Meet Katherine Sophia

Katherine Sophia is a passion driven visionary social entrepreneur on a mission to be of service by connecting people to the Divine light, joy and abundance of life force energy that exists within each and every one of us. Her work has taken her all over the globe and she has provided guidance to thousands of individuals on their journey within using a variety of holistic healing modalities.

Not only does she work privately with individuals, she expands into the realms of couples, families and communities. Her guiding force and fuel is that of unconditional love. She is a master space holder and can unite a group of strangers into a loving, supporting connected community by tuning them deeply into their compassionate loving hearts. 

She works with people of all religious and spiritual belief systems as she believes we are all united, all One… simply taking different paths to arrive at the same destination. Back to our innate nature of love, awareness, joy, bliss, and true acceptance and surrender to all that is. 

I am

Warriror of the Divine. Soul seeker. Tantrika Yogini. Lover. Mother. Master Sacred Space Holder. Humanitarian. Visionary Entrepreneur. Expert Educator. Motivational Speaker. Breath & Plant Medicine Shamaness.

My strengths 

Compassionate. Accepting. Aligned. Forgiving. Passion Driven. Empathetic. Enthusiastic. Understanding. Balanced. Aware.

My weaknesses 

Impatient. Forgetful. Demanding at times. 

My studies 

Bachelor of Science in Human Development & Family Studies

Diploma de Español DELE Instituto Cervantes España

Master in Nonprofit Leadership & Management

E-RYT 500 Master Yogi with Yoga Alliance® 

20,000 + Hours of Teaching Experience

My Breathwork Experiences  

Transformational Breath® Levels 1, 2 & 3 - Panama 

Holotropic Breathwork® - USA 

Breath of Bliss - Indonesia 

Tantra Rebirthing - Thailand

Alchemy of Breath - Thailand 

Soma Breath - Costa Rica 

Wim Hof Method - Thailand

My Meditation Experiences 

Vipassana - Jaipur, India 

Shamatha - Dharamsala, India

Ayurveda 

Panchakarma - Kalari Rasayana - Kerla, India 

My Yoga Experience  

200 Hour Vinyasa Yoga - Bocas del Toro, Panama 

300 Hour Ayurveda & Tantra Training - Bali, Indonesia 

AcroYoga Immersion & Thai Yoga Massage - Panama

 Rainbow Yoga Kids - Panama City, Panama

Work with Katherine Sophia

Ayurvedic Holistic Health Consultation

Ayurveda seeks to keep the mind, body & spirit in perfect equilibrium by examining the relationship one has with self, others, and their natural environment. Ayurveda examines human lifestyle practices in a holistic fashion by examining physical existence, mental existence, and personality as a unit, with each element being able to influence the others. 

During your consultation, together we will determine your dosha and the energies running different aspects of your being. The doshas are biological energies found throughout the human body and mind. They govern all physical and mental processes and provide every living being with an individual blueprint for health and fulfillment. The doshas are dynamic energies that constantly change in response to our actions, thoughts, emotions, the foods we eat, the seasons, and any other sensory inputs that feed our mind and body. When we live into the fulfillment of our individual natures, we naturally make lifestyle and dietary decisions that foster balance within our doshas. When we live against our intrinsic natures, we support unhealthy patterns that lead to physical and mental imbalances. 

An Ayurvedic consultation empowers the individual to make the best choices for their unique individual blueprint and constitution in the areas of diet, types of exercise, self-care practices, and daily habits on a deeply personalized level. 

Prior to session, clients will be sent a Ayurvedic Questionnaire to assist in the process of determining the dosha that will be used as the foundation for the session. 

Spiritual Life Coaching

Each one of us have made spiritual and philosophical agreements that create the core foundation of what we are creating & manifesting in our lives. These life changing sessions seek to identify your core spiritual beliefs and to reprogram the ideas that are no longer serving you in creating the life of your dreams. It is based on the idea that we are all our own best healers and guides and that the answers we seek already reside within us, we just have to be willing to ask the right questions and be the witness of what we believe to be our truth.

At the conclusion of the session, you will be offered a list of resources to support you on your spiritual path, along with suggested practices that would empower you along the way. The vision for these sessions is to gently guide you in returning to your Divine Essence of love, joy, and inner peace, which is your birthright. 

