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Integrating Evidence-Based Psychotherapy & Yoga
Where the Science of Therapy Meets the Heart of Yoga
Paula Kettula, LCSW, is the founder of Porta Verum Psychotherapy Services, which has supported people’s mental wellness for over 15 years.
As a licensed psychotherapist and registered yoga teacher (RYT-200), Paula has long integrated mind-body practices such as yoga, somatic therapy, mindfulness, and meditation into her clinical work.
Her connection to yoga began in 2007 after a severe car accident caused serious back injuries. What started as physical rehabilitation became a transformative, lifelong practice and a healing journey that deepened her work as a trauma therapist.
Yoga taught her patience, self-compassion, and how to turn pain into a path for growth — lessons that continue to shape her approach to healing in a profound way.
At Porta Verum Psychotherapy Services, our mission is to help people create lives filled with joy, connection, empowerment, and love.
Living Sati Yoga extends that mission beyond the therapy room — offering a holistic path to well-being through mindful movement and nervous system regulation.
In the evenings, our therapy office transforms into a peaceful, candlelit yoga studio — a place to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with yourself.
These classes are part of Porta Verum’s commitment to mental and emotional wellness — supporting healing not only through psychotherapy, but also through practices that calm the body, quiet the mind, and nurture the heart.
Yoga That Calms Your Mind, Regulates Your Nervous System, and Relieves Stress
Living Sati Yoga is more than yoga in general — its awareness in motion, grounded in the core pillars of presence, nervous-system regulation, compassionate movement, and belonging.
Classes combine slow, breath-led pacing with accessible options that ease pain and tension, making yoga approachable for every body.
Each practice reinforces presence over perfection, self-kindness instead of self-criticism, and tools you can carry off the mat into daily life.
It’s designed for people who feel stressed, anxious, or disconnected — and who want a safe, inclusive space where they can calm their thoughts, relax their body, and reconnect with themselves and their community.
Living Sati Is More Than Just Exercise
Stress Less & Feel Calmer
Life feels busy and overwhelming sometimes. Living Sati Yoga helps you slow down, breathe, and release tension so your mind feels clearer and your body feels more at ease. Over time, your nervous system learns to regulate itself again, helping you feel more grounded, resourced, and resilient in handling life’s stressors.
Ease Anxiety & Stop Overthinking
When your mind won’t stop spinning, it’s hard to feel calm or focused. Living Sati Yoga helps you quiet anxious thoughts through mindful movement and breath, so your body relaxes and your mind feels steady again. You’ll learn how to stay present instead of replaying the past or worrying about what’s next.
Relief from body tension and pain
Get relief from body tension and pain — whether it’s in your back, hips, or sciatica, Living Sati Yoga helps you feel more present and grounded while teaching you how to listen to what your body needs, so you stop pushing past your limits and prevent chronic pain and stress from building up.
Learn Mindfulness Skills
If you’ve tried everything else to feel calm and clear, mindfulness is the proven path to quiet your restless mind, regulate your body, and finally reset your mental health. At Living Sati Yoga, you’ll learn practical mindfulness tools you can use on and off the mat to reduce stress, build awareness, and create lasting well-being.
Emotional Balance & Self-Compassion
When life feels heavy or your emotions swing from one extreme to another, it’s easy to lose your sense of balance. Living Sati Yoga helps you slow down, notice what you feel, and respond with kindness instead of criticism. You’ll learn how to quiet the harsh inner critic and loosen the grip of perfectionism—patterns that drain your energy, increase anxiety, and keep you stuck in self-judgment. Over time, you’ll build emotional steadiness and genuine self-compassion that support lasting well-being.
From Isolation to Belonging
When you’re overwhelmed, anxious, or struggling, it’s easy to pull away and feel disconnected from others. Living Sati Yoga offers a calm, welcoming space where you can move, breathe, and reconnect—not just with yourself, but with a supportive community that understands. Through shared mindfulness and gentle connection, you’ll begin to feel seen, accepted, and part of something larger again.
The Core Pillars Of Living Sati Yoga
Awareness (Sati) in Motion
Awareness (Sati) in Motion
Awareness (Sati) in Motion
Awareness is the first step to change — yoga makes it a practice.
At the heart of Living Sati Yoga is sati — awareness. Each class is a practice of noticing your breath, body, thoughts, and emotions. This mindful awareness creates the foundation for change, helping you step out of autopilot and into the present moment with clarity and ease.
Presence Over Perfection
Awareness (Sati) in Motion
Awareness (Sati) in Motion
It’s not about the pose; it’s about being present in your own body.
Classes focus on being present rather than “performing” yoga. Gentle cues invite you to notice your breath, sensations, and self-talk, retraining the mind away from overthinking and self-criticism and toward calm and clarity, depression, trauma, and relationship issues.
Nervous-System Regulation
Awareness (Sati) in Motion
Nervous-System Regulation
Breathe, slow down, and shift from stress to calm in real time
Slow, guided breathing and mindful pacing shift the body out of fight/flight and into rest/restore mode. This calms anxious thoughts, quiets mental noise, and builds emotional resilience, giving you tools to manage stress in real time, explore their thoughts and feelings without judgment.
Freedom in Movement
The Art of Self-Compassion
Nervous-System Regulation
Gentle, accessible options that make movement feel good again
Options-first sequences meet you where you are — easing tight hips, sciatica, back pain, or prenatal needs. The focus isn’t on advanced poses, but on creating comfort and freedom in your body, so movement becomes a source of relief instead of frustration.
The Art of Self-Compassion
The Art of Self-Compassion
The Art of Self-Compassion
Learn to listen to your body with kindness, not criticism
Every class reinforces self-kindness. Instead of pushing or judging, you learn to listen to your body and treat yourself with gentleness. Over time, this builds a more compassionate inner voice — one that encourages rather than criticizes, and supports long-term mental well-being.
Belonging by Design
The Art of Self-Compassion
The Art of Self-Compassion
A community where every body and every identity is seen and supported
Living Sati Yoga is intentionally inclusive: consent-based teaching, identity-affirming language, and community rituals create a space where BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and gender-diverse students feel safe, seen, and supported.
