Meet Steve Safranek
Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 certified teacher with 7+ years of dedicated teaching experience, 3,500+ classes taught, and 13 certified yoga teachers trained.
Steve brings a practical, grounded, and deeply experiential approach to yoga, personal growth, and teacher development. Blending classical Ashtanga discipline with fluid Vinyasa sequencing, introspective Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, breathwork, and self-inquiry, his goal is to meet every practitioner exactly where they are on their path.
Grounded Practice, Authentic Presence
Steve believes that yoga is not about perfection of posture, but about deepening self-awareness, cultivating presence, and building a container for genuine transformation.
Classical Foundations & Alignment
Rooted in Ashtanga Primary Series precision, Steve emphasizes safe anatomical alignment, intelligent sequencing, and building body awareness that serves students for a lifetime of practice.
Breathwork & Somatics
Integrating pranayama, calming breathwork, Yoga Nidra, and sound vibrations to quiet the mind, release stored tension, and access deeper emotional healing and clarity.
Individualized Mentorship
Whether guiding 200h/300h teacher trainees or retreat guests in Costa Rica, Steve maintains small group sizes to ensure personal feedback, space-holding, and authentic mentorship.
From Student to Lead Mentor
Steve’s yoga path began over a decade ago when he first stepped onto the mat seeking balance and physical resilience. What started as an exploration of movement quickly evolved into a dedicated lifelong practice of self-inquiry, breath discipline, and spiritual growth.
Over the past 7+ years of professional teaching, Steve has accumulated more than 3,500 teaching hours across Ashtanga Vinyasa, Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Calming Breathwork, and Somatic Healing. As an E-RYT 500 certified lead instructor, he has trained and graduated 13 certified yoga teachers who now teach around the world.
Retreats & Teacher Training Leadership
Steve has facilitated multiple domestic and international retreats—most notably annual week-long immersions at Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort in Nosara, Costa Rica—alongside leading comprehensive 200-Hour and 300-Hour Teacher Trainings.
His approach to teacher training combines rigorous study with practical classroom teaching experience. Trainees learn not only how to sequence and cue, but how to discover their own unique voice, facilitate workshops, and teach with confidence.
Writing on Truth, Healing & Courage
Beyond the mat and the retreat shala, Steve has authored three books that challenge societal conditioning, explore radical accountability, and guide readers through life's deepest fires into authentic self-discovery.
The Sh!t No One Wants to Hear
How to Accept and Embrace the Uncomfortable Truths in Our Lives. A provocative wake-up call to look in the mirror differently.
Alex and the Dinosaur
By Steve Safranek, Alex Epstein, & Emem Essien. An uplifting story about discovering courage through self-belief.
Peeling Back the Layers
A Guide to Self-Discovery through Life's Darkest Moments. Exploring vulnerability, ego dissolution, and profound renewal.