About madeleine
“Creativity is about our capacity to experience the core of our being and the full range of our humanness.”
Madeleine created the Soul Shift Program as a result of her many and varied life experiences. She’s been holding space for others in multitudes of ways — as a yoga teacher, a professional storyteller in words and images, and the many roles she has played as a human being with a natural ability to connect with others in profound and generative ways when invited.
She is a storyteller in every sense of the word, understanding the nuance of what it means to be human. She has a degree in journalism from The University of Texas and worked in publishing as an art director and graphic designer for many years. While spending six months traveling in India, Nepal and Thailand in the late 90’s, she realized the camera gave her access, connecting her nonverbally with others in meaningful ways. Photography was another language that crossed all boundaries. She was hooked and has spent the last 13 years as a professional portrait and event photographer. In that role, she has intuitively focused on capturing the true essence of those she has been lucky enough to work with, understanding that at the core of all human nature is the desire to see and be seen. Her sensitivity and intuition enabled a unique way of witnessing others through her lens. You can view her work at at madeleinetilin.com.
Madeleine is a spiritual seeker and it’s informed every word she has written, every image she has captured and her 26 years as a yoga practitioner and teacher.
A thirst for wisdom and knowledge — and yes, life challenges — has made her a lifelong student of yoga philosophy, meditation, asana, pranayama, chanting and healthy living.
She is a Level 1 certified Kundalini yoga teacher. Her other yoga trainings go so far back it was before ‘certifications’ existed. They include anusara yoga with John Friend, and anatomy/philosophy/physiology with Tias Little of Prajna Yoga. She also draws from in-depth study with the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of the astanga lineage. She traveled to India twice to work with him. In addition, her teaching draws on teachings of Sarah Powers of Insight Yoga which combines Buddhism, meditation and asana into it’s own nourishing and meditative form. There are multitudes of teachers that have informed her perspective and her breadth of knowledge — too many to name. Her age and experience have given her a depth of understanding and compassion for all of the seasons humans go through. Life is not one size fits all and neither is yoga.
Madeleine’s growth spurts and obstacles are both personal and universal. Her work in relation to these has informed the way she shows up for her clients and those in her life. Difficult childhood, motherhood, marriage, divorce, untimely death, physical challenges, empty nesting, second chapters. This is part of what it means to be human. How we create and grow from these experiences is the GIFT of being human.
It’s with this truly unique and powerful set of professional and life tools and experiences that Madeleine has landed here. For you. She’s honored to guide you back to a sense of wonder, joy and to yourself.