaces that prioritize choice, agency, safety, and connection with the body.

Sensory enhancements to these spaces such as the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, further supports nervous-system regulation, stress reduction and a greater sense of safety and connection. 

My work with grief is informed by specialized education with Dr. Alan Wolfelt, including Comprehensive Bereavement Skills and Support as well as study in contemplative end-of-life care. Together, these experiences have shaped an approach that honours grief not as something to fix, overcome, or move beyond, but as a natural and deeply human response to love, change, and loss.

Through movement, breath, reflection, and compassionate presence, I create spaces where people can gently be. My intention is not to tell you how to grieve, or that you have to move on, but to offer a safe (enough) and supportive space where you can pause, listen deeply to what’s inside of you and give yourself permission to be exactly where you are.

This retreat is an invitation to slow down, to honour what has been lost, and to discover that even in the midst of grief, there can be moments of connection, tenderness, and renewal.

You don't have to have it all figured out. You simply have to give yourself permission to be.