Somatic Trauma and Pain Body Release

Life is full of beauty and love, but at times in our lives that beauty and love can get  buried by unprocessed pain and trauma. Taking the time and energy to heal the pain within is quite possibly the most important work we can do in this lifetime. These sessions are designed to get to the very root of the trauma and allow it to be honored, felt and released from the mind, body and spirit. During this process we will mend the pieces that were once broken within us with love, understanding, compassion forgiveness and hope. No past experience is worth taking away your present joy.  

Prior to the session, participants will be given a reflective questionnaire to help identify the trauma or pain body they wish to address during the session. Different holistic transformational tools may be incorporated depending on the participants needs and desires such as bodywork, breathwork, physical movement and guided meditations. 

Upon completion of the session, participants will be given additional resources and suggestions for them to continue the healing process. 

Private Connected Breathwork Session

Our breath is the greatest transformational tool and life force energy the Divine blessed upon us the moment we departed from our mothers womb and entered onto Mother Earth. Connected breathwork journeys are a powerful transformational tool for gaining direct access to the subtle energy bodies operating within every cell of our system. The journey takes you out of the strong hold of the mind and into the awareness of the intelligent energic system of the chakras and nadis within. The space where deeps truths can be heard, felt, acknowledged and embraced with unconditional love. Connected Breathwork sessions are done laying on a mat. 

Prior to the sessions participants will fill out a medical release form and have a brief introduction to the session. 

Personalized Yoga Class Design

Yoga is a healing science of the body used to create balance and energy flow throughout the entire mind, body and sprit. When the design of the class is catered specifically to your body type design, deep transformation and healing can take place. This package includes three sessions: body type consultation & body analysis, physical practice to introduce the class and one additional physical practice to perfect the postures. The class design will be completely tailored to optimize your individual physical, mental and spiritual well being. 

Sacred Tantric Exploration for couples

Unite with your beloved to the next level by exploring the ancient tools of tantra by exploring the loving power of open hearted sacred connection and union. During this session, you and your beloved will develop an intimacy contract and be offered tools and practices to enhance your relationship with yourself and your partner and unite you both at a deeper soul level. These sessions are great for couples who many just beginning their connection, for couples who have already had a long term relationship, or even for couples considering dissolving their relationship or experiencing challenges in their love. These sessions are open to couples of all gender and sexual orientations or union combinations. 

Private Yoga Class 

This is a private yoga class for one to two people, but additional participants can be added for an additional $25 per person. You can select your style of yoga and can include: Vinyasa, Restorative, Gentle Hatha, Power Yoga, Yoga Sculpt, Kundalini, Tantra, Yin, Yoga for Kids, Prenatal & Postnatal, and AcroYoga (with a minimum of two people). 

Guided Meditation Sessions

Give yourself the gifts of meditation, quiet the mind and surrender to the beauty and stillness within. This session starts with an introduction to meditation and preparing your unique design to enter into the perfect meditation posture for your body. Choose from the various styles including: Metta Loving Kindness, Heart Centered Meditation, Forgiveness Meditation, Vipasana, Breath Meditation, Samatha and many more.

*Katherine Sophia also accepts a very limited number of private clients per year to provide one-on-one soul coaching, visioning & personal transformation guidance. If you are interested, please contact us today to set up a free discovery call.

Unexpected Moments of Magic

The autobiography of a yogini

Exploring my passions... 

My yoga practice first started when I was 16 years old entering college. I signed up for Gentle Yoga & Tai-Chi classes starting at 6:00 a.m. For my first year in college, I remember thinking that it was a big commitment to undertake so early in the morning. Well, in the end, it was very much worth the commitment & it was a life-changing decision. That year was awe-inspiring for me.

After struggling a bit in high school trying to find myself and to define myself, college was a new beginning for me. Instead of trying to “fit in,” studying subjects I didn’t have any passion for, finally, I was becoming an individual... being lead by my interests & passions. I was exploring & studying things I was actually interested in like yoga, philosophy, religion, & psychology. In high school I actually questioned my intelligence, but come to find out, I was a straight A student! I was just not being stimulated by the subjects I was being forced to learn, so it was hard for me to learn things that posed no sort of stimulation for my mind, body & spirit. I came to realize that I am a passion driven person. My passions guide me, support me in my daily life & bring vision to my future. I came to this realization during a powerful, eye-opening savasana that year. This was but one of my unexpected moments of magic in life. 

