Fran Candelera: An Overview of an Ace Yoga & Meditation Teacher in US

Fran Candelera, the co-owner of Shanti Wellness Center in the US, is a certified yoga teacher and an accomplished massage therapist. 

But this description doesn’t suffice to describe this multifaceted talent with multiple feathers in her cap. 

In this Neybg blog Post, I’ll give you an overview of this fascinating woman.

Fran Candelera: Early Life and Education

Fran doesn’t talk much about her early life. That’s why we have to skip this part of her life for the time being. 

But she talks a lot about her education and work. Hers is a brilliant and comprehensive academic career. I’ll give you a list of her academic achievements below.

• BA in Psychology from Cleveland State University.
• Master of Public Health (epidemiology) from Kaplan University.
• Certificate in therapeutic massage from National Institute of Massotherapy.
• Master of Public Health (epidemiology) from Purdue Global.

Fran Candelera: Yoga and Meditation

Fran Candelera started Shanti Wellness Center at Munster in the USA along with Rey Candelera around 10 years ago. 

Shanti, incidentally, a Sanskrit word meaning peace. This is used as an interjection and suffix to many Sanskrit mantras as Shanti! Shanti! Shanti (Peace be unto all).

The Candeleras describe their center as a clinical massage therapy clinic, yoga studio and meditation center.

And they are doing well, given the growing popularity of the center.

But how? Apart from massage, their other two specialisations come from a culture none of them belongs to. 

Yoga and Meditation

Here I’ll give you a short lecture on these two practices. This lecture will prove to you like nothing else can the dedication, intelligence and efficiency of Fran Candelera.

The Practice and Meaning of Yoga

Yoga is the third rung in the 8-rung religious practice of Hindu religion. These 8 steps or limbs are closely interconnected. 

For example, you cannot practice the second without mastering the first. The 8 limbs are as follows:

Yama (restraint), Niyama (regulations), Asana (some special physical exercises), Pranayama (breathing control), Pratyahara (withdrawal), Dharana (fixing the mind on one object excluding all others), Dhyana (deep meditation) and Samadhi (Emancipation, the ultimate enlightenment).

Yoga is a Hindu Religious Practice

By yoga, most people mean yoga postures. The Hindus, who practice this 8-limb yoga, practice these postures to strengthen the body so they can progress in their journey to the Enlightenment. 

Pratyahara, dharana and dhyana are closely related and one follows the other naturally. Through pratyahara the yogi withdraws his mind from all distractions and fixes it on his Ista (the chosen form of what the Hindus call Brahmna, the Ultimate Reality).

When Pratyahra is accomplished, dharana comes (mind is completely fixed on the Ista) then comes meditation (deep dharana when the meditator and the subject of meditation becomes one).

Then comes the Realisation.

Yoga, Meditation and the Ultimate Reality

According to Sanatan Hinduism, which forms the basis of all Indian religious cultures, God is called Brahmna. He is formless, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. Whatever you see is He. He is the ultimate reality. 

Whatever you see around you is a play of a special power of God called Maya which forces you to forget your real nature–which is existence-knowledge-bliss ultimate. 

This 8-limb yoga helps one to break free of this Maya and realise that you and everything else are nothing but He.

Fran Candelera: The Lover of the Esoteric

Fran Candelera is a citizen of the USA and belongs to a culture that is not connected, at least on the surface, to Hinduism and its rituals like yoga and meditation.

Still, she is running a successful clinic where she teaches and popularises yoga and meditation. From this, you can understand the determination, intelligence and efficiency of this woman. 

Fran Candelera: Shanti Wellness Center

Armed with her experience and in-depth knowledge of yoga and meditation and clinical massage therapy, Fran turned out to be a real help to her husband, another yoga expert and teacher.

Their Shanti Wellness Center offers several fitness, yoga/meditation and therapeutic massaging services and training. 

The duo has carefully and diligently built up an unshakable reputation for being two true masters of this esoteric practices of yoga and meditation.

