Instructors of yoga, reiki, TRE, and mindfulness

I am a trauma survivor, teacher, artist, and musician. I first came to yoga in 1996 for chronic pain. It was an on again, off again love affair until I totally committed and received my first teacher training in 2012. After my second training in therapeutic yoga in 2015, I became certain that this was indeed the correct path for my life.

After teaching in public schools for almost 20 years, I completely burned out. My past traumas caught up with me, combined with the newer traumas of working in a broken education system. I'm healing every day as it's a looooong process to regulate the nervous system and rewire the brain. I'll be working on this healing indefinitely. However, I persist. And I'm ready to use my teaching experience to guide others on a similar journey. 

My official bio:

Spira Politis, MAT, RYT-500, Usui Reiki Master Teacher,  leads adult classes in yoga, movement, meditation, and mindfulness-based art as tools for healing, personal transformation, and spiritual practice. She has been teaching art in public schools for 18 years and holds many certifications in areas such as Life Coaching, Health and Wellness Coaching, and Yoga Therapy...and is currently dipping her toes into digital course creation as well!

She also loves  greyhounds (all dogs, really),  cooking, singing, art making, traveling, science, and plant medicines.

I was drawn to the practice of yoga because of the inner calm I experienced the first time I sat on the mat. With a background in dance and sports, the physical yoga practice introduced me to moving with mindfulness. As time passed and my practice grew, mindfulness began to weave its way into all aspects of my life. I came to see that yoga is not just a physical practice but a way to live.  

I have been practice yoga for over 22 years and teaching for 17. I hold two 200 hr certification through Yoga for the Special Child with Sonia Sumar and Swallowtail Teacher training with Elaine Wintman, who is a long time practitioner of Body Mind Centering. In addition I have training and experience in prenatal, postpartum, children’s yoga, and healing diastasis.  

My teaching is informed by my own personal struggles with depression, an eating disorder, and physical injuries and in more recent years the journey into motherhood and parenting two children. I have worked for many years with individuals with special needs, children, and new mothers. I truly enjoy teaching a wide rage of ages and abilities from babies to elderly. I appreciate each individuals unique skills and challenges and strive to meet students where they are. Students can expect a foundation of curiosity and compassion in my classes. 

**Tonya is currently teaching online classes from home! Check her out at Tonyayoga.com

As a lifelong lover of movement, I was initially drawn to the mat as an opportunity to stretch and strengthen but soon became enamored with the myriad benefits of practice beyond the physical. I completed my 200-hour training with The New School Of Yogic Arts under the guidance of Laura Ahrens where I truly discovered the power of yoga as a holistic system for navigating the world. 

Practicing yoga is an opportunity to disconnect from outside distractions; it is an opportunity to look inward and cultivate self-awareness; with practice, lessons learned on the mat can be translated into daily living. As a teacher, I invite students to tune into the present moment and approach their practice from a place of curiosity. With a focus on the union of breath and movement, my goal is to create a safe space for exploration where individuals of all backgrounds can forge a deeper connection with themselves. 

This practice has shown me my strength and has led me on a journey of self-discovery. My hope as a teacher is to help my students get a step closer to their Yoga; to foster their own flow and build their own inner strength.