Taking the time to just be is a vital element to personal growth & happiness. The things I learned about myself and the world during my yoga classes that year and from then on started to truly shift me from the inside out. Each one brought me closer to my higher self, to my higher power and realigned me to my values. 

Since then, my yoga practice has taken me on the ride of a lifetime cruising like a roller coaster. I have had my highs, where my practice was deepening me in profound ways and I have had my lows where my practice has been put aside to do things that were “supposedly” more important... Reflecting back, I now realize how crucial my practice is for me in my life, in me becoming the person I wish to see in this world. Our mind, body & spirit are our tools, our vehicles, our gifts from God... we can use them to feel alive and if we do not prioritize in taking the best care of them possible, we are neglecting our sacred selves, our temples and taking a very special gift for granted...  

A journey around the world...

The next pivotal moment of magic was in January 2005, when I boarded a plane to Indonesia the day after the tsunami hit the Indian Ocean on a humanitarian trip with a team of seven lovely seekers. What started as a short-term humanitarian trip, turned into an adventure around the globe taking me to over 30 countries, volunteering my time and talents with several devoted organizations & meeting thousands of exceptional social entrepreneurs & service driven people who were making a difference in their communities and in the world.

The things I saw, heard, touched, learned & felt are things I never before could have imagined...

I felt my heart breaking open and at times wanting to break down. I saw a degree of suffering that I did not know still existed. In Boquete, Panama I watched an 11 year old girl breastfeeding her baby, who also happened to be her half brother as it was her own father who had raped her. In Rwanda, I met a group of 16 boys that had been living on the streets together as a family for the past 12 years whose parents were murdered in the ethnic cleansing genocide that took place in 1994 when over a million people were killed. In Uganda, I met a 14-year-old girl who was positive with HIV and yet she was still selling her body for money for food to eat to survive. I met a sweet 5-year-old boy who had scares all over his body from the abuse he had taken from his own aunt. And these are only but a few stories in millions who are struggling to survive on a daily basis.

On my travels I realized that the reality is, some of us get water from a faucet and others walk for hours to get it from the village well. Some of us get food from the grocery store, while others from garbage cans. Some of us have several pairs of shoes, while others walk barefoot. Some of us are blessed with the means to proper nutrition, while others are dying everyday from starvation & malnutrition. Some of us live in an area where we can walk around worry free of harm or danger and others in areas where war is all around and you are constantly looking behind your back. Some of us have loving support all around us, while others have no one. Some of us spend $30 on a single meal and others live off of $30 for one month. Some of us have well paid jobs, while others educate themselves for years just to realize that there are no job opportunities. Some of us have to force our children to go to school, while others pray everyday that maybe one day they will be able to pay for their children to go to school. Some of us live in areas of opportunities. Others live in areas absent of opportunities. We all do things differently, that is what diversity is all about, but the reality of this world is, no matter how differently we do things, we all have the same needs. We all have the need to nourish our bodies with food and water. We all have the desire to feel love, a sense of belonging and safety. We all have the desire to learn and grow and follow our passions in life. And the most beautiful thing of all of is that we are ONE, a unified human race. We are all made from the same substances and when all is said and done, we are all equal. We all have a beautiful light inside each one of us. We all have something to share, to teach. We all have a purpose. Your life is not an accident. You are part of a bigger plan. We truly are all interconnected. We need one another. And the world needs us to play our part.  

Unexpected moments of magic...

I am pleased to say that in all the places I traveled, my heart always drew me back to beautiful Boquete, Panama and this is the place I have called home now for many years. It is in this community that I launched my first organization, Unexpected Moments of Magic Panama. A volunteer placement organization dedicated to empowering individuals worldwide through the encouragement of self-exploration through social entrepreneurship, volunteerism, philanthropy & education as powerful forces for worldwide change. UMMP creates an opportunity  for others to experience their “unexpected moment of magic” by being immersed in a cultural experience while serving to the local community.

The Indian Ocean Tsunami killed over 250,000 people in fourteen countries and was one of the deadliest natural disasters recorded in history. My goal is to empower a shift in at least 250,000 people through Unexpected Moments of Magic Panama. Our numbers are rising everyday and for that I am evermore grateful.

