Hello! Welcome.
I am so excited to meet you! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tahni Liana Fornes.
I am a coach and counsellor living in a thriving small town in the mountains of rural British Columbia in Canada. I am also a massage therapist and yoga instructor, and perhaps most importantly, the mother of a beautiful four-year-old boy.
My passion is to inspire and support people in their journeys of healing and transformation, so that they are free and empowered to create a life they love!
I am in awe of the marvelous mystery of life, the beauty and magnificence of planet Earth, and the spiraling of galaxies. I am a lover of life, and Earth. I am a lover of truth, beauty and goodness.
I delight in knowing that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, and that we can become conscious creators of our lives.
I think of life as an adventure, and want mine to be filled with love and beauty and wisdom, purpose and meaning, action and rest. I desire to experience all the goodness and learning that life has to offer, and to express the fullness of who I am, the full bloom delight!
I believe we are in a time of great transformation on this planet, where we are moving away from systems of domination, oppression, control and exploitation, and moving toward a way of being that is just and sustainable. This is so exciting! And it also requires each of us to do our inner work. How do I need to change to become more of an embodiment of peace, justice, and sustainability? What parts of myself do I need to bring out of the shadows and welcome home? What is the highest vision I hold for myself and my life? You and I choosing to create a life we love helps all the world to become richer in love. You and I choosing to live a life that is filled with joy contributes to a joyful world! I love this.
My Story
I was born in California, but grew up travelling with an adventurous mother. When I was little, we lived in a house-truck that she built with her own hands! It was darling, complete with stained glass windows, and a little wood stove. We travelled mostly between British Columbia and California.
When I was school age we moved to Hawai’i for a year. We then travelled throughout Southeast Asia for the next year and a half, and then we moved to France! My travelling at such a young age, especially through Southeast Asia, had a profound impact on how I experience the world. At 7 I saw from the train window mile upon mile of families living in shelters of cardboard. I remember vividly how stunned I felt at witnessing this raw poverty, and how my being was awash in shock and grief and compassion. After France we moved back to British Columbia, and then back to France! By then I was 11 and decided that I didn’t want to be a travelling hippie anymore, and so I moved in with my Dad. He lived in Ojai, California, which is where I graduated from high school.
I went to university in Santa Cruz, graduating from UCSC with a degree in Environmental Studies. Most of my twenties were spent engaged in social justice and environmental activism, as well as a strong commitment to dancing all night at amazing parties to great electronic music ; )
My thirties brought the real beginning of my own journey into healing and transformation. I began counselling at this time, and began to learn about so much, especially the world of emotions! I studied to be a yoga teacher, graduating from Yandara Yoga Institute in 2006. And I studied to be a massage therapist, graduating from The Pacific Center for Awareness and Bodywork in 2008.
I continued to travel and lead a nomadic lifestyle, with San Francisco, California, and Salt Spring Island, British Columbia being my two home bases. I was a wandering yogini! My Burning Man name was Nomad. But wherever I roamed, my interests, commitments, and values were consistent. These include personal and planetary healing and transformation. Environmental and social justice. Spiritual and political awakening. Compassion, grace, mindfulness. And too, yes, good (organic! free range! local!) food, good wine, and good friends. Oh, and lets not forget the value of a good dance party!
In 2011 I become a mother! And in 2014 I had the great privilege and opportunity to study and learn at the Interchange Counseling Institute in San Francisco.
At 40 I decided to settle down and raise my son in one place! I've chosen the town of Nelson in British Columbia. It's a unique town, in the mountains, on a lake. It has the Victorians and hills of San Francisco! It has a vibrant music scene, a great ski hill, and much wilderness all around to explore.
I am excited to be putting down roots and building community connected to place. And too, I’m excited to meet you, and to explore how I can support you in creating a life that you love!