about toria
Movement & Meditation
Toria Hungerford is a meditation teacher, yoga instructor, and lifelong student of contemplative practices dedicated to helping people reconnect with themselves in a fast-paced world.
Drawing from years of experience teaching meditation, Yoga Nidra, gentle yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong, Toria creates welcoming spaces where people can slow down, breathe deeply, and cultivate greater balance in their lives. Her approach blends ancient wisdom with practical tools that support wellbeing, stress reduction, self-awareness, and balance.
Toria has worked with individuals of all ages and abilities through community programs, senior centers, wellness organizations, libraries, and private sessions. She believes that mindfulness is not about escaping life, but about learning how to meet life with greater presence, compassion, and clarity.
Whether guiding a meditation, leading a yoga class, or facilitating heartfelt conversations, Toria's intention is simple: to help people discover moments of stillness, connection, and peace that can be carried into everyday life.
Toria lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, with her husband and two dogs, where she enjoys walking in nature, studying contemplative traditions, writing, and spending time near the ocean.
Certifications & Areas of Practice:
- Yoga Instructor -RYT-200 (Asana)
- Yoga Nidra - "Yogi's Sleep (Pratyahara)
- Meditation (Dhyana & Dharana))
- Breathing Techniques (Pranayama)
- Concentration Techniques (Dharana)
- Tai Chi for Arthritis & Fall Prevention
- Qigong (Five Elements)
- Certified Vibrational Sound Therapist
Whispers, Wonders & words
The Great Whale Star
The Great Whale Star
The Great Whale Star
In The Great Whale Star, a spirited young dolphin named Celeste resists the traditions of her island and longs only for the return of her beloved friend, Mya, a migrating humpback whale. When Celeste hears the legend of the Great Whale Star — a whale who becomes light in the sky — she begins to understand the deeper meaning of ceremony, remembrance, and the sacred threads that bind life and loss together.
Through adventure, friendship, and the protection of the island’s treasured Kalani Pearl, Celeste discovers that life’s greatest treasures are not objects we guard, but the love we share and the stories we carry forward.
At its heart, The Great Whale Star is a gentle meditation on transformation. It introduces young readers — and the adults who read alongside them — to the idea that endings are not disappearances, but transitions into another form of light. Through ocean mythology and friendship, the story opens a doorway to conversations about grief, legacy, and the enduring nature of love.
The Pink Poodle
The Great Whale Star
The Great Whale Star
In The Pink Poodle, a circus escape leads one small dog into a journey far greater than survival. Guided by something unseen — a mysterious presence in a cornfield — she finds her way to George, a grieving widower whose heart has quietly closed after the loss of his wife.
Through her unwavering loyalty and gentle mischief, the pink poodle becomes a bridge between broken hearts: a lonely teenage girl who has lost her mother, a kind farm boy navigating cruelty and courage, and a community on the brink of renewal. As grief ripples through each life, so does healing.
Told entirely from the dog’s perspective, this story tenderly explores bullying, loss, legacy, and the invisible threads that bind souls together. It is a reminder that love continues beyond death, that kindness can alter the course of generations, and that sometimes our greatest teachers arrive on four paws.
At its heart, The Pink Poodle is a meditation on ripple effects — how one life, however small, can restore connection, reopen love, and ensure that what matters most carries forward.