With the launch of UMMP, I have had the opportunity to work with some truly amazing social entrepreneurs who continue to inspire me everyday with their undying dedication. Together we have launched several projects in Panama.

My first volunteer trip changed my life and I discovered something inside of myself that I didn’t know existed. I had found my first calling. So with UMMP, my goal is to provide that opportunity to others, and with any luck, they too will find their calling or at least take a step closer to discovering their passion. 

For me, my work is one of my greatest passions in life. I am so grateful to be able to wake up everyday knowing I am exactly where I am meant to be, doing what I am designed to do, knowing I am making a difference. There is no better feeling.

So it is my hope for you that you too seek out your passions in life. Explore your talents. Acquire skills. Seek knowledge. Think Positive. Express your gratitude. Look for strengths in others & in yourself. Open your mind and most importantly, believe in yourself & be proud of what you represent to the world. When you are doing what you are designed to do & what you are naturally good at, life is no longer about working, it is about living. 

My yoga inspiration... 

Yet another key event that guided me on my path to yoga is meeting Linda Day & participating in her classes in the community of Boquete. Linda inspired me to be the type of teacher I desired to be. Her years of experience of being a nurse bled into her yoga practice and the results were impacting. When she guided you in your practice, she brought you to where you needed to be and no further. The sense of competition was nowhere to be found in her yoga space. She created a loving, safe, open environment for people to express themselves through the postures. She created a space for personal growth, and at the same time, a space to play, and laugh, reminding us not to take life so seriously. When she gave you an adjustment or a massage during savasana, you could feel the love in her hands. She cares for her students and anyone that has taken her class knows that. On Friday evenings after class, she would host a potluck at her home, bringing our yoga community even closer together. My time practicing with Linda is something that I will be forever grateful for. Not only for her, but for everyone that practiced with her. For the entire yoga community that I hold so close and dear to my heart. I love you all. You know who you are.

The Phoenix Rising...

But the most recent, and maybe the most impactful of all of the events, was the arrival of my son, Phoenix Andres. After three years of praying & trying to get pregnant, finally it happened. It was a long, heart-wrenching  journey that ended with the birth of the most beautiful little boy on this planet, no bias whatsoever of course! 

This event rocked my world. No longer was this journey in life just about me. This journey became about us. The journey of one, becoming two. True union. Something I had never before experienced like I did with Phoenix.  

So, you would think that after trying so hard and wanting so badly to be a mom, that once it happened, one would just be overwhelmed with joy & gratitude... and most of the time I was, but there were moments when I was just simply overwhelmed. I needed an outlet. I needed to reconnect with my true self as I felt I was losing myself in my son. I no longer was Kaytee, I was Phoenix’s mom. He was now my world. He was my passion. My unconditional love. My priority. He came first. Making sure he was fed, clean, happy, stimulated, loved, held, provided for, etc... For my parents out there, you know what I am talking about. My child was dependent on me. What a responsibility! Which brings me to share  a great quote:

I realized, for the time being, my son needed to be dependent on me. But not just me, he needed the very best of me. He needed me to be patient. He needed me to be compassionate. He needed me to be loving. He needed me to be happy. To spread joy all around him. He needed me to be connected to the light inside of myself and the very bright beautiful light inside of him. He needed me to be his example because he was watching every move I was making. I was one of his primary “guides” in life. My energy directly affected his experience in life.

Rededication to myself...

My solution, yoga. As there is no better outlet for me to continue to become more patient, happier, more compassionate, and more loving than yoga! When Phoenix was 6 months old, I signed up for a 200 hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Training and moved to Bocas Del Toro for a month and immersed myself in my yoga practice, again. I rented an apartment across the street from where the training was being held and hired a live in nanny to help me with my son. I would go over to the apartment during lunch and breaks to feed my son and to check in on them. What a magical experience... being able to care for my son and myself together in one, united. After six months of being just a mommy, I realized the true importance of taking care of myself, mind, body & spirit, not only for my son, but for everyone around me, all my loved ones. 

