Tonie Warner

500 E-RYT, PYT, YACEP

The Connective is the space where my passion for Yoga meets community power. I am forever grateful for the teachers and community I get to share this work with, creating change in the wellness industry, bravely and collaboratively.

While I found empowerment and refuge in Yoga for over 15 years of practice, I also realized I wasn’t reflected in predominantly white spaces, first as a student, and then as a teacher. I believe that Yoga is a liberation practice, dependent on liberation of BIPOC, but I did not see that being upheld in dominant studio culture. As an extension of my practice and this belief, I created Yuja Soul, Yoga for Black Women, and I devote my offerings to The Conenective’s mission as a teacher and Steward.

My special sauce is my passion for Yoga philosophy, and its intersection with social justice. My classes aim to serve as a brave space, and are known for their physical and mental rigor centered on the power of Pranayama, Bandhas and Mantra, and filled with spacious self-inquiry. And sometimes, in that longer than usual Chair or Chaturanga hold (wiiink), there’s humour, wisdom, and most importantly, loving encouragement and community.