Hi there, I’m Julia Athena…

founder of Vikara Wellness Retreats & Holistic Health & Subtle SOMA Therapy. Sober Living. Nervous System Regulation Therapy. Emotional Intelligence & Soul-Based Development. My work is rooted in a deep love for the body’s wisdom and the joy that becomes available when we learn how to listen to it.

I didn’t arrive here through a straight line. My path has been shaped by curiosity, change, and a lot of inner listening. Like many of us, I moved through seasons of searching, trying different ways of living, relating, and understanding myself before finding what truly felt aligned. Over time, those experiences taught me how powerful it is to slow down, tune in, and let the nervous system lead the way.

Yoga and embodiment entered my life as an invitation rather than a goal. What began as a personal practice quickly became a source of connection, presence, and genuine happiness. The more I listened to my body, the more ease, clarity, and joy I found, and eventually, the more I felt called to share that experience with others.

In 2012, I founded Vikara Wellness, which has since grown into retreats and recovery-informed wellness programs in Mexico. Living and working here has allowed me to witness the beauty of transformation in real time, as people soften, reconnect, and remember parts of themselves that may have been waiting quietly for attention.

As my private practice evolved, Subtle Soma Therapy emerged, a nervous system regulation therapy model I created for emotional intelligence and soul-based development. Combining TRE® embodiment methods with Vibrational Flower Essence Remedies. This work is about cultivating self-awareness, emotional fluency, and a felt sense of safety in the body so we can meet life with more openness, creativity, and joy.

I’m trained as a holistic health counselor, E-RYT 500 yoga teacher, certified TRE® provider, Shaking Medicine teacher, and in active 2026-cohort with Flower Essence Studies to become a Flower Essence Practitioner, but what guides me most is presence and lived experience. I believe healing doesn’t have to be heavy, it can be gentle, expansive, and even joyful.

My intention is to create spaces where people feel supported enough to slow down, reconnect, and truly enjoy being in their bodies, opening the door to a life that feels more grounded, alive, and aligned.