Services Shanti Wellness Center Offers

Fran Candelera and Rey Candelera have carefully crafted the structure of their classes at Shanti Wellness Center. 

They have taken a holistic approach to healing mind, body and spirit. They also offer customisable classes and training to address the unique needs of individual students.

They Cover the following areas of alternative medicines. 

Sound Healing

Sound healing refers to promoting physical, mental and emotional well-being through the use of special sound vibrations.

For example, 417 Hz Solfeggio Frequency is famous for its ability to balance sacral chakra and remove negative energy and facilitate creative expressions.

According to ancient Indian yoga, there are seven chakras or centers of consciousness inside the spinal cord in the human body.

Sacral chakra or swadhisthana chakra is located at the pelvis and represents the water element. This chakra is responsible for promoting a positive mindset and creative work. 

This particular frequency targets this chakra and promotes positivity and creativity. Shanti Wellness Center utilises this frequency in its sound frequency therapy.

Fran’s center offers its students several sound healing sessions for individual as well as group settings. 

Fran Candelera herself conducts these classes along with her colleague Danna Goddard.

Chiropractic Healing

Shanti Wellness Center also offers chiropractic therapy sessions. In this therapy, misalignments of bodily joints, especially in the spinal column, are corrected through special massages.

Shanti recently teamed up with renowned chiropractor Dr Christian Gallegos who will hold chiropractic sessions at the centre on a regular basis. 

Massage Therapy

Fran herself is a trained, experienced and accomplished masseuse and her Shanti Wellness provides a comprehensive massage therapy service.

Fran and her team utilise different massage techniques like Swedish massage, deep tissue massage therapy and aromatherapy to heal the body and mind through a holistic approach.

There are several massage services to choose from like 60 minutes, 70 minutes and 90 minutes massage sessions. 

Some special massage services are also offered including stretch therapy, reiki, craniosacral therapy and cupping therapy.

Anti-Ageing Therapy

Fran Candelera and her team at Shanti Wellness Center also offer advanced anti-ageing therapy including yoga, facial and other corrective therapies.

Yoga, if practiced properly, can dramatically improve one’s physical and mental state which reflect on her appearances.

There are special yoga postures that can promote a brighter skin tone and remedy signs of premature ageing like sagging skin, lines and pigmentation. 

Coupled with special facial processes, this type of yoga is exploited at Shanti Wellness to offer a rejuvenated appearance to the center’s clients.

Yoga and Meditation

Shanti Wellness Center offers several yoga and meditation services, targeted at restoring and improving physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.

Apart from regular yoga classes, special classes are held where customisable yoga and meditation services are offered.

Among the services, the popular ones are vinyasa yoga, hatha yoga, Yin yoga, restorative yoga meditation and yoga nidra meditation. 

A Word of Caution

This blog post is for information purposes only. Yoga can never be practiced without the guidance of a qualified master. 

Remember, yoga deals more with the mind than body. Unless you can join your mind with the body and vice versa, yoga will not show its magic. Far from it, it can even be counterproductive.

Some special yoga postures can be dangerous, especially for the elderly. 

Then, there are some special breathing techniques (pranayama), especially those where the breath is held (kumbhaka), can lead to insanity if practised by those not well-established in Yama, Niyama and Asanas.

The popularity of yoga is gaining quick ground in the West but always remember, yoga cannot be and should not be learned from books, YouTube videos and Facebook reels.

Only a qualified teacher can prescribe suitable yoga and meditation practices that can successfully address physical and mental issues of individual students.

One-size-fits-all stuff never works with yoga and meditation.

Conclusion

Fran Candelera and her Shanti Wellness Center at Munster in the US are doing a great job at providing outstanding yoga, meditation and massage therapy.

Considering the intricacies of yoga and meditation, especially for a guy like Fran who doesn’t belong to the culture where they originated, what Fran and her team are doing is nothing short of a miracle.

Wishing her and her team the best of things, I will request you to exercise caution while entering a yoga regime as wrong practices may lead to serious physical and mental ailments, including insanity. 

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