Tonie Warner, E-RYT

Tonie Warner, E-RYT 500, PYT, YACEP

A Brooklyn-based career Yoga Teacher and Teacher Trainer. Founder of Yuja Soul: Yoga for Black Women

Tonie found empowerment and solace in Yoga in over 15 years of practice and teaching. She believes that Yoga is a liberation practice, dependent on the liberation of BIPOC. She did not see this tenet being upheld in dominant studio culture, and with the desire to extend her practice in alignment with her beliefs, she founded Yuja Soul, a dedicated space offering Yoga for Black Women. In addition to Yuja Soul, Tonie devotes the majority of her offerings at The Connective cooperative, a teacher-owned platform challenging the standards of the wellness industry. She is also a Principal at The Practice Coalition, a non-profit organization that offers Yoga for trauma to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Tonie’s offerings in group classes and trainings are known for their physical and mental challenge, and open brave space for inquiry and experiencing at the intersections of Yoga philosophy, social justice and healing justice.

Tonie is grateful for her teachers, having completed her 200 and 300 hr trainings at Sonic Yoga, under the mentorship of Chris Temple, Keith Partington, Sarah Ireland, Jeffrey Scott-Duval and Lauren Hanna through Hatha Yoga lineages of Sri Dharma Mittra and the Ayurvedic teachings of Dr. Vasant Lad. Tonie is offers Prenatal Yoga, having completed her prenatal training with Clare Ryan. Tonie is currently studying with The EmbodyLab to complete her certification in Somatic Attachment Therapy. She carries the teachings of her ancestors and elders, and is inspired by the thought and work of bell hooks, Toni Morrison, Toni Cade-Bambara, adrienne maree brown, Tias Little and Gabor Maté.