As I reflect back on my work with my foundation, it also made me realize that I was starting to suffer from compassion fatigue. My whole life I have had jobs being of service in one way or another. It is part of who I am. I am a natural helper. I worked with children with disabilities for many years while I was in college. After I graduated, I worked in a homeless shelter in Phoenix, Arizona managing the Community Resource & Education Department. With Unexpected Moments of Magic we partnered with over 20 local nonprofits, schools & community organizations to assist them with extra helping 

hands through our international volunteer program. Running UMMP guided me to where I am today. It made me truly embody our foundation philosophy, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” It made me come to the realization that many of my volunteers were coming to work with us in Panama to find purpose, to be of service, and some came to fill a void they felt within. It made me realize, I was doing the same thing. I was being of service to others to fill my void and was giving little attention to healing the void I had within myself. I focused on everyone else’s problems, so I didn’t have to focus on my own internal battle. Being around people who were existing in conditions much worse than mine, made me feel more grateful. I think that there was a part of myself that thought, I can change the world because I an am American, educated woman. I know what is best for others and I am going to make a difference. And through this journey, I realized, who is going to change the world inside me? Who is going to be of service to me? Wondering, who am I? What do I stand for? What is my purpose?  And I started to wonder, what is that void? 

Yoga taught me to love myself and everyone around me. It has taught me that I am the best teacher. I am not better than anyone else. We are one. Truly One. I have something to learn from every person that comes into my life. It has taught me to see the beauty all around me, but not to just see it, to embody it. My travels took me on a journey around the world and taught me so much about life, but my yoga practice took me on a journey within that continues everyday. By journeying within, I did become more compassionate, more loving, more forgiving. I was transitioning into my true self and was getting to know that part of myself very well.

When I went within, I was able to let go of things that were hurting me in my daily life. I learned so much about myself, who I was, who I want to be, who I am now (and being more accepting). I learned to forgive myself and others. I let go of anger and jealousy within myself. I learned to feel gratitude for the challenges in life and I can feel that gratitude even in the toughest of moments. This gratitude is inside of me. It doesn’t dim. It taught me I am the author of my life and I can choose the kind of story I am gonna write. 

I am not perfect. I am in many ways not your “typical” yoga teacher, but then again, who is? But, I have my strengths and if I just stay focused on them, it makes it much easier to accept my weaknesses. And it also makes me that much more loving and accepting of everyone else’s downfalls and to see their bright lights of strength. 

I learned that I cannot be perfect as there is no balance in perfection, but everyday I try to be better than the day before, striving to reach my Higher Self. Everyday I wake up and look out my window and think, I am so lucky to live here in this beautiful place, surrounded by nature, surrounded by good energy. Surrounded by community. Surrounded by beauty, fresh air. Surrounded by God. 

What is yoga to me?

It’s a journey inside, upside down, inside out... and all around

In reading all this you may be wondering, what does any of this stuff have to do with yoga? Well, for me yoga is not just about getting on your mat & doing the postures. Yoga is a path to guide us on this journey we call life. It is the process of becoming who we truly are at our core, at our highest selves. It is about learning to love ourselves & those around us. It is about shining our light into the world to be of service to others. It is about learning to truly listen to our bodies. To connect with spirit. To connect with others. It is about being kind. Showing compassion for others and ourselves. It is about finding our truth and living our truth. Its about living in a world of abundance, verse lack. It’s about knowing that in this moment, everything is as it should be, no regrets. Its about moving forward. It is about learning to use your energy wisely and not allowing negative energy to enter into your being. It is about letting go of attachments, knowing the only thing that is consistent is change. Its about learning to flow like water, gracefully over the bumps in the way. About getting knocked down and always getting back up with a new perspective. It is about accepting without darkness, there is no lightness. They go hand in hand, working in harmony.

Just doing yoga postures will not change your life. But doing the work that goes along with the postures will. The postures for me are just a small part of this yoga journey. But when I come to my mat, I intend on incorporating all the lessons I have learned or am trying to learn during my practice, that is what makes yoga challenging. A good yogi is not one that can come to their mat and do some truly difficult postures with grace. A true yogi is one that comes to their mat with their light shinning as brightly as possible. Someone who during their practice is showing gratitude for their body for what it can and cannot do and not judging it. Someone who comes to their mat full of gratitude and self love. Someone who shows compassion to others. Someone who is patient with themselves and others around them. Someone who lives in the moment, knowing that moment is perfect and exactly where they should be. Someone who looks in the mirror and says, thank you God for this gift of life, I will do the best I can to serve You at my highest self. 

We are all interconnected, we are one.

And the journey continues